Religions

[R_Kane]

I was wondering what types of religion other folks have in their universes, specifically "universal" religions...ie those that are not restricted to one or two worlds but are very widespread (within a sector, maybe even over a larger area.

I am thinking of starting a character with a strong background in religious knowledge and has become somewhat religious in character, even though he is a M.D.

-Roger

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by R_Kane:
I was wondering what types of religion other folks have in their universes, specifically "universal" religions...ie those that are not restricted to one or two worlds but are very widespread (within a sector, maybe even over a larger area.

I am thinking of starting a character with a strong background in religious knowledge and has become somewhat religious in character, even though he is a M.D.

-Roger

Try this site:
http://www.downport.com/bard/bard/barddani.html
Several religious Canon/ in use MT CT-TNE era religions posted here.
also:
101 religions (if its in stock from BITS,

and Peter "Black Dawn" Gray's article
http://www.downport.com/bard/bard/gail/gail4021.html
should be of use to you sir!

Liam

 

[trader jim]

NO NO NO.....My new Vorpal Bunnie Army Cannot Repeat.....Cannot worship ME....I am NOT CEASER!!!!...i mean ..im good.....but NOT that good!!!!.......

 

[Liam Devlin]

The site posting for this, written by me is:
http://www.downport.com/bard/bard/dani/dani7007.html

The Galanglic Thrice-Reformed Catholic Church
by Liam Devlin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Galanglic Thrice-Reformed Catholic faith (GTRC) has its roots in the Second Imperium’ s founding, the Long Night, and further development of the Third Imperium. Terran Catholicism in the face of the Vilani Interstellar wars was carried beyond the Solomani Rim sector. In the face of the alien Vilani "aggressions" The Terrans while Balkanized needed to unite their efforts in the Nth Interstellar wars. So too did the various splinters of the Catholic Faith. Uniting them under one Faith, while an apparent symbolic gesture of the planet in time of war, had far reaching consequences. Among these changes was the one that allowed Priest's the option of marriage, once in their lifetimes. Divorce was still upheld as illegal, annulment upheld as the only way of dissolvement, barring the death of one of those so enjoined in holy matrimony. This was known as the First Reform.
Chaplains in the Terran Confederate Navy ministered the faith aboard starships, were often the first "missionaries" abroad. In one such battle, the Chaplain was the ranking officer left aboard a warship, and took charge of an apparent route, rallied the Terran squadron and defeated the Vilani opposition force. The Church which had before the Interstellar wars taken a non-military role, even as a mediator of disputes on Terra, realized a precedent had been set, even as the Terran News agencies spun this event into a morale boost for the lagging fortunes in the current conflict. This resulted in the "reactivation" of the Holy Militant Orders. Often these forces followed behind the Terran Advances, and began the integration process, settling colonies, establishing churches, and providing temporary military protection until the expanding Confederacy could catch up. Foremost among these were the Knights of the Hospitaller(Militant arm, also involved in Hospitals, Veterans care, hospices for the Sick and needy) , St George(militant arm of Warrior Priests), and St Christopher (Patron St of Travelers, those who journeyed far).

The other events that coalesced the Second Reform was the conversion to the faith of Vilani PWs taken at Barnard's Star & other battles, as well as several minor branches of Humanity discovered living on Vilani-held worlds taken by the Terrans, that Military Chaplains serving with Terran ground forces had converted to the faith. There were other Humans out there, they'd discovered. Terran Human prejudices against aliens aside, the Church led the way on integrating these "lost souls" back into the fold of humanity. This was also coupled with the contact of Matriarchal societies, some even theocratic. The long-standing argument of the sexes serving in the priesthood was finally resolved as well, even as the last Vestiges of the Vilani 1st Imperium crumbled.

The Church soon realized, however the vast distances of interstellar space required a new structure. Based on a world’s population and following (size of parishes of the church), such things became necessary given the size the "2nd Imperium" had become. Using the model from Terra, 1 Bishopric representing 1-10 million of the faithful, and 1 Archbishop per 10-100 million. The Council of Cardinals, a Senatorial body that elected the Patriarch/Matriarch of the Faith, on Terra, one per 50 million of the faithful, was extended to 1 per billion. This was soon discovered to be too unwieldy. In order to maintain the doctrine's dogma in the New Sectors, a new Vatican was created, one per Sector, usually at the Sector Capital. Cardinal's Holy domains were relegated to the Subsector capitals. In thinly populated subsectors, it was often an Archbishopric.

The 2nd Imperium’ s expansion into the Spinward marches carried the faith that far at the time of the collapse into the Long Night. The Church's various branches lost contact with each other. The Sylean Federation in Core that founded the Third Imperium utilized the Church as a means to recontact lost worlds, even as the Dingir league and remnant Terran Confederacy did. speeding up the re-integration of the worlds, through the common denominator of the faith. Once again, aggressive evangelism, missionary work, and charities spearheaded these efforts, working hand in hand with Political figures of these worlds. Some sectors had regressed back to earlier faiths, such as Virasa in Ilelish, the Lancian ways of Gushmege, and the Scanian teachings of the Aquans in Daguudashaag. Even those converted in Vland had lost heart in the faith, and returned to their Vilani roots during the Long Night. Oddly enough, it re-emerged strongly in the Spinward Marches, Core, Massilia, Delphi, Daibei, Diaspora, Old Expanses, and the Solomani Rim. Yet the Long Night left indelible marks on the Faith, and these differences led to the Great Schism that went hand in hand with the Solomani Confederation's separation with the Third Imperium, on the conversion of non human aliens to the faith, and allowances of some sector's Matriarch/patriarch's allowance of these aliens to become Priests, or in the case of Antares Sector, become a Cardinal.

The inflexibility of the church in its dogma meant strict interpretation of the First reform's unifying the scriptures. The acceptance of Females and Minor branches of Humanity were perhaps one of the greatest hurdles the faith had accomplished, but historians of the church noted it was a near thing (the vote by the cardinals had passed by a razor thin margin of two votes). This allowed the church to survive the Long Night, but created an attitude on non-tolerance to modifying the scriptures. Too accept nonhuman aliens ran opposite of their interpretations, and deemed a heresy. It was a controversy that would last the entire length of the Solomani Confederation & Third Imperium. The Solomani Confederation's racist tendencies politically also affected the schism.

In the 990's the Third Imperium and Solomani Confederations'' 1st Rim war" reclaimed much of the former Confederation's territory. The 2nd Reformed Catholic faith relocated from Terra to Home in Aldabaran Sector, along with the Confederation's Government. This schism, which caused the majority of the church within the Imperium some heartache over their shortsighted brethren, was officially was known as the Third Reform. Not only did this allow for the conversion of nonhuman aliens, it also allowed these aliens to enter the seminaries and holy orders that supported the church's vast network of charities, hospices, and missionary work into the Trailing sectors of the Imperium, such as the Hinter worlds, Glimmer drift Reaches, Ley and Gateway sectors.

The difficulty in the Third Reform's "heretical" policies towards aliens with "humanity" within them, thereby having "souls", was cause for strife in the former 2nd Reformed church's holdings in the Old Expanses. This led to some forcible replacements of church leadership, in several cases, removal or excommunication of recalcitrant Human-supremacist priests. The last of these actions occurred in 1058 TI. A period of unrestful peace followed.

The Rebellion Era
The Assassination of Strephon, and the subsequent vengeful Solomani Invasion of the Imperium to retake Terra and their lost territories of the Old Expanses, Diaspora, and Daibei sectors launched in 1117, weeks after the recently installed Emperor Lucan had ordered the Corridor and Old Expanses Fleets into the maelstrom of battle of Dagudashaag and Zarushagar Sectors. For the GTRC, the war was also a war of beliefs in Faith. While the Solomani war machine cowed the Imperial Nobles, the GTRC church continued to resist their occupiers, In Daibei, Solomani Rim, and backed by the Domain Of Duchess Margaret (Massilia/Delphi sectors), in the Old Expanses. Here the GTRC functioned as both mediator, and a backer of resistance groups, notably to the beleaguered Vegans in the Rim sector, though not from entirely religious reasons. They stood by the Imperium against the Human-Supremacists, and that was good enough reason to tender aid and support to the GTRC. The Duke of Daibei, Duke Craig Anton Horvath, was a practicing member of the faith. As was the Duke of Sol. Duchess Margaret, while not member of the faith was smart enough to utilize them as mediators of ceasefires, and cynically by IRIS as a means to permit agents to cross lines on their ships, clearly marked by the Galanglic Red Cross. SolSec did likewise, to be sure.
By 1125, the Solomani offensives had stalled, thanks to pressures at home that viewed the main objectives of the war as accomplished (retaking Terra and much of their "lost territory" was still in their hands, at least in the Old expanses). Daibei had fought them to a standstill, and the Imperial pocket around Dingir and the Vegan Autonomous district had not fallen, despite Lucan's abandonment of them for pursuit of Dulinor and Strephon's factions. And the Pan-Sophontist movement, something the GTRC helped surreptitiously behind the scenes, was taking its toll politically on the Human Supremacists led Solomani Confederacy's Upper echelon government.

The situation stabilized with the signing of the Treaty of Altair in early 1130, settling a permanent ceasefire to hostilities with Daibei, the Vegans& Imperials around Dingir in the Rim, and Margaret's Domain, unaware of the deadly release of the AI Virus, that was collapsing the former Imperium’ s factional Safes (Margaret's had already fallen several months prior to the Confederacy's signing).

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the emissaries under the Church's Red cross labeled ships may have spread the AI-infection even as they spread warning of its impending arrival. Many of the Worlds in the Rimward Sectors owe their survival to the timely warnings. Not all heeded them of course, for the doomed and failing worlds, it was already too late.

The New Era
In the Old Expanses, rimward of the former Domain of Margaret Blaine Tukera, especially in the Quinoid subsector (B), The GTRC has emerged as a powerful force, especially on the planets of Montero(Quinoid), & Kestral(Jayna). In the Lower Old Expanses, particularly Aubaine & Oriflamme subsectors(-RCES campaign setting), it has influenced a re-expansion back into the Wilds in the new era, but with differing approaches.
In the Reformation Coalition worlds, the GTRC is a strong Federalist supporter, and their work in the wilds around the RC uplifting and teaching have a favorable backing in the public eye. They also strongly oppose rapacious plundering of the peoples of the Wilds as detrimental to the cause of the RC (Oriflamme's raiders [ala the SS Winged Fury, & SS Winged Vengeance], take heed!). They have sponsored several missions of mercy to disease-plagued worlds of low tech, and built schools and hospitals as well. The Church's tithes are utilized in spreading the faith, supporting these uplifting missions, which often are on RCES ships, and coincide with their directives in diplomacy.

The Current head of the faith here are the Cardinal's of Aubaine & Oriflamme (the two subsector capitals). Her Imminence, the Cardinal of Aubaine, Isabella DelaCroix maintains her seat on Aubaine, and is in command of the Aubaine subsector Bishoprics. His Imminence, the Cardinal of Oriflamme, Micheal San-Germaine, is her trailing counterpart. In this "new era", the GTRC here has presented a united front, though they have had to deal with 2nd-Reformers settled during the Solomani occupation. Rather than violently suppress them, as was the case of old, the GTRC's two Cardinals adopted a more tolerable solution, one of conversion, faith, and forgiveness. Cardinal Isabella is a consummate theologian and skilled politician (in church politics anyway), her first convert to this way of thinking was Cardinal Micheal himself. "One can win more flies with honey than vinegar," is one of her sayings. "The Church shall be rebuilt, but not by purging the misguided or lost, but by shining the light towards the truth, and the future. God's will be done, before that of any mortal desires." They see no reason to elect a matriarch or patriarch until the Old expanses is whole again, until that time, Cardinals are the highest rank the RC GTRC church recognizes. Currently they are Working towards assimilating the "Data-Priests" of the Wilds back into the fold, often times easier said than done. Still the utilization of former GTRC libraries and equating God and Knowledge as one is a thorny issue, and varies in success rate from planet to planet. The next two Archbishoprics to be created are the one for Keipes/Aubaine, and Teldora/Oriflamme in 1203.

In the Quinoid subsector, Montero, now the new seat of the GTRC revived since the collapse, things have taken a different approach. Like the RC's branch, they have begun to evangelize the faith back into the Wilds, sometimes converting the rulers themselves. Montero's government is a theocracy, a not unheard of state for the church wherein it became the government, in the previous era. But where the RC's branch of the GTRC has taken the "soft approach" of teaching & practicing forgiveness to those who have erred towards possible heresy through ignorance, etc.--Montero has burnished the torch, and suppression of heresy with excommunication and warfare, ironically falling prey to the very inflexible forces of dogma that caused the Great Schism of the previous era. Patriarch Militas-Humilis Severus II leads the faithful on Montero. They have entered into a state of war against Kestral’ s Cardinal-Margaera de Messina & her people ostensibly (publicly admitted anyway) over the heretical prophecies encoded into the faith's ancient texts. In reality, the more populous state of Kestral would dominate the Montero GTRC's council of Bishops, ten to one, and the Patriarch feared a loss of power, especially when Margaera questioned the Patriarch's authority, not having been elected by the Subsector council of cardinals, but Severus I was self appointed, and he was "elected" by 9 mere Bishops!

All of this aggravated by the Starfarer's mercantile Guild who saw a Theocratic Polity emerging and took a hand in accelerating the division between the two. In typical Guild fashion, it now plays both off each other as clients, enjoying the benefits of two B-class starports in adjacent Quinoid/Jayna subsectors.

 

[Ranger]

This site has some interesting thoughts on designing your own.

http://www.panpub.com/traveller/rules/religion.html

It's definatly worth reading for general background.

Rob

 

[Listlurker]

Originally posted by R_Kane:
I was wondering what types of religion other folks have in their universes, specifically "universal" religions...ie those that are not restricted to one or two worlds but are very widespread (within a sector, maybe even over a larger area.

I am thinking of starting a character with a strong background in religious knowledge and has become somewhat religious in character, even though he is a M.D.

-Roger

Hi Roger,

In our campaign, the only religious group which ever came up during play was "The Church of the Soloman". Basically, it was an ecumenical religion: seeing all benign deities and prophets as simply race-specific aspects of "The Divine" in action.

Within the fascistic Solomani Rim, the Church of the Soloman was the state religion, and this version of the faith was very rigid and blindly dogmatic. With a bit of intentional irony, I revealed that the dogma of the Church of the Soloman sect within the Solomani Rim only recognized traditionally Terran deities and prophets (i.e. Yahweh, Moses, Jesus, Allah, Muhammed, Buddha, and the rest) as aspects of the Divine. All nonhuman deities and prophets were considered heretical and false.

Outside the Solomani Rim, the Church of the Soloman existed as a very low-key faith with a strong emphasis on both finding and building one's personal relationship to the Divine, as well as on demonstrating good will and good works.

Proselytizing was frowned upon as intrusive and counterproductive --as the Church believed every sentient needed to seek the Divine for itself, in a manner which felt most true.

Most of the Church of the Soloman's clergy were travelling scholars and/or theologians. Often, the clergy adopted simple grey robes as a signet of their beliefs, although this was never an official dress code of any kind.

The church was very de-centralized outside of the Solomani Rim, and not typically active in politics as such. These conditions existed partly due to a fear of dogmatic, repressive, institutionalism, as had developed within the Solomani Rim sect.

In the Imperium, the Soloman faith placed its emphasis on personal belief, a free flowing exchange of ideas, as well as the ongoing need for believers to re-examine their beliefs as time passed, so as to ensure that those beliefs remained the best method for that individual to connect with the Divine.

Hope this helps spark some ideas for you!

LL

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Ranger:
This site has some interesting thoughts on designing your own.

http://www.panpub.com/traveller/rules/religion.html

It's definatly worth reading for general background.
_________________________________________________
Yes, the DED zone site. EXCELLENT resource, a copy of Peter Gray's is there too. Also, out of topic, Sectors 1120/ 1200 of the IMperium, and known space.
Good job Ranger!

Rob

 

[jatay3]

The inflexibility of the church in its dogma
-------------------------
this is a philosophical point but is the church supposed to be "flexible" about it's doctrine? mathemeticians are not expected to be flexible about whether two and two are four.
if the churches doctrine is true it is true forever and if it is false forget about it and stay home and watch football. but "flexibility" about doctrine is another word for a kind of dishonesty. it is one thing to change a doctrine because one believes that doctrine to err. quite another to change it to fit with others. on that logic we should have worshiped Caesar and avoided getting thrown to the lions. that would be the flexible thing to do.

 

[Malenfant]

Originally posted by jatay3:

this is a philosophical point but is the church supposed to be "flexible" about it's doctrine? mathemeticians are not expected to be flexible about whether two and two are four.

Church dogma is, pretty much by definition, not flexible - despite the fact that it is based solely on faith, which more often than not is not compatible with reality. There are many examples today of the church sticking to its guns on a subject despite the fact that doing so is impractical or even harmful to the people affected by it. Religion expects stasis and ignorance - people are expected follow dogma and beliefs and not question it.

The example you used for mathematicians was not a good one. In base 10 at least, 2+2=4* - this is a basic axiom or definition of mathematics, not subject to opinion or belief. If it wasn't true, then everything else would be different. However, in pretty much all other aspects of science, flexibility is key since that is how our view of the universe evolves. In science revolves and expands around adapting to and incorporating new data and new ideas. Science is all about dynamism and knowledge - people are expected to test and question everything, which is the polar opposite of religion.

*: though in base 3, 2+2=11. And in base 4, 2+2=10

 

[jatay3]

The example you used for mathematicians was not a good one. In base 10 at least, 2+2=4* - this is a basic axiom or definition of mathematics, not subject to opinion or belief. If it wasn't true, then everything else would be different. However, in pretty
------------------------------------------
It is a good comparison. These are things the church believes to be axiomatic.
As for science that is not a good comparison. My point is not that one shouldn't change his doctrine. My point is that one should change it because he has become convinced of his error-as a scientist should(but often doesn't by the way). A doctrine is a statement of fact. It may not be a statement of a fact that can be proved in the sense that math can. But the point is that those doctrines are regarded to be as true as math. The lack of proof is the limit of human intelligence not the lack of truth.
Flexibility in doctrine should not be regarded as a virtue in itself. One should change when the new insight is better and not change when the old insight is better. But one should not change doctrine on a whim like Vargr changing their glorious leaders. A doctrine does not become "outdated". If a previous doctine is different than that is because previous people were wrong-or we are wrong.
In short a philosohper or theologian should be expected to be at least as rigourous as a scientist is.
The difference is that scientists claim to be dealing with observations whereas philosophers and theologians deal with things whose truth or falsehood cannot possibly be verrified. However this begs another question. All of science depends on the proposition that the senses of the sum of all scientists(enhanced by their instruments) is reliable. In short scientists depend on a doctrine too and a very inflexible one. Can anybody prove that our eyes are not decieving us? Can anyone prove that we are not in fact ghosts floating in a ghostly universe? Can I prove that you exist at all? Can you prove that I exist at all? Somewhere we have to make assumptions.
The Church is inflexible not because it is irrational, but because it has no reason to be flexible.
And what do you mean by "impractical or even harmful". Does not practical mean "efficient in obtaining a given objective"-but what is said objective. And yes it can also be "harmful"-but does not that assume that material good is the highest good(another "doctrine")? By that logic Frodo should have let Gandalf worry about the ring and run back to chase the Sackville-Bagginses out of Bag-End. After all the Dark Land is a very "harmful" place.
And by the way when I said "dishonest" I meant exactly that. It is dishonest to let your world view be guided by things other than what you actually believe. Even avoiding hurting peoples feelings. There are other ways to do that. You can argue courteously and chivalrously and respect a worthy opponent-and if the opponent cannot do that that shows not your own inflexibleity but your opponents lack of civilization. Oh yeah, courtesy and chivalry are also "doctrines".

 

[jatay3]

And is it true that religion expects "stasis and ignorance" or is it true that the wrong religion expects such? Take the sixteenth century. It was very religious. Yet among the many things that can be said against it, stasis isn't among them. And in any case many great advances were made by religious people. The Knights of Malta were famed for their medical skills. They had a custom of willing their bodies to the order for anatomical studies for instance. The Knights were also famed as pirates but that is a sidenote.
There has never been a society unaffected by religion(especially if you consider political ideologies to be a form of religion-and in a way they often are). So we cannot proove by observation that the dissappearance of religion would cause a increase in knowledge. In fact the word stasis assumes that change is good-which is unprovable until we know what the change is.
And ignorance-well isn't ignorance universal? How many people really know anything outside their own specialty(I had that drumed into me a few weeks ago when I was a janitor-trainee and looked frankly childish, because I was outside my specialty).
And that is merely putting the best light on it. A lot of people in every society are ignorant merely because they are snobbish or slothful.
And the accusation goes both ways. If we regard "flexiblity" in doctrine as a good in and of itself than it is probable that doctrines will change like clothing fashion irrelavent to the truth of a given doctrine. That is a fine recipe for ignorance.

 

[jatay3]

Switching from philosophy to art for a second I think that in point of fact I think Traveller canon does a bad job on religion because most of it's religions are described in a one-dimensional manner and given tacky names. "Church of the Steller Divinity" indeed!
They did a good job with the Aslan code of honor though-that does sound like a real religion someone might adhere to.
Part of the problem is that when writers get into this area they are walking on very thin ice and that encourages them to be as prefunctory as possible. The Aslan code is just fammiliar enough to sympathize with and just strange enough not to strike to close to home. And the K'kree "death to the predators" was also well done, simply because of it's strangeness.

 

[jatay3]

In science revolves and expands around adapting to and incorporating new data and new ideas. Science is all about dynamism and knowledge - people are expected to test and question everything, which is the polar opposite of religion.
-------------------------------------
It is not the "opposite" of religion. It is simply a different discipline from theology and philosophy.
Theology does not use observations primarily because there are no conclusive observations. It uses previous writings and precedents,and abstract arguments(most importantly, but not necessaarily exclusivly, the Bible). In other words it works like law.
Demanding that the Church change doctrine because it is "unscientific" is like demanding that the Bill of Rights be changed because it is also "unscientific".
The word "scientific" should not be made into a synonym for "rational". Reason includes science, it is not a part of science.

 

[jatay3]

And reason cannot stand alone either. How do you prove reason to be rational?

 

[Malenfant]

Originally posted by jatay3:
It is not the "opposite" of religion. It is simply a different discipline from theology and philosophy.

No, it's the opposite. You even say why - its because theology is not based on observation, but science is. Faith cannot coexist with observation when describing reality - they will contradict, and one must trump the other.

In other words it works like law.

And laws can, do, and should change. And are entirely subjective.

Demanding that the Church change doctrine because it is "unscientific" is like demanding that the Bill of Rights be changed because it is also "unscientific".

Not remotely true. That's a total non-sequitur.

The church should change its doctrine because it is outdated and irrational and not based on practicallity. Not just because it's 'unscientific'.

The word "scientific" should not be made into a synonym for "rational". Reason includes science, it is not a part of science.

Science is based entirely on rational explanation of observed data. By default, science is a rational worldview. Maybe you can argue that religion is based on some kind of logic too, but it's not a logic that is based on observed reality.

Originally posted by jatay3:
[qb] And reason cannot stand alone either.

It most certainly can.

How do you prove reason to be rational?

I think it would be best to continue this discussion on the Political Pulpit forum - though it's already been done to death there.

(besides, look up the definition of "rational". Among the definitions is " Consistent with or based on reason; logical: rational behavior.". If you want to argue that it isn't, go talk to the people who write the dictionaries).

 

[Whipsnade]

Jatay3,

The topic under discussion is about how people incorporate religion(s) into their Traveller campaigns.

The topic under discussion is not about the merits, flaws, differences, etc., etc., etc., between science, religion, reason, rationality, irrationality, and all the bumf.

If you feel the need to engage in some freshmen level, cracker barrel 'philosophizing', head on over to Random Static. Okay?

In answer to Roger's question, I use religions IMTU as cultural 'icon's. They are just one of the many things someone who grew up on Planet X or in Sector Y would have in common with someone else who grew up on Planet X or in Sector Y. In this manner they are those things most people of similar generational/geographical backgrounds share; ie. TV shows, music, sporting figures, and so forth.

My other use for religion(s) is/are as plot devices, NPC motives, invoking the We're Not In Kansas feeling, and - most important of all - comic relief.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Malenfant]

Originally posted by R_Kane:
I was wondering what types of religion other folks have in their universes, specifically "universal" religions...ie those that are not restricted to one or two worlds but are very widespread (within a sector, maybe even over a larger area.

I am thinking of starting a character with a strong background in religious knowledge and has become somewhat religious in character, even though he is a M.D.

Sometimes I think the OTU has Emperor worship in it .

But why would a very scientifically advanced culture over 5000 years in our future even HAVE a religion? I could see low-tech worlds having them, but advanced societies like the Imperium? Can't see why they would at all.

Judeo-Christian religions would probably be long dead I think - particularly given that there is evidence that alien races came to visit earth in the past. Who's to say that any biblical events were not just the tinkering of other races?

I think people would ascribe to philosophies more than religions. i.e. No gods or miracles or any divine baggage like that.

Though that said Iain M Banks came up with a good 'un in The Algebraist. There was a religion in there called "the Truth" which suggested that all of reality was actually a simulation, and if you could prove that it then you died.

 

[mike wightman]

It's an interesting question, how would the Earth's religions cope with discovering alien life?

And what if the Vilani have a religion of their own?

Will the present Earth religions survive the passage of time, will religion disappear, or will new religions spring up?

Will there be religions that accept all sentient sophonts, or will there be intollerant, racist religions?

What religions will be encountered amongs the minor races - if they have religion at all?

I personally think there will be religion in the far future, I doubt that humanity will outgrow it.

And did Iain M.Banks really steal the plot from SLA industries?

 

[Malenfant]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
[QB] It's an interesting question, how would the Earth's religions cope with discovering alien life?

Probably the same way they've tried to deal with anything else - try to convert it, and if that fails then try to destroy it.

It could go anywhere really. I suspect that Christianity might assume that God made all the other races, but that we are the chosen ones because we had Jesus - and THAT is just asking to be nuked from orbit by a race that gets offended that this bunch of uppity primitives thinks that they're better than they are. Especially if THEY have their own religions.

And if other races have their own religions, then what? Religion isn't particularly conducive to cultural exchange. Missionaries go out and convert 'primitive heathens' regardless of whether or not those 'heathens' are happy the way they are. If alien missionaries come to earth, would our churches just shrug and let them convert people and just see where the balance is? (and hey, remember the Necromongers from Chronicles of Riddick?). Or would they fight them and decry them as being 'evil' or something?

It'd be really messy, either way.

 

[jatay3]

It's an interesting question, how would the Earth's religions cope with discovering alien life?
------------------------------------------
In the first place it's not as if it would be a new thing-they were already talking about that possibility eight-hundred years ago. Of course than they were talking about Good Folk and Monopods, etc. But then they hadn't discovered enough of the Earth to say definitively that such did not exist. They weren't being any more superstious then people who talk of life on other planets-it just looks odd to us because we are trained to think of our own time as the source of wisdom.
The answer they came up with was as valid then as now-if other sophants exist they were created by God just like Humans.
The real question is whether God's plan of salvation for humans includes hypothetical non-human sophants, or whether they have a separate plan.
They did not know then and we don't know now.
But we don't know anymore then our ancestors whether other sophants exist. The Bible says nothing about it and scholars and theologians just give speculation.
One thing that is true is that God's word shall not be forgotten in the future unless it is not in fact God's Word. It says "Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Word shall never pass away"