Order of Scientific Inquiry

The Order of Scientific Inquiry (OSI), or Scientism, is one of two main religious groups in the Halcyon system and is the official religion of the corporations. Its believers are called Scienticians. Scientism instills the mindset that everyone is right where they are meant to be, and straying from one's job or place in life is tantamount to heresy. It is directly opposed to Philosophism.
== Background ==
== Beliefs ==
The OSI mixes deist and predestination ideologies. It teaches that the Grand Architect set a perfect system in motion at the beginning of time and then simply "stepped back". Alongside this concept, they hold a Darwinistic belief that there is no equality in nature. The weak will die, and the strong will thrive (hence why it's called "Scientism" in the first place). The order believes contentment is found by accepting one's role in that Grand Plan. Eventually, followers expect to decode the Plan and all its intricacies. Once they are able to deduce the properties of every particle in the universe and its trajectory they will know everything. The future, the past, each person's place within the Plan, all will be laid out, removing struggle and bringing peace. No one will ever need question their path again. Some even believe this ultimate knowledge will unlock mankind's true potential, and they will all become akin to Grand Architects themselves.
They also believe that ultimately, no one can defy their role in the Grand Plan. Whilst the masses can act outside it and even stray off the path entirely, they will eventually be brought back into line. How far they stray will determine how harshly they must be jolted back to sensibility. In contrast to something like Christianity, where every action a person will take has already been foreseen, Scientism teaches that the future is up to the individual to determine, and how closely they choose to follow their role in the Grand Plan will determine their quality of life.
The Grand Plan and its predetermination of humanity's destiny leads to the belief that all of reality can be quantified in a single, elaborate equation.The Equation and the Plan
===The Six Pillars of Scientism ===
The Six Pillars of Scientism as they appear on the OSI Prayer Beads. 
#Survival of the Fittest: Nature abhors equality. The strong survive and the weak perish for the betterment of the whole.
#Determinism: We are all molecular machines. The body is a collection of atoms. The mind is a consequence of chemical reactions. Our lives are therefore predestined along a path that is only visible in retrospect. 
#Empiricism: The only real knowledge is that which we can observe, quantify, and measure for ourselves. Scientific experimentation is the only way to understand the elaborate blueprint of the universe. 
#Stoicism: Reason, not emotion, is the seat of morality. Wisdom means accepting the vicissitudes of life with grace and dignity. 
#Teleological Order: All things have a reason for existing, and a purpose to fulfill. The purpose of humanity is to eventually unlock and solve the Universal Equation.
#Patronage of Science: The purpose of humanity is realized through scientific achievement. Advancements in science and technology bring humanity closer to fulfilling its role in the cosmos. 
== Members ==
* Maximillian DeSoto is the Vicar in Edgewater.
* Bertie Cotton was the Vicar in Edgewater prior to Max.
* Constable Reyes
* Reed Tobson, a self-proclaimed Scientician, born and raised.
== References ==
Category:Religion
Category:Primary Factions