Religion

**Religion** is the state of belief in the supernatural, or a set of beliefs in God, a series of gods, or other supernatural beings.

## Real-world religions

### Mainstream

* Christianity
	+ Protestant
	+ Catholic
	+ Orthodox
* Islam
	+ Sunni
	+ Shia
* Judaism
	+ Orthodox
	+ Conservative
	+ Reformed
* Hinduism
	+ Shaivism
	+ Vaishnavism
	+ Shaktism
	+ Smartism
* Buddhism
	+ Theravada
	+ Mahayana
	+ Vajrayana
* Jainism
* Sikhism
* Shinto (Japanese)
* Bahaiism
* Chinese folk religion
* Confucianism
* Taoism
* Zoroastrianism
* Tengriism (Turkic, Mongol)

### Revived native religions

* Asatru (Norse, Germanic)
* Rodnovery (Slavic)
* Hellenism (Greek)
* Romuva (Baltic)
* Celtic
* Atenism (Egyptian)

## Fictional

### Rabydosverse

Like Earth, Jerde is home to dozens of religions that are based on their peoples' cultures. They are classified under four categories: "natural/ancestral", "philosophic", "syncretic", and "others".

1. "Natural" religions have existed as the traditions of their respective peoples, and many of these religions worship a pantheon of gods.
2. "Philosophic" religions are more focused on a certain philosophy instead of honouring a group of gods, such as "dharma".
3. "Syncretic" religions are a mixture of different beliefs. They may be discouraged as "diluting" one's spiritual connection with their gods and ancestors.
4. "Others" are those that do not fit within the three categories, such as monotheism (one God), atheism (no gods), and "cultists".

"Cults" are defined as:

* unusual beliefs (e.g. worshipping cartoons and celebrities instead of the gods, avoiding spoons, eating only pears, using bird wings as scriptures, etc.)
* deviations or heresies of existing religions (e.g. claiming that Tarhunz is female)
* harmful or disgusting practices (e.g. orgies, cannibalism, ritual murder, demon worship)

### Religion in Jerde

The continued existence of religion on Jerde was due to its people's love of tradition, resistance against Red Ardesch and some Terran invaders (who sought to either manipulate or destroy religious belief), and seeing religion as an influence for art and a motivation for greater deeds. In opposition to some empires who sought to force all Jerdiskar to their militant faiths, Jerdiskar focus on good deeds, justice, and scientific advancement as acts of devotion to their Gods.

In fact, with the discovery of various technologies, Jerdiskar countries tend to create myths to "celebrate" their discoveries. For example, when plasma was discovered to be present in both lightning, the Sun, and the stars, Jerdiskar believed that plasma is a holy substance, one of the weapons or a gift of the Gods!

#### Human polytheist beliefs

* Asatru/Forn Sed\* (Nordic)
* Rodnovery\* (Slavonian)
	+ Bujanski Rodnovery
* Rakolan religion\* (Marnosyn)
* Ardesch sun cults
* Sandharma\* (Prisapuran)
* Kami-no-miti\* (Pinogunian)
* Gauvajut religion\* (Gauvajut)
* Romulian religion\* (Romulia)
* Dao Giao\* (Daizhouvian)
* Rabydosian religion\* (Rabydos, Umbirab)
* Kekhaulid religion

#### Human philosophical religions

* Sandharma\* (Prisapuran)
* Buddha-dharma\* (Prisapuran)
* Ruism\* (Daizhouvian)
* Alirtoras (Ajoltari)
* Trismegism\* (Archonian)

#### Human syncretic religions

* Vozonthanau (Vozonid religion)
* Tornarin religion

#### Human monotheist beliefs

* Mazdajasna\* (Zarijanian)
* Atenism\* (Gimbarsian)
* Daranian religion
* Bivosar religion

#### Human cults

* Zemasorism (Wannaenid, Vozonid)
* Utopianism (Zarijanian)
* Maardau cult (Ardeschen)
* Moklei Gio (Siangwaaian)
* Gao Sheng Giao (Siangwaanian)
* Ruotanese pantheon (fictional)
* Starpiercer-ism (fictional)

\*based on its Earth counterpart; the rest are fictitious

#### Non-human polytheist

* Gomairatha (Heronoi religion)
* Javarau (Arnadjanai religion)
* Vigefionian religion
* Igarin religion
	+ Fanesonism
	+ Nandegakkovian tradition
* Resparin religion
* Kuelgon religion
* Novantirna folk religion, Hänsjařo
* Ôzrintar (Novantirna worship of Odin)
* Imdegab religion\*
* Ontemazei religion
* Naumakanir cult\* (Arnadjanai)
* Eimarin religion (Eimares Celestials)
* Tuxavin religion (Tuxavin Celestials)

#### Non-human monotheist

* Kewenism (Heronoi)
* Kanviism (Qogandran)
* Korunism (?)

### Rinnarverse

#### Polytheist

* Irikkavennai (Rinnarit)
* Astrovian religion
* Miransi religion
* Volandism (Vetarbroitar)

## Religion during World War III and the Denlotian Era (Rabydosverse)

During World War III or (more accurately) World War IV, Jerde was invaded by various armies that were summoned by corrupt, sadistic warlords in their attempts to exterminate their enemies. Those invaders were known as Earthlings or Terrans, by local Jerdiskar records and accounts. Some of the more powerful and notorious of those otherworldly armies had extreme forms of monotheism or atheism, waging war against other civilisations to forcibly and cruelly impose their views upon the miserable Jerdiskar.

Their destructive behaviour caused the other Jerdiskar to view the beliefs of monotheism and atheism with nothing more than fear and hatred, seeing them as nothing more than fanatical, selfish brutality. As a result, many monotheistic beliefs and all forms of atheism were banned in the Denlotia, an alliance of nations formed after the ruin of the Third World War. They also prohibited any form of "religious separatism", responding to any rebellions by religious minorities with harsh suppressions and mass expulsions: mainly because some of the Terran armies were formed by religious rebellions, descending further into cruelty as they went deeper into their faiths.

### List of "Terran" religions

* Farasfi (monotheist, Davjanid)
	+ Seven Scriptures
	+ Deity: Lord of Heaven - Asman, Arim, or Sama, a compassionate God
	+ Very intolerant of other faiths
	+ Divided between the arrogant Pompadours and the destructive Black Pillars
* Paredyuheya (monotheist, Enlightened Party)
	+ Elitist, extreme progressive
	+ Deity: Saitya, Truth
	+ Sees themselves as the rightful elites who must dominate all others
* Dharmeya (polytheist, Saffron Front and Kuruvid)
	+ Shaivism
	+ Deity: Seva, Sai
	+ Punishment against those who insult the Dharma, mistreat even abusive parents, and eat holy animals
	+ Divided between modernist Saffron Front and regressive Decadents
* Bobianism (monotheist, Grabgoss Theocracy)
	+ The state religion of the Grabgoss Theocracy
	+ Deity: Urizen
	+ Relies on an arch-bishop, heavy taxes
* Fyranti (polytheist, White Imperium)
	+ Worships three gods: the God-Emperor, the Mystic Ways, and the Race Spirit.
	+ *Very* racist and hateful of anyone outside their race. They even murdered other White people, seeing them as "weak" and "impure".

### Treatment in the Denlotia

Two notorious questions asked by citizens of the Denlotia were:

* "Are you a one or a none?"
* "How many gods do you worship?"

This was a way to screen out possible Terrans and their converts, who were seen as nothing more than hostile terrorists.

Although those who answered those dreadul questions wrongly were either beaten or dragged out of the Denlotia's countries, people who simply blasphemed the Gods and denounced the Denlotia's polytheist religions were simply laughed at and treated as laughingstocks.

There were several acts that led to punitive actions:

* Desecrating or damaging temples and idols
* Persecuting or attacking anyone from the Denlotia for their polytheistic faiths
* Killing or violently harming a Denlotian (not just for worshipping other gods, but for any reason whatsoever)
* Praising and celebrating such acts
* Calling for such acts

People who committed such acts were simply jailed. Those who committed violent attacks over religious matters were simply beaten and tortured, and anyone who causes even one death will be killed on the spot. The same punishments also applied to Denlotians who tortured or murdered atheists or monotheists, for the Denlotia's laws condemned such unnecessary revenge as self-corruption, becoming just like their brutal enemies.

In the Denlotia, monotheists were knowns as "monoi", and were seen as nothing more than murderous, hateful militants who would destroy the world for their one god. The only monotheists who were allowed were from several members of the Denlotia, and they were known as "unitheists".

Atheists fared no better under the Denlotia, as several hostile antitheistic armies became the public stereotype of atheism in general within the Denlotia. To Denlotians, the rejection of all religion would drive a person into paranoia, hating loved ones and the community to force them to "wake up" as atheists and waging war against the nations' diverse cultures in favour of various Terran tyrannies. Because of that fear and propaganda, any Denlotian with doubts about religion usually went to a counsellor, and almost all of them would refuse to become an atheist out of fear that they would become a hateful, militant Terran.

### Destruction of the Denlotia

As a result, almost all monotheists and atheists, especially those who followed the Terran ideologies, turned to the enemies of the Denlotia and were radicalised by them. When the Pandemic of 3900 ruined the world, many of them celebrated the destruction and collapse of the Denlotia, hoping to impose their conflicting, divising systems upon the ruined survivors. Unfortunately for them, the Pandemic also infected them as well, and they joined the Denlotian foes in the grave. Adding salt to the wound, some rebel armies that emerged from the destruction of the Denlotia formed their own cruel cults, caricatured imitations of the monotheist and atheist militants that waged war on Jerde during the Third World War.

After their defeat, the nations that emerged from the Pandemic of 3900 banned monotheism and atheism again, condemning such views as "Terran" and "hostile" as they made polytheism mandatory. Only the preexisting Jerdiskar nations and cultures who practiced monotheism were allowed to keep their beliefs, as they did before the Pandemic.

### Later history

In later times, people started to become less afraid of monotheism and atheism, as they understood that their surviving adherents were more peaceful.

## Later Terran religions

* Tyrskan National Church (polytheist, Tyrska)
	+ The state religion of the Tyrskan Empire, an empire in western Russia in Earth 97
	+ Various deities based on historical figures, such as the scientist known as Zetros
	+ Militarism, sadism, manipulation of the family and tradition to indoctrinate for war. Venerates immortality as a path to godhood.
	+ Uses the Eightyearsism teachings to justify violence and supremacist attitudes
* Church of Q (monotheist, Church of Q)
	+ The state religion of the aforementioned American empire in Earth 97
	+ Ruled over by corporate aristocracies and the Supreme Leader
	+ Promises tradition but instead abuses its own devotees

## The nature of absolute good

"*If we must become cruel and despotic, then why did the Gods create such a beautiful world, only for it to become a wasteland? Why would they even create you?*"

Some civilisations hate creatures and beings that are too benevolent or "nice", as they consider such an exceptionally-virtuous attitude to be too unrealistic for a cruel world. They murder them to force things to be more "realistic", and among their victims were the Crusader Fleets and the hirhueh.

One reason was because they think that people who happened to be "too good" might be part of a hive mind, perhaps manipulated by the Celestials or their "gods".

However, those civilisations would gladly win them over by tempting the "too good" ones. They gladly forced them to become evil by torturing and manipulating them, and much easier when many of them were unable to overpower their brute strength.

This idea was how the author reconciled beings and creatures who are "infallibly good" in a cynical, almost-realistic world. In such a dystopian setting, they will be murdered and hated for being too suspicious, as they will refuse to commit certain acts (like mass murder, torture, etc.).

## Trivia

* The author included pagan religions in the Rabydosverse as he wanted to show respect to the mythologies that influenced his works. He also wanted to stimulate a setting where such pagan beliefs continued into the present day (like in alternate history), and coexisted with modern and science fiction scenarios.
* No matter how religious anyone in the Rabydosverse is, most of its people prefer to be practical instead of spending too much time in prayers. This could be influenced by their history of facing a lot of problems, from wars to revolts and natural disasters.
* The author became a Hindu in December 2020.
* In Jerde, Hinduism is not known as "Hinduism", as the name never existed. Instead, the Hindu religion is known either as "Sandharma" or simply as "Dharma" or "Dharmism".
	+ The name "Sandharma" is coined by the author, derived from Sanatana Dharma, "eternal law"; or the same name, shortened and then read as "san-dharma", "harmonious law, law that goes together".
	+ Although "Hindu" is used as an easy term for the Hindu religion on Jerde, within Jerde, most societies use "Dharmic", "Dharmist", "Sanatani", or "Sandharmist".
	+ Naming "Dharmism" as "Hinduism" does not make sense to a Jerdiskar, because that is like naming their own religion after a river, and yet rivers are not the primary gods in Hinduism/Dharmism. By that logic, Buddhism would be known as "Niranjanism" (in India), Christianity as "Jordanism" (in Palestine), Asatru as "Skienism" (a river in Norway); and Rodnovery as "Volgaism"!