Cult of the Redemption

Thought Jack Chick was bad? GUESS AGAIN

The Cult of the Redemption is one of the few signs that Warhammer 40,000 still accepts that it has an understanding of the phrase "excessive", as the Cult of the Redemption is considered an extremist branch of the Imperial Cult.

Founding

Formed on Necromunda, the Redemptionists took a good look at the Hive they were living in and came to a rational decision for the first time in millennia: they realized that this place was Hell.

Unfortunately, they stopped thinking clearly after that, as they soon decided that humanity was inherently evil (which is open for debate) and could only find redemption in the eyes of the God-Emperor by killing all his enemies: In other words, psykers, mutants, and heretics (which is anyone who decides to work against the Cult or its members).

On Necromunda, they ended up finding a home in House Cawdor, where it became the official religion of the noble House.

Diaspora

Though originally confined to Necromunda, the Redemption Cult soon spread across the Imperium of Man thanks to members of the Ecclesiarchy. Commissar Ciaphas Cain, HERO OF THE IMPERIUM, noted in the novel The Traitor's Hand that there was a Redemptionist preacher on Adumbria, and believed his old Schola Progenium classmate Tomas Beije was a member of the Cult.

The Ecclesiarchy has occasionally tried to use Redemptionist Zealots as a means to get around the Decree Passive preventing them from having "men under arms" and limiting their military forces to the Sisters of Battle (Emperor's blood, now even the Ecclesiarchy doesn't want the Nuns with Guns). In the novel Legion of the Damned, a group of Ecclesiarchs end up getting into a pissing match with the Excoriators over authority long enough for the Marines to get bored and BLAM several Redemptionist militants.

Teachings

The Redemption believes that the God-Emperor of Mankind is manifest proof of mankind’s holy destiny to rule the stars, but as they comprise of mostly poor citizens with low education they very rarely factor in what the Xenos have to say upon the matter. In their minds, the only thing keeping mankind from its destiny is its own sinfulness. So they take it upon themselves to "remove" the sin which is holding back mankind.

Crucially, the Redemption believes that three sins surpass all others:

• Mutation is sin and corruption made manifest on the human body.
• Witchcraft is the ability to use unnatural powers.
• Heresy is refusing the truth of the Redemption and pretty much encompasses everyone not part of the Cult.

Redemptionists "on business" are relatively uniform wherever they appear, with a particular tendency to wear the colour red and full face concealing KKK masks and have a preference for wielding flame or chain weapons. Though when not on the job they can appear just as typical as the next Imperial citizen, though perhaps with a heightened sense of irritability and racism over and above that of your average Joe living in the 41st millennium.

The Ludmillan Dictates

Someone in the Calixis Sector actually took the time to sit down and codify how Redemptionists need to behave, essentially turning the Cult from a slightly crazy social gathering of religious nutballs into an organised sect.

The (paraphrased) rules are as follows:

• Red is the colour of blood and therefore the colour of the Redemption.
• "Drugs are Bad M'Kay?" taking drugs is a sin, punishable by death.
• "Suffer not the Witch to live" punish them with death
• "Suffer not the Mutant to live" punish them with death
• "Suffer not the Heretic to live" make them repent, then punish them with death
• When punishing sinners with death, you should wear red as it is the colour of the Redemption.
• When you take up the weapons of the Emperor, you are on His time and not your own, so hide your face.
• Self-Mortification should be done daily, it is a good pain.