Mithraism

Mithraism, or Mithrism, is a religion centered around the worship of the supreme god Mithras. Established on in the late 21st century, it was ostensibly created with heavy inspiration drawn from the ancient cult of the same name but has evolved a great deal in the subsequent five centuries. As of 2560, it remains a major religion across human space with an estimated 330 million adherents.
Originally founded around 2091 by a small group of university students on Earth, Mithraism remained a relatively obscure and exclusive cult until the career of Javier Gonzales, called the First Prophet, whose apparently miraculous survival of an orbital disaster brought a significant amount of attention and interest in the religion, followed by certain reforms initiated by Gonzales after is elevation to the highest grade of Pater. However, Mithraism would remain fairly exclusive until the radical reforms of Robert Sheng in the 24th century, called the Second Prophet, which divided the religion, though Sheng's Universalist doctrine would ultimately become the predominant denomination across human space. Mithraists would against split in the 25th and 26th centuries over issues related to the , a set of contradictions that remain unresolved.
==Beliefs==
===Mithras===
The principle and supreme deity of Mithraism is the titular Mithras, also referred to as Mithras Invictus. Similarly to the ancient Iranian and Roman traditions upon which the religion is based, Mithras in modern Mithraism is a supreme god, most strongly associated with light, justice, wisdom, and oath, as well as with the Milky Way itself. Depictions of Mithras have remained fairly static, and much of it is inspired by ancient depictions of the deity. Typically, he is shown wearing a red cape and Phrygian cap, wielding a torch and knife, and is often depicted slaying the bull Taurus. 
Notably, Mithras is not a creator god, but rather a savior. According to his origin myth, Mithras was sent to the universe by the Monad, the genderless, formless extrauniversal creator, to bring order and serve as its arbiter. Born from rock and hunting the bull, Taurus, to bring light by creating the stars, he assumed his position over the universe. Few Mithraists take this story as a literal descrption of events, and most believe it to be metaphorical, though do still believe in the divinity of Mithras and his role as a savior bringing light to a dark universe.
===Other Deities===
A variety of other lesser deities, or divinities, are worshipped by Mithraists, though the exact nature of this worship and which deities are subject to it vary by sect and denomination. Lesser divinities include:
*Cautes and Cautopates - The first two mortal humans to attain a state of henosis, or union between their souls and the universe. As companions of Mithras, they are associated with similar traits as the supreme deity, and are thus rarely the subjects of direct worship from Mithraists, though they remain revered. 
*Aion - A lion-headed deity who oversees time and the changing of seasons. He is unique as a neutral figure, being neither good nor evil. 
*Pole-Lords - Divine bull-headed vassals of Mithra who help to oversee the stars.
*Artemis Libertas - Goddess of liberty, freedom, and the natural world. Usually called by her epithet. 
*Mercury - Divinity that guides deceased souls on the first stage of their journey to Heaven. 
*Victoria - Daughter of Mithras Invictus and Artemis Eleutheria, who will come to maturity when light has finally triumphed over darkness. 
====Helios Problem====
Since the 25th century the deities Sol and Luna have become increasingly controversial among Mithraists due to their symbolism. Sol and Luna are deities representative of the star Sol and the moon of Earth respectively, making their worship a sore subject for many outside of the Sol System, who are apprehensive about the idea of worshipping the symbolic representatives of their perceived oppressors. Debate has raged over how essential the reverence of these two deities is and should be to Mithraists, with some radicals going as far as to suggest that they should be counted among the evil divinities and spirits that oppose Mithras. Mithraists across the Outer Colonies, where the majority of Mithraism adherents reside, have become deeply divided over the question of whether or not continued worship of Sol and Luna should be considered mandatory. 
Furthermore, even fiercer and more volatile debate has raged over the connection of Mithras himself with Sol. The Mithras Liturgy, whose apparent revelations provide much of the basis for the religion's theology, names a "Helios Mithras", making direct connection between Mithras and the god of the sun, Helios, an equivalent to Sol. Most Mithraists reject this connection, aligning with the Shengist doctrine that connects Mithras with all of the stars, not just Sol. 
However, traditional doctrine holds Sol and Mithras to be coequal rulers of the Cosmos, with Luna and Libertas as their respective consorts. The Esotericist sects, whose presence is largely limited to the Sol system and neighbouring Inner Colonies adhere to this doctrine, with some going as far as to suggest that Mithras and Sol are one being and applying the same reasoning to Libertas and Luna. 
===Cosmology===
===Afterlife===
==Practices==
===Initiation===
Official entry into the faith requires one to complete a ritual initiation ceremony, called the Syndex, where an initiate is accompanied by two congregation members to meet the congregation's leader, the Pater, who will be dressed in the common garb of Mithras. The initiate is then directed to drink from a pool of water beneath an image of Mithras slaying Taurus, representing the drinking of the purifying light brought by the bull's blood, followed by shaking hands with the Pater, officially marking their initiation as a follower of Mithras.
Practices do vary; it is common in most congregations to use a cleaned bowl rather than a pool of water in the initiation for the sake of hygiene, and many Esotericist sects maintain the practice of blindfolding during the initiation, a practice considered archaic and potentially dangerous by most denominations. Some denominations utilise wine instead of water, believing it to be a better representative of the bull's blood, but it is largely frowned upon due to its associations with Christian communion. Generally, an initiate must be at least 13 years of age to complete the ceremony.
===Communal feasting===
Upon being initiated into the faith, all members of a congregation partake in the ritual two-course communal feast, the Host, usually once a week, though many congregations have shifted to conducting the Host once every two weeks or even once a month. Nonetheless, these feasts are conducted by all Mithraist sects and are a focal point and the most popularly known aspect of the faith. While specifics vary based on denomination, all Hosts generally maintain a few key elements:
*An empty chair at the seat of a long table, representing the seat taken by Mithras, symbolic host of the meal.
*Consumption of flatbread and water as a first course.
*Prayer led by the Pater prior to eating.
*Reading from the Mithriad between the first and second courses.
While the first course is consistent across all feasts, the second course varies. Most denominations vary their second course from week to week, usually consisting of some sort of meat, salad, and bread. Most Esotericist sects maintain a strict second course of roasted chicken, spinach salad with olive oil, and white wine, but these represent a minority of Mithraists. 
The mood of the Host also varies: most denominations engage in conversation and general merriment during the feast, outside of prayer and reading from the Mithriad. Most Esotericists, however, maintain silence throughout the meal aside from those designated times.
===Communal worship===
===Prayer===
==Texts==
==History==
==Denominations==
==Persecution==