Alternatives to Churches (CPaH)

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Whereas most paladins pledge fealty to churches, others may opt to serve a sect. Like churches, sects are religious organizations that worship one or more gods, but they tend to be smaller and more secretive.
Most sects usually begin as an outgrowth of an established church. A sect leader and his followers separate from the church due to disagreements with church leaders or because of a contradictory interpretation of religion doctrine. If a sect flourishes and grows, it may eventually become a church itself.
Some sects organize themselves around a single leader who has developed his own set of religious principles. These may not have any formal ties to an organized faith; in fact, some do not recognize the authority of other religious leaders. They often spring up spontaneously, lasting no more than a single generation.
Some paladins avoid associations with any type of organized religion, instead choosing to venerate a philosophy, a belief system based on intellectual concepts rather than supernatural entities. Any philosophy serves as an acceptable alternative to an organized religion, so long as it meets these qualifications:
* It presents a logical and self-consistent interpretation of the universe.
* It demands lawful good behavior of followers.
* It's broad enough to form the basis of the paladin's ethos.
Paladins who follow a philosophy may worship privately or in small sects. Meditation may substitute for prayer. A hill blanketed in violets may function as a shrine. A book of poetry may take the place of a holy text.
Regardless of whether a paladin has faith in a religion or philosophy all work the same way in the context of the game. A paladin's devotion is sufficiently intense to attract the magical energy necessary to cast spells and give him his special powers. As with a lawful good religion, a lawful good philosophy requires strict adherence to a set of lawful good principles, characterized by the strictures and virtues of the paladin's ethos.