Theo-materialism

Theo-Materialism is a Gnostic religion based around worship of "EL Manolito" and a desire to escape the material world and attain a utopian society/state of existence via triumph over material forces and those who try to keep us in the material world, often dubbed as "Archons" and "The Demiurge" and most notably, "The Exo-Singularity".
While it may seem contradictory that the religion is known as Theo-Materialism in light of this, this is primarily because of its claim that Theo-Materialism uses study of the real world via the study of contradictions, to argue for the existence of such a reality.
The El Manolitos often built as idols by Theo-Materialists reflect both worship for the utopia they believe they can attain as well as a great respect and reverence for the stoic, all-knowing, and calm outlook of the statues.

## The Exo-Singularity

As detailed in the founding text of Theo-Materialism, "Disputed Questions on Faith", the Exo-Singularity is described as:

"It is a way of describing the nature of that which is external to our reality. Before our universe was created through the contradictions of Kenoma and Utopia, the Exo-Singularity gave form to these two primary contradictions from which ALL other contradictions originate. It is perhaps an oversimplification since it assumes that the Kenoma and Utopia started existing at some point as opposed to always existing as some brute fact."

The ultimate goal of Theo-Materialism is to overcome the results of the Exo-Singularity and to escape material reality and enter a non-physical (yet material) Pleroma, or utopia.

## El Manolito

In the Theo-Materialist tradition, El Manolito is a highly significant aspect of the faith. Including destroyed El Manolitos (of which there are few), more than 50 have been built across the world. The El Manolito signifies multiple desireable aspects to Theo-Materialists, such as Stoicism, knowledge, the nature of the human spirit, unity of all regardless of status and wealth. El Manolito also symbolises mercy combined with judgement, as Theo-Materialists do not believe in Damnation, but do believe in the eventual triumph over their foes, both in the material world and outside of it.

It is believed by Theo-Materialists that people who oppose El Manolito are almost certainly servants of the Archons, Demiurge and thus, the Exo-Singularity.

## Joy in the Face of Death

Joy in the Face of Death is one of the central elements of Theo-Materialism. Theo-Materialists believe that it means:

"that life can be glorified from its beginning to its end. It robs of meaning everything that is fundamentally opposed to mortal life. The religious forms that it rediscovers are the naive forms that precede the intrusion of a servile morality: it renews the kind of tragic jubilation that man “is” which becomes clear as soon as he stops glorifying necessary work and letting himself be emasculated by the fear of tomorrow."

It is also used as a mantra to remind Theo-Materialists not to fear death and welcome their coming utopia.

## Further Reading

**Disputed Questions on Faith. On the crisis of Theo-Materialism and the destruction of the Exo-Singularity:**https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QIWCjux3O79iQMbnSZ8w3fcc6QQVuLaf2F-sCP9qyD4/edit