MedHammer 40,000: Religion

This post is dedicated to the many sects and belief systems of the 41st mellinnium. It's important to note that these pages do not necessarily describe the actual nature of the gods these cultures worship, merely how they are understood to exist.

Religion Before Lorgar's Treachery

Throughout the Imperium of Man, Many have differing veiws of the Nature of The Emperor is like. Most project their own ideals onto the comatose figure, placing idealized version of their own opinions into his personality. For some he is a kind Grandfatherly figure, only seeking mankind's best interests. For others he is a righteous reformer, over throw his corrupt regents and build the "True Imperium" that looks suspiciously similar to the Emperor's Point of View. Some see the Emperor as a crypto-practitioner of their own belief and ideology, others see him as the Great Outsider. Like a gardener, all ideas and beliefs to grow while pruning those that threaten to overrun the gardern, or have become withered and useless. Very few of those in 41st mellenium realize that their Emperor hated all of their ideas, and the current state of the imperium is only due to the benevolence of his absence. During the reign of the Great Crusade, Religion was viewed by the Emperor as holding mankind back, and was aggressively supressed and destroyed. The Emperor himself took pride in his destruction of the Last Church on Terra. Even fewer know that it was his hatred of religion that ultimately drove his son Lorgar into the arms of the Ruinous powers.

Religion after Lorgar's Treachery

After the Great Treachery which saw the Emperor wounded and weak, the collective leadership of The Imperium's Leadership was divided on the status of religion. Some, like Jaghatai Khan, saw religion as a natural part of mankind, and to take it away would be to take away something essentially human. Others like Sanguinius and Fulgrim were staunch believers in the Imperial Truth, and hoped to continue their fathers work. Ultimately such hardliners lost by a Bootleggers and Baptists alliance between The Pro Religious Faction, and the Pro-Reform Faction who used religion as a way to get their own pet reforms into the Imperium. These reformers included diverse opinions such as Magnus The Red, who sought the Council of Nikea to be overturned; Konrad Curze and Vulkan who saw the Imperial Truth as a blatant cynical lie; Horus who given his experience in the Great Treachery was eager to see any solution that could prevent another Lorgar; and Constantine Valdor who saw greater religious representation as an opportunity to weaken the Primarch's grip on the Imperium.

The outcome of months of deliberation was the New Imperial Truth or The Terran Creed. The Terran Creed established provisions as to what the common Imperial Citizen knew about Chaos and the Warp, and rubric for what grounds religions should be condemned by the Imperium. Provided that the Religion did not worship the Emperor as any sort of god, nor were any of the ruinous powers worshipped, than the religion would not be deemed heretical and rooted out. Whether or not a religion was openly accepted, let alone tolerated varried from regime to regime.

The Terran Creed

The New Imperial Truth, commonly referred to as the Terran Creed or "The 53 Precepts" was created following the council to represent The Standard of Belief and Knowledge that all imperial citizens should know. It set out to replace the harsh Athiest Dictums of the Imperial Truth with a milder "agnostic" creed. At the council it was mandated that All Imperial Citizens must believe in this Imperial Creed, and that any organization, religious or ideological that opposes any of these tenants will be decreed Heretical. Contrary to the original Truth, it was thought better to give the people some awareness as to who they were fighting, than to offer lies. Additionally the old world religions were consulted and, since they did not believe their gods resided in the warp, the provisions were added that excluded them from heresy, while subtly hinting their religions were false (which the The Khan protested against, but accepted the compromise with gritted teeth). The Aurelian cult was another matter, unsure whether the Aurelian cult, along with other Chaos gods (Rumors of entities called Malal or Necoho), it was decided to add precepts 45-49 and should the Creed need to be revised they would do so. The Creed was considered vague enough to encourage both persecution and tolerance when needed, while allowing for clear precedents for the condemnation of chaos cults.

The New Imperial Truth or 53 Precepts

1. I know I am a Human, as a Human I am part of Mankind
2. All Humans are part of Mankind
3. All those who are a part of Mankind are Human
4. Those who not a part of Mankind are Xenos
5. A Human will not serve, obey, follow, kill for, or die for a Xenos
6. Terra is a place in the Material Realm
7. The Material Realm is a real place that exists
8. The Material Realm is filled with Material beings
9. Material Beings follow material rules
10. Humans are material beings.
11. My works and deeds shape the Material Realm
12. Mankind derives from Terra
13. Terra is a real place separate from the Immaterial
14. The Galaxy is Material and the Birthright of Mankind
15. The Emperor is The Leader of Mankind
16. The Emperor is Material, is Human, and is from Terra
17. The Emperor has Eighteen sons
18. Five of The Emperors sons are traitors
19. The Emperor's sons are part of Mankind
20. The Emperor's loyal sons answer to the Emperor
21. The Emperor's disloyal sons are enemies of the Emperor
22. All Humans must serve The Emperor, for he is their leader
    1. To Serve the Emperor is to Serve The Imperium
23. All Humans must obey The Emperor, for he is their ruler
    1. To Serve the Emperor is to Obey his Loyal Sons and Appointees
24. All Humans must aid other humans in serving the Emperor
25. All Humans must protect The Emperor because he is sovereign above all
26. All Humans must fight for and die for The Emperor
    1. It is Mankind's greatest calling, whether in war or domestic service.
27. The Emperor Protects Mankind, and will not fail to do so.
28. The Emperor Protects Mankind from Material Dangers
29. I believe The Emperor will lead all mankind to their birthright
    1. If a human tells me to disobey the Emperor, i will not obey
    2. If a human tells me to not serve the Emperor, i will not serve
    3. If a human tells me to not follow the Emperor, i will not follow.
    4. If a human tells me not to die for the Emperor, i will not die
    5. If a human tells me not to kill for the Emperor, i will kill
30. The Immaterial is a not real place that exists
31. The Immaterial is filled with Immaterial Beings
32. The Immaterial realm follows Immaterial rules
33. My Thoughts and Beliefs shape the Immaterial Realm.
34. I believe The Emperor protects mankind from Immaterial Enemies
35. The Immateria has "gods"' who dwell there
36. These gods are not Gods
37. There are no Gods in the Immateria, only gods
38. The Emperor is not a god nor a God
39. The Immateria has gods called The Ruinous Powers
40. The Ruinous Powers are not Gods
41. Mutanda is a Ruinous Power that claims magic and change
42. Morta is a Ruinous Power that claims disease and stagnation
43. Hedonis is a Ruinous Power that claims pleasure and perfection
44. Caedes is a Ruinous Power that claims bloodshed and murder
45. Indivisis is a Ruinous Power that claims all these
46. Any god declared by The Imperium to be a Ruinous Power is a Ruinous power.
47. I will not serve any Ruinous Power, because they do not protect man
48. I will not obey any Ruinous Power, because they are not worthy of obedience
49. I will obey the Emperor before I obey any god.
    1. If a god tells me to disobey the Emperor, i will not obey him
    2. If a god tells me to not serve the Emperor, i will not serve him
    3. If a god tells me to not follow the Emperor, i will not follow them.
    4. If a god tells me not to die for the Emperor, i will not die for them
    5. If a god tells me not to kill for the Emperor, i will report
50. A Human will not serve, obey, follow, kill for, or die for a Xenos god
51. Demons serve the Ruinous Powers
    1. I will not obey, serve, or follow Alpharius or any demon who follows Mutanda
    2. I will not obey, serve, or follow Angron or any demon who follows Morta
    3. I will not obey, serve, or follow Perturabo or any demon who follows Hedonis
    4. I will not obey, serve, or follow Mortarion or any demon who follows Caedes
    5. I will not obey, serve, or follow Lorgar or any demon who follows Indivisis
52. Daemons are immaterial beings that serve the immaterial powers
    1. If a daemon tells me to disobey the Emperor, I will not obey him
    2. If a daemon tells me to not serve the Emperor, I will not serve him
    3. If a daemon tells me to not follow the Emperor, I will not follow them.
    4. If a daemon tells me not to die for the Emperor, i will not die for them
    5. If a daemon tells me not to kill for the Emperor, i will report them
53. A Human will not serve, obey, follow, kill for, or die for a Daemon of a Xenos god

Legal Status of Religion in M41

Religions Imperium wide are free from condemnation by the Imperium so long as they are deemed compliant to The Terran Creed. That is not to say that they are necessarily accepted. Indeed, many higher level Imperial organizations openly discriminate against particualr religions, barring devotees from upper echelons of membership, if not outright banning them from any sort of leadership roles. Otherwise the treatment of religion can vary segmentum by segmentum, system by system, and planet by planet.

In the Segmentum Solar

Because the Segmentum Solar's privilege of Governance by The High Lords of Terra, it is perhaps the only place where any sort of official stance of Tolerance is kept. The High Lords of Terra have official representatives of both ancient religions and the cults of Mechanicum and Aurelian as part of their leadership. The Segmentum Solar practices a policy of official tolerance outside of Terra and Mars. So long as the religion is Compliant to The Terran Creed it is afforded certain rights and privileges in the Segmentum Solar.

Magna Terra

Terra Itself is a little more complicated. In keeping with an official Terran decree dating from before The Great Crusade, no churches nor houses of worship are permitted on Terra. Because of this many religions with Religious seats on Terra actually have their Ecclesiastic Palaces on Luna, where the Rules are less constraining. Some of these Religions additionally have secular "Monuments" and "Museums" on terra, that despite being owned by the various churches, comply enough with of Terra's rules to be permitted. To call these "Museums" or monuments does not do these architectural masterpieces justice. These are massive complexes of schools, research centers, grand halls, plazas, the size of citties, complete with massive spaceports and lodging complexes built to house the many pilgrims (i mean visitors) who come to visit.

These Monuments include, but are not limited to:

• The Museum of The First To Fall

Owned by The Aurelian Cult

Is a grand museum dedicated to those original preachers who came from the Maccragge Pilgrim Fleet

Is also commemorating their efforts in proselytizing before Terra's atmosphere was decimated by Alpharius

The Museum is one of the Best historical archives on the Great Treachery as well as Pre-Heresy Ultramar Culture.

• The Monument of Sacra Terra

Owned by the Katholians

This museum is a monument to Terra's ancient religious sites from its most ancient history.

along with the Museum Inculabra, this is one of the few places in which any knowledge of Terra's ancient history is kept.

• The Monument of The Inculabra

a museum located on the site of the Holy site of the Obsequiani

this grand museum is the third most regularly traversed to places on magna terra outside of The Museum of The First to Fall and The Imperial Palace.

At the Center of these museum is the origional complex, built and funded by none other than The Primarch Jaghatai Khan himelf.

Along with The Sacra Terra Monument, this harbors some of the best collections of Terra's ancient history

• Saline Monument

owned by The Apiani Cult

This monument explains the history of The Apiani people and history, both on earth and outside it.

It is considered to be one of the Pre-eminent centers for Merikanology.

Mars

Mars is an independent Political entity from Tera, and as such, they are subject to their own rules. The Planet of Mars is a Theocracy for the Cult Mechanicus, and intends to stay that way.

In The Segmentum Tempestus

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In The Segmentum Obscura

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In The Segmenum Tempestus

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In The Ultramar Autonomous Realm

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The Aurelian Cult

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The Promethean Cult=

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Cultis Antiquitae

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Xenos Faith

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Imperium and the Ruinous Powers

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