Religion in Ordis

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The many societies and civilizations of Ordis are extremely varied, and one way in which many of them differ is in the faiths their follow. While some Ordic religions are monotheistic, others are polytheistic. Some nations enforce faith in a State Religion, while many others are secular. And some are primarily atheist, or practice state atheism.

Abrahamic Religions

Islam

Islam is an enormously influential Abrahamic religion in Ordis, closely related to Christianity and Judaism, articulated by the Qur'an, a religious text considered by believers to be the verbatim word of God. For many believers, the Qu'ran is also supplemented by the teachings and normative example (called the sunnah, composed of accounts called hadith) of the Prophet Mohammed. In recent years, the body of muslims who consider haddith as legitimate scripture has seen sharp decline, which many scholars attribute to the promotion of Quranist Islam by states such as Alsheb, and international organizations like the Escari Islamic Brotherhood.

Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims maintain that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted over time, they are nevertheless all obliged, according to the Qur'an, to treat the older scriptures with the utmost respect. As for the Qur'an, Muslims consider it to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, from topics ranging from banking and welfare, to family life and the environment. These practices do of course vary wildly from sect to sect, and realm to realm.

The expansion of the Muslim World involved the rise and fall of various Caliphates and Empires, traders, conversion to Islam through missionary activities, wars and peaceful migration. Nowadays, Islam is one of the worlds largest religions by number of followers, with over TBA adherents worldwide, and converts in almost every major nation on Ordis. Most of the world's muslims can be found on the continents of Antar and Osova, and Islam is also incredibly influential in southern Orda. One of the largest muslim communities in Escar can be found in Dorozhebanyye.

Christianity

Horizon Catholicism

Horizon Catholicism is a form of Catholicism originating from New Spanishland and deemed by some to be one of the major branches of Christianity. Horizon Catholics generally belong to the Horizon Catholic Church. There are current TBA Horizon Catholics within New Spanishland and over TBA believers worldwide. The main distinguishing feature of the Horizon Catholic Church is that it is spiritually decentralized, as there is no visible main spiritual leader. However, administratively and symbolically, the Archbishop of New Horizon is considered as it's head and leader.

The Horizon Catholic dogmas of faith are the core teachings of the Church, that identify and define the Horizon Catholic faith when comparing it to other Christian and Catholic denominations. While some of these beliefs may be found among other Christian denominations (eg. Incarnation, Trinity), the term 'Dogmas of Faith' is primarily used for Horizon Catholic-only beliefs. For a Horizon Catholic, the Dogmas of Faith are truths revealed by God and proposed by the Church for the indubitable belief of the faithful.

Horizon Catholic dogmas are based on the Horizon Bible and the Apostolic Tradition, which was the basis of much of the books of the Old Testament, Horizon Catholics believe in the apostolic tradition handed down from generation to generation orally and written.

Some essential dogmas of Horizon Catholicism are:

• The Trinity of God (there are three divine persons, not three gods: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are one God).
• The Eucharist (the bread and wine transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ).
• The Immaculate Conception (holds the belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, unlike all other human beings, was not covered by the original sin but from the first moment of conception, that is, of his personal being, he was free from all sin).
• The Divine Motherhood (the Virgin is the Mother of God).

Other Sects

Transoxthraxian Christianity

Also known as Madarism, Transoxthraxian Christianity is a sect of the religion that first arose in the middle of the sixth century C.E. It is heavily influenced by gnostic doctrine as well as the local religion, Anqhirraism. On top of the radical influences, centuries of isolation from the rest of the Christian World led to something that, while rooted in Christianity, is quite different on many levels. However, due to the persecution and systematic slaughter of Madarists by the Iron Ring in the middle of the Twentieth Century, there are only a few Madarists left, almost none of them residing within Transoxthraxia itself.

Kolinthic Religion

Kelieski

Main article: Kelieski

Kelieski is the catch-all term for the collection of animist beliefs originating in Kolintha, which serve as both the foundation of modern Kolish culture, and as the nation's official state religion. The form of the faith practised by official followers is characterized by a focus on two crucial elements; ritual and purity. Kelieski has many rituals, from the essential purification and (among tourists) popular dance rituals, to very simple ones practised by most Kols, even those who do not consider themselves religious, in the privacy of their own homes; switching shoes for slippers and removing outdoor clothes when indoors is one such ritual. The Purity aspect stems from the belief that certain actions make one impure - although these usually have very little to do with morality, and most are related to personal hygiene or the experience of misfortune. This impurity is said to be bad for one's health and will cause spirits to avoid the impure person, bringing them bad luck. In addition, the form of Kelieski condoned by the state encourages recognition of the Emperor of Kolintha as a descendant of the Zhunyv (Greater Spirits) Hasko and Heyla. This has led to some foreign observers labelling the religion as a mere cult of personality.

Of course, most Kols do not follow the official practices quite so rigidly and usually visit Kelieski shrines only during festivals or during times of change or uncertainty. Often, they will also carry out small Kelieski rituals - usually without realizing it - and they may even choose to believe in some of the religion's spirits and minor deities. This simple, decentralized way of worship is usually known as Folk Kelieski.

There are around 80,000 major shrines in Kolintha, all representing individual Zhunyv, and an unknown number of smaller shrines to minor deities and lesser spirits that are worshipped in Folk Kelieski and not recognized by the state canon. These shrines are maintained by an estimated 120,000 shrine priests and priestesses. Kelieski, or more specifically it's folk side, has seen some spread internationally, mostly to nearby nations in Escar. Some regions in Osova and Orda, with links to the historical Kolish Empire of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, also contain a small number of adherents, most of whom maintain personal shrines.

Thalassic Religions

Auridon

Main article: Auridon

Minor Faiths

Bunnese Religion

The Bunnese strongly believe in the story surrounding "Goddess Tepugashem."

The story is set in the 1300s in Bunnoropolis. Once there was a large tsunami, which meant that crops failed that year. Hunting wasn't going too well and ingredients were running low. If not for the one fateful night when the Goddess Tepugashem released a bunch of Kugets (Rabbits) into the surrounding village, the people would've starved. Rabbits are now seen as a sacred animal and The Bunnese only eat them during festivals.