Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- religion [2026/02/13 12:17] – ultracomfy
+++ religion [2026/02/16 11:04] (current) – ultracomfy
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 A //Religion// is a type of [[Faith|faith]] that has, over time, become a fully fledged //system of worship//. A religion is the belief in something around which a spiritual structure has formed.
-Religions in the way I think of them come with four features:
+Religions in the way I think of them come with four or five features:
   * Head of Faith
   * Sins & Virtues
   * Doctrines
-  * Holy Scripture
+  * Tenets
+  * Holy Scripture (Optional)
-====== Head of Faith ======
+While a holy scripture is optional, a head of faith //does// always exist, even if the High God themselves is the head of faith. This list is almost exclusively inspired by the video game [[Crusader Kings 3]], specifically their avilable [[https://ck3.paradoxwikis.com/Doctrines|Doctrines]] and [[https://ck3.paradoxwikis.com/Tenet|Tenets]]. Go check them out, this page will make a lot more sense in front of this context.
+====== Structure ======
+===== Head of Faith =====
 Religions, as lived out by humans, are inherently "human", or "earthly" as they will call it. Most religions appoint, through one justification or another, a human //head of faith// who is in charge of leading the religion to some extent. The exact extent and the position granted to that person vary between religions, however.
@@ Line 24: / Line 28: @@
-====== Sins & Virtues ======
+===== Sins & Virtues =====
 Almost all religions come attached with social structures that are followed inside of them. This has weakened over the course of the enlightenment, but was a very significant factor in the past. Regardless, religions still teach these attitudes today and present a defining feature of each religion.
-====== Doctrines ======
+===== Doctrines =====
 To really define a religion and understand what the religion is like, it is very important to look at its doctrines. These are the main rules of the religion itself and determine how the religion works internally.
@@ Line 52: / Line 56: @@
 |:::|Legitimization|Marriage is holy, so children born outside of it must be blessed in another way if they are to be considered legitimate.|
 |:::|No Legitimization|The bonds of marriage are sacrosanct, and children born outside of wedlock will always be illegitimate.|
+|Funerary Tradition|Stoic Burial|The body has died, but the soul lives on. Death is not a time for grief and lamentation, but rather a funeral is to honor the dead by committing their body to the earth in a quiet, humble ceremony.|
+|:::|Bewailing Funeral|The soul has begun its long journey to [afterlife name] and we will never see them again in the living world. It is imperative that all who knew the dead gather and offer their grief in a public show of bewailment. This both honors the dead and cleanses our souls of the grief felt by their departure.|
+|:::|Cremation|From ashes we came, to ashes we return. The body of our deceased is disposed of in a great funeral pyre, and the resulting ashes are spread across the earth to continue the journey of the dead.|
+|:::|Sky Burials|The dead should not be imprisoned underground — it is far better to allowed them to be consumed by scavenging birds, where in a final act of generosity they can feed the world which fed them.|
+|:::|Mummification|The body has ceased to function, but it is still the vessel by which the spirit will journey to [afterlife name]. The physical form therefore must be as constant as the soul, awaiting the judgement of [High God].|
+|:::|Family Rites|Death is a period of mourning and ritual for those who live. Hierarchy and seniority matter as much in death as in life; it is important to venerate those more elderly even after their passing, and to be seen venerating in the correct ways.|
 ^ Crime ^ Doctrine ^ Text          ^
@@ Line 57: / Line 67: @@
 |:::|Shunned|It is unnatural for two men to engage in sexual relations with one another, regardless of the circumstances.|
 |:::|Accepted|Love transcends physicality into something so profound and wondrous that it cannot be restricted by mere gender.|
+|Adultery((In religions with a gender preference, the preferred gender will typically be favored in this. They will often only get shunned instead of being considered a criminal.))|Crime|It is a crime for one to engage in intercourse outside of marriage, and they shall be punished accordingly.|
+|:::|Shunned|It is sinful for one to engage in intercourse outside of marriage, but like all sins it is the divine who must judge them for their failings.|
+|:::|Accepted|There is nothing inherently wrong about a one deciding to engage in intercourse outside of marriage, so the decision is theirs alone.|
+|Deviancy|Crime|It is clear that there is only one proper way to love another. Any deviations from that form are sinful and should be punished.|
+|:::|Shunned|There are some sexual practices which are simply abnormal and strange. It stands to reason that people with those desires are equally abnormal and strange.|
+|:::|Accepted|Love is beautiful and sacred, no matter the form it takes. Everyone should be permitted to love and do as thou wilt.|
+|:::|Virtuous|The pleasures of the flesh bring us closer to the divine, and thus those who are unshackled by conventional desires are the height of virtue in our faith.|
+|Witchcraft|Crime|Only the divine have the right to work miracles on this earth. Any who make profane attempts to do the same shall be punished for their hubris and arrogance.|
+|:::|Shunned|The divine have the rightful jurisdiction over supernatural forces in this world, so any attempt to coerce those forces into obeying a mortal's will is inherently misguided.|
+|:::|Accepted|Magic fills the world around us, and it is our right and our privilege to engage with it the way our ancestors did.|
+|:::|Virtuous|To practice witchcraft is to put one's own soul in danger from evil spirits. For their bravery in this necessary aspect of keeping our own souls clean, witches are to be venerated.|
-|
+^ Clerical Doctrine ^ Doctrine ^ Text          ^
+|Clerical Function|Control|The priest derives its authority from the divine, and that still applies here on Earth.|
+|:::|Alms & Pacification|Our priests are entrusted with ensuring that the poor and downtrodden have sufficient food and shelter when they can not provide it for themselves.|
+|:::|Recruitment|Every able-bodied person has a duty to take up arms and defend our faith, and it is the responsibility of our priests to remind everyone of this.|
+|Clerical Gender|Only Men|Only men can shoulder the great responsibility of serving as priests of our faith.|
+|:::|Either|Anyone who has felt the call of the divine should be able to serve as a priest, no matter their gender.|
+|:::|Only Women|Only women are wise enough interpret the divine will and serve as priestesses of our faith.|
+|Clerical Marriage|Allowed|Marriage is a holy institution, and priests should be able to take part in it just like any other faithful adherent.|
+|:::|Disallowed|Becoming a priest means devoting one's life to the divine. It is inherently unfaithful to consider taking a mortal spouse in addition to that.|
+===== Tenets =====
+While doctrines describe the order of a religion, tenets help describing their philosophical attitutes, ie. basically their "personalities".
-====== Holy Scripture ======
+^ Tenet ^ Text          ^
+|Full Tolerance|Everyone is free to choose their own faith. Our differences do not divide us, they make us stronger. (All faiths are considered righteous.)|
+|Multireligious Interweaving|Together we are bound not by a single faith, but by the many faiths that make up the religious fabric of our society. Though we may call ourselves different names and follow different paths, some from outside our own belief system have learned to coexist in our society as if they were one of us.|
+|Naked Priests|Our priests know that clothes entrap the spirit and prevent us from achieving true enlightenment. Only by shedding our garbs can we awaken our souls and experience [High God]'s love.|
+|Rightful Rulers of the World|We are those who will usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all peoples. We are the rightful rulers of the world.|
+|Adaptive|Dogmatic adherence to old restrictions only harms the faithful. As long as we stay true to the core beliefs of our faith, we may adapt our laws to the world around us.|
+|Asceticism|Materialistic pursuits blind us to the divine truth. Only by devoting ourselves to live simple lives without luxury can we achieve spiritual enlightenment.|
+|Carnal Exaltation|The pleasures of the flesh are sublime in a way that transcends other earthly experiences, bringing us closer to the divine. We should glorify our sexual desires and seek out opportunities for us to fulfill them.|
+|Communal Identity|Our faith and our culture are intrinsically linked together. This practice strengthens the bonds of our community, though it tends to exclude foreigners.|
+|Communal Possessions|[High God] intended for us all an equal share of the resources on earth. We should hold all things in common, and re-distribute the stolen wealth of the powerful.|
+|Communion|Our rituals are not merely symbolic — they invoke the very presence of the divine itself. Those who cannot or do not join us in their practice cannot be true believers.|
+|Exaltation of Pain|Pain is the universal emotion, violence the universal language. To bestow pain upon another is to give them a blessing, so receive pain one's self is to receive grace.|
+|Gnosticism|Through knowledge, the divine spark that rests inside all humans may be liberated and returned to its heavenly source in the spirit-realm.|
+|Legalism|Our laws are the result of generations of wisdom and devoutness, and adhering to them is by its very nature pious. A sinner, no matter who, will never be above the law.|
+|Literalism|Our holy texts clearly state divine intent, and human interpretation is of limited value.|
+|Mind Without Mind|The mind that is mindless is the mind that has achieved true mindfulness. A state cultivated by artists, craftsmen and martial artists, where the body responds to all challenges without thought.|
+|Monasticism|The pleasures of fine food and drink only serve to distract us from service to the divine. Isolating ourselves in remote monasteries is the best way to avoid these temptations.|
+|Natural Primitivism|Civilization is unnatural, a futile and blasphemous attempt by man to impose order on an inherently unordered creation. We embrace naturism and live as god intended, wild and free.|
+|Polyamory|Our love for each other should be as unconditional as [High God/Fertility God]'s love for us. We must cast away the outdated notions of one person owning the affections of another.|
+|Pursuit of Power|What is and is not righteous is transient, defined by those who currently hold power. This means that the pursuit of power is the only truly righteous cause.|
+|Religious Law|The border between theological and legal arguments is thin, and spiritual qualities can and should be considered in secular settlements.|
+|Ritual Cannibalism|Mankind is blessed to have been bestowed with the spark of the divine. Human flesh is therefore sacred, its presence something to be savored, not buried or burned.|
+|Ritual Celebrations|The worship of the divine is something to be exalted in and shared with our community. Organizing great festivals to honor and praise the divine brings us all together.|
+|Sacred Childbirth|The bathhouses where mothers give birth must be cleansed and prepared with the proper rituals, in order to encourage the divine to grant us their blessing during childbirth.|
+|Sacred Lies|Lying is the most profound art in existence. Those who can convince others of their lie are holy. Those who can successfully lie to themselves are unstoppable.|
+|Sacred Mountains|High away from villages and farms, mountains touch the very clouds above. It is there, among the peaks and crags, that the sacred can be truly found.|
+|Sacred Murder|When ordinary warfare will not avail, it is our duty before [High God] to destroy their enemies through infiltration and deception. We must fear neither death nor pain, and eagerly lay down our lives for the greater cause.|
+|Sanctioned False Conversions(("Spiritual Warfare"))|If your life is threatened, it is acceptable to confess a false faith, as long as you keep the truth in your heart.|
+|Sanctity of Nature|The natural world is the creation of the divine, and we are merely guests in it. We must respect and honor every tree, every animal, and even the ground itself.|
+|Unrelenting Faith|Our convictions are strong, and we will gladly fight and die for our faith. No matter how badly the odds are stacked against us, we shall not surrender.|
+|Vows of Poverty|Money corrupts the hearts of men and pushes them away from the true faith. We must shun the acquisition of material wealth if we are to focus on what really matters.|
+|Adorcism|The spirits of the world can do great works of both good and evil. By honoring and respecting them we can only hope that they will do their good to us and their evil to our foes.|
+|Aniconism|The worship of graven images has blinded far too many to the divine truth. We will cast all icons out of our holy places so that our faithful will not fall into that trap.|
+|Bhakti|Mortals cannot live up to the full glory of the divine, but by selecting a single aspect of divinity to emulate, worship and devote oneself to, we can come closer to them than otherwise would be possible.|
+|Dharmic Pacifism|We are all part of the cosmic order. Violence against anything is violence against everything, oneself included.|
+|Hedonistic|The divine filled this world with a bounty of pleasures for us to indulge in and enjoy — to not partake of such things is to snub the very work of creation itself.|
+|Human Sacrifice|The best way to prove our devotion is through the act of sacrifice. The most valuable sacrifice we can offer is the sacrifice of human life.|
+|Pacifism|Violence is an abhorrent act that only leads to suffering, pain and regret. By working to avoid it whenever possible we can build stronger, more secure societies for the faithful to live in.|
+|Reincarnation|We have lived many lives before this one, and will continue to live many lives after it. Every death is only the beginning of something new.|
+|Ritual Hospitality|Hospitality is one of the greatest virtues mankind can exhibit. Guests in our home, be they mortal or divine, should always be treated with the utmost honor and respect.|
+|Ritual Suicide|When we grow old or sick, we perform a ritual to cleanse our soul of sins. Once that is done, we quickly and definitively end our lives, so that sins do not have the opportunity to infest us once more.|
+|Inner Journey|Only by understanding one's self can we understand the world. The journey of self-discovery is important as it is long and difficult.|
+|Gruesome Festivals|We are all born in blood. We survive by the blood of our livestock, our family, our foes. It is only natural that the gods demand their fair share.|
+|Benevolent Governance|Those who govern over the masses have a moral duty to promote that which is good and abjure that which is evil. It is only by adhering to this principle that a ruler may truly be just.|
+|Filial Piety|Filial piety and obedience to one's elders are fundamental to the actualization of human goodness. When our parents are alive, we serve them with propriety; when they die, we bury them with propriety, and then worship them with propriety.|
+|Harmonious Society|Everything must be balanced: individuals, nature, society. The [High God] sets the tempo and we follow his chant.|
+|Pursuit of Knowledge|Those who are naturally endowed with knowledge from birth are the most superior. Those who seek out knowledge willingly come second. Those who are dull and do not seek to learn are the lowest of people.|
+|Pastoral Isolation|All we want is to be left alone. Our practices are our own, and no more the business of anyone else than theirs are of ours.|
+|Preservation|Creation, protection, transformation. Virtue is derived from construction, from building something and watch it prosper.|
+|Sacred Destruction|There can be no creation without destruction. For something new to begin something old must end.|
+|Sacrificial Ceremonies|Human sacrifice both voluntary and involuntary bring us closer to the divine. It is customary and virtuous for one to volunteer to sacrifice oneself in ceremony, just as it is virtuous to sacrifice those who have committed unforgivable crimes against the Gods.|
+|Sun Worship|The light-bringer, the live-giver, the ever-burning flame — It reigns high in the sky as the true sovereign of the world.|
+===== Holy Scripture =====
 Many religions have central scriptures from which they potentially derive their authority or legitimacy. If not that, it can also just be the central rulebook of the religion.
+====== Analysis ======
+Throughout the analysis I will be using the words "Tenets" and "Doctrines" to describe religions because those have become the "correct" terms in my mind. Of course I've learned about a tenet like Asceticism before actually calling it a "Tenet", so even though I use those terms here does //not// mean that I haven't thought about religions before playing Crusader Kings 3. Crusader Kings only gave me a structure that I could use to better understand and categorize different religions.
+So, the first time I seriously thought about religions and their associated doctrines and tenets are two things:\\
+\\
+. How incredibly arbitrary! If you ever ask for a justification for their doctrines/tenets, you will never get a proper response. It's either "because I feel so" or "because a book says so" or "because [High God] says so" or something to that effect. It's all circular. Individuals, ie. adherents of a religion, might actually try to justify their belief in a doctrine/tenet, giving you some attempt at a [[deontology|deontological]] explanation for why their faith correctly considers some things as either right or wrong. However, the religion itself - as opposed to individual adherents - won't even go as far as to try to justify its doctrines/tenets deontologically. It will always point to someone or something else, and that something else always happens to be [[Verifiability|unverifiable]].
+\\
+\\
+. How incredibly replaceable! There are so many doctrines and tenets in there that would be //reasonable//, but many of them are mutually exclusive. Nobody here could ever be possibly be right or wrong, yet most religions have the Righteous doctrine. This is contradictory by definition. Logically, you could quite literally just use this list to make up any kind of religion and it would be equally as valid as every other... and that's basically how it is, no? For any combination of these doctrines and tenets, odds are a religion exists matching or closely matching your choices. By defining themselves in the way that they do, religions make themselves obsolete.
+And this is really all the observations you need to go forward with your life. Until any one religion can prove any of its big claims (most crucially, that their god actually exists), this is just playing teams with your favorite celebrities.