Religion Page Template

*This page is meant to be used as a template for standard wiki formatting, specifically for the creation of a religion. Please follow the standards used*

## Religion Page Template

*here, but feel free to break from the format if necessary. Leave sections without information blank.*

**Beliefism** is a religion practiced in the Imperial Republic of Nation Page Template. It is a polytheistic faith with several tenets as written in the sacred scripture of Saint Author. (This first paragraph or two should be a brief overview or introduction to the religion as a whole.)

Users do not need to use the page title text, as a page title will automatically appear on the page. A page should have its name in the first sentence, in bold. This should be the only bold text used in the article. The introduction paragraph, or paragraphs, should also refrain from using any headings such as an "intro". A table of contents usually generates automatically from having headings, though it can be toggled manually in page settings.

When making an infobox, one does not need to include all information if it does not exist. If it is unknown, or has not happened, leave it blank. Use asterisks for bullets, <br> for line breaks, and double brackets around page names to add links.

## Terminology

What is this religion called, and why? How did it get its name- from a specific aspect, from a specific god or set of gods, or is it just the word for "faith" or "religion" in your culture's language? Does it have different names in different languages?

Do note that calling a religion something that ends in -ism or -ianity is a bit cliche, and writers might want to avoid that. "Meme religions" are not tolerated by staff or the community.

Also note the specific words that the religion uses to describe its deities, spirits, leaders, priests, festivals, and so on. Describe their origins and meanings.

## Beliefs

Elaborate on the beliefs of the religion; Its worldview, its gods, they way it interprets the world, and its goals for the world or its followers.

These beliefs can entail the pantheons (or single god), what kinds of lesser spirits it accepts, and in some cases can include a cosmogony or world-origin story. Note that all religions have a purpose- things like increasing and reinforcing social harmony and order, carrying out the will of a particular god/gods, and so on.

The beliefs can be split into several different sections depending on the structure of the religion and how an author wants the article to flow.

## Practices

Describe the practices that followers of the religion go through. What kind of typical rituals do they follow? Are there sacrifices of food, animals, wealth, or even people? Is there consumption of particular foods, drinks, or drugs? Why are these practices followed, as per the faith's beliefs?

Note the differences between what a priest or leader may do for the religion, as opposed to a typical follower. Perhaps different followers worship in different ways? What happens if the practices are not followed properly?

There are many ways to practice religion. Do followers:

* Pray? Where and how? In homes, in temples, with a group or alone?
* Fast? For how long? Is it a specific event they fast for?
* Feast? What do they eat, when do they eat, and why? This may be related to holidays.
* Go on pilgrimage to particular holy sites?
* Meditate, take substances that alter consciousness, astral-project, or become possessed by a spirit?
* Wear particular clothing, hairstyles, or carry certain articles?
* Abstain from certain unclean foods, alcohol, or drugs? Why?
* Follow particular standards of ethics and purity? Are particular kinds of magic encouraged, allowed, or banned?

## Texts

What kind of religious texts are there? Are they common and available for all to read? Are they hidden and only read by the priest class? Are only certain books permitted? Are any books or views considered heretical or otherwise expunged from canon?

Texts can take the form of books of rituals (describing how to pray, cast magic, etc.), songs and poems, stories and parables, quotations from a historical leader, philosophy and theology written by priests, and much more.

## History

All religions change and grow over time, and they interact with history greatly.

### Founding

The founding of the religion, if it has a founding story. One can write about a predecessor faith that was reformed into the modern religion, how this religion split off from another religion to be its own sect, or how someone had a revelation and others began to follow their new prophet.

Some folk religions may not have a concrete beginning, however, and thus the origins of the religion can be said to be a mystery lost to time. Folk religions are often highly decentralized, and religions with strong temple hierarchies will probably have more strict documentation in the historical record.

### Spread and Growth

How many people believe in this faith? How did they come to believe this? Where was this faith practiced in times before, and where is it worshipped now?

### Change

All religions change over time. Elaborate on what those changes were, and how they came to be. Were the beliefs syncretized with another religion? Did new gods get added, did old gods get removed? Were there schisms, changes in the scripture or methods of worship? Did political or cultural forces change the religion in any way?

### Relations to other faiths

No religion exists in a vacuum. How is this religion related to others? Are their faiths that share a common evolutionary origin, with similar gods and beliefs? Are these related religions treated as heresies, or as simply how other cultures worship the same gods? Are there religions deemed to be friends or enemies?

### Conflict

Have there been any purges, inquisitions, wars, etc.? Is the religion persecuted in some places?

## Sects

Religions are often divided into smaller sects or denominations. Are there certain regional or opinion-based variations in this religion? Heretical sects or splinter groups? Syncretist groups, who share this religion with another?

## Demographics

Note where the religion is found, which peoples practice it, etc. Show some graphs, maps, charts, and figures.

## Other things to consider

* Law- how religion affects legal systems, government, etc.
* Art and culture- how does the religion interact with secular culture? What kind of art does it promote?
* Holidays- what holidays do the believers celebrate?
* Daily life- What effects on daily life does the religion have?
* Identity- who counts as a member of the religion? Is it an ethnic religion, or is it universal?
* Hierarchy- is there a caste system? Are certain genders favored?
* Geography- how do material conditions affect the religion, in the form of climate, biome, city, countryside, etc.?
* Other things. Be as unique as possible, so long as it is explained well.

## Extra Tips and Pointers

Here are a few ways to make the religion's page easy to read and look good.

* Use of proper grammar and spelling. Don't be afraid to check.
* Use the third person. Do not use "I", "we", "you", or anything of the sort, unless it is a direct quote.
* Read up on Wiki rules and guidelines, as to not violate any rules.
* Use links, but only for the first time a thing with a page is mentioned. Do not make links for pages that do not yet exist.
* Add images with captions. They can be sized manually.
* Feel free to copy and paste formatting from other articles; just be sure to replace all information that isn't code. Plagarism can lead to penalties, and nobody likes having their work copied without permission.
* Be as neutral as possible when discussing events. Do not use overly emotional language, or be biased; bias can add flavor for ingame books and canon texts, but not Wiki articles.
* Refrain from referencing real-life terms and meta information (languages, countries, architectural styles, Discord servers, etc.) unless the article is specifically referring to non-canon meta events.
* Use in-lore dates, not real-world ones.
* Do not leave sections blank to complete later; if it will be completed later, the headings can be added later too.
* If all else fails, look at some preexisting articles on our wiki, or at real-world Wikipedia articles for inspiration and examples.