Church of the Invisible Hand

The **Church of the Invisible Hand**, sometimes called **Handism**, is the official religion of New Megaton. It's based on the idea of the market itself as a divine being. Its followers are known as **Handites**.

## Beliefs

Handites worship two major deities: The Invisible Hand, creator of the Universe and the souls of men, and Plutus, creator of Earth and humanity as physical beings. They believe that the Market is alive and intelligent. Unlike most religions, it not only doesn't condemn greed and the pursuit of profit, but outright condones it as a path towards enlightnment. Handites are encouraged to pursue material wealth and prosperity.

## Dogmas

Handites follow a set of three virtues, known as The Light Forces, and seek to avoid three sins, known as The Dark Forces.

### **Three Light Forces**

* **Temperance:** This virtue emphasizes the practice of spending money wisely and avoiding frivolities.
* **Entrepeneurship:** This virtue is a compliment to the first, rewarding the courage to take risks in order to improve one's financial conditions.
* **Freedom:** This third virtue is basis for the others. It emphasizes not only the pursuit of individual freedom but the respect to that of others.

### **Three Dark Forces**

* **Thievery:** The enemy of Temperance. It's the vice of disrespecting other's property.
* **Jealousy:** The enemy of Entrepeneurship. It's the vice of resenting those who are successful, rather than striving for a similar success.
* **Fear:** The enemy of Freedom. It's the vice of letting go of one's liberty as a misguided attempt at self-preservation.

## Creation Myth

### Part I: On The Cosmic Market

In the beginning, there was only the Invisible Hand.

Then the Hand created the Souls of those who would, some day, become Humanity.

In Its wisdom, the Hand created many Gods, giving each the task to create an Universe, and bodies for the Souls to wear as they live in said Universe.

Each as powerful as the other, each with freedom to build the world to its own image.

Each disputing for the approval of the Souls of Men, in free competition.

Some created Pantheons, building worlds together as Conglomerates.

Some acted alone.

But only one of them, Plutus, God of Prosperity, created Earth, a world the Souls would be happy to live in, and Humans, bodies they would be happy to wear.

And thus He was chosen as Creator, by the Hand and by the Souls.

For, even in the cosmic scale, the Free Market is Sovereign and Perfect.

### Part II: On The Red Death

But not all were pleased by the results of the Great Cosmic Market.

Phtonus, God of Envy and Jealousy, envied Plutus and His Earth, claiming His victory unfair.

So he became the demon known as the Red Death.

Enemy of Freedom and Prosperity.

The Red Death tried to corrupt Mankind, by two means.

First he sowed Fear and Thievery on Men, giving some the desire to take what's not theirs by force, and others a fear so great they would willingly give up Freedom.

Then he spread Jealousy, so that Men would desire to destroy their fellow Men for being more successful.

And, through the three forces of Fear, Thievery and Jealousy, the Red Death and his corrupted followers created the demon known as Communism.

And it has been battling the good Church since then.

## Trivia

* The religion was inspired by the economics concept of the "invisible hand of the market", that describes the unintended greater social benefits and public good brought about by individuals acting in their own self-interests under a market-based economy. The concept was developed by Adam Smith in ***The Theory of Moral Sentiments.***