Is there an active method for acquiring an opponents religion?

[mgdpublic]

I find myself wanting to get the diplo points by sharing a religion but since someone else founded it, I can't get it. Is there a way to get the religion seeded in one of your own cities?

[ZargonX]

Having trade routes with the selected cities is what you need to have a chance for the religion to spread. Failing that, try signing an open border agreement and hope they send a missionary in.

[platypotamus]

And of course, don't be running theocracy!

[ghen]

I would love if they added a way to set your state religion to one you don't have, and then allow that religion to spread more freely in your cities until it reaches the majority. This will allow you to forcably adopt another religion and it won't overpower the spread of the majority religion.

[djpsychonaut]

I've noticed that other civs usually spread their religion pretty aggressively to their friendly neighbors that still don't have a religion. There is a huge incentive for the AI to do this because of gold/LOS. Make sure you have Open Borders, trade routes setup, and no Theocracy and you're good to go.

[Cort Haus]

Have you tried praying?

[Dominae]

Open Borders. Get out of Theocracy. That's about it.

Oh, and it also helps if you have few Religions in your cities (ideally, none), since that makes foreign Missionaries much more persuasive.

[joncnunn]

The above is all you can do until there's a foothold.

Once it's established, then you should build the Monstary to that religion there [or alternatively be running org religion] and have that city build missonaries like mad.

[Blake]

My testing suggests that (for the early game) the best (and only) way is to create a trade link to them, so the religion can spread in. Open borders are NOT needed.

[Dominae]

Open Borders are so that the AI will send Missionaries to your lands, in order to spread Religion "the hard way". If you really want them to spread a Religion to you, Open Borders certainly helps.

Religion also spreads "the easy way" without any direct intervention, but this effect is random so you cannot really depend on it. Chances of this happening are increased of the religious civ in question is connected to your trade network (but this is not a prerequisite).

Some AIs are Missionary-happy, some are not. I have seen AIs construct a Monastery and Missionaries as their first or second non-Settler build. They will use the Missionaries domestically unless/until they have an Open Borders with another civ.

[joncnunn]

Dominae, I noticed a distinct AI behavior change in the game I was in when I upgraded to Version 152.

Previously, no one sent any missonaries my way; the only two cities with foreign religions got them via not having a religion but having a trade route.

Post upgrade, my best friend the Arabs running a Christian Theocracy built lots of missonarys and sent them into my cities adding Christainity as a 3rd or 4th religion present. (I had no objection since I was running Free Religion)