Christianity

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This article deals with Christianity as it relates to NationStates. For more general information, see the Wikipedia article on this subject.

Christianity is a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Christianity in Nationstates encompasses numerous religious traditions that widely vary by culture , as well as very diverse beliefs and sects. Christianity has been grouped into three main branches: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Also, there are several non-mainstream variants of Christianity which will be discussed in this article.

The role of Christianity in the NS World

Introduction

In Nationstates, Christianity plays a somewhat different role in a number of nations than it does it most nations in the RL world. While there is a relatively large number of nations where Christianity is somewhat comparable to its RL equivalents, the extreme fundamentalist forms tend to get the greater amount of attention (as the exception tends to be more noticed that the rule). As a consequence, most of the article shall focus on such nations.

Principles

The more radical versions of Christianity in NS tend to have quite a few things in common, and although not all of them are equal, a majority of comparable traits can generally be found wherever the more violent forms show up.

  • Homophobia, that is, the persecution of homosexuals seems to be quite common in "fundamentalist" countries.
  • Inquisitions exist in quite a few Christian nations, especially Catholic ones. (In RL the Dignitatis Humanae compels Catholics to believe religious freedom to be a human right, but such nations either disregard or refuse to acknowledge the existence of this document.)
  • Organised Persecution of competing religious groups is common (With exceptions. Most Reich nations tend to consider muslims as being equal). Genocide is a daily phenomenon.

Nations

There are actually quite a few nations where Christianity is wanked in order to be 'evil'. These are merely some examples.

Iesus Christi is possibly one of the best- known examples. It is also one of the more conventional ones. Claiming to be a Roman Catholic nation, it more accurately promotes a Naziesque ideology with a Catholic coating, using Christ, Mary, the Gospels and the saints to promote all kinds of genocide, atrocity and horror.

Endless Crimes is a Reich nation like Iesus Christi, with a very odd version of Christianity, featuring genemod angels. It also bans sex and procreation, despite 1 Timothy 4:3's warning against false prophets forbidding people to marry (and, it is implied, procreate).

Infinite Loving is one of the oddest examples. Here, Homosexuality is not illegal, but mandatory, while heterosexuality is frowned upon, and used only for procreational purposes. Women are considered nothing more but wombs.

Furthermore, there are nations where Christianity is wanked in order to be 'good'. The nation of Syskeyia is a "fundamentalist" Catholic state that tries very hard to follow RL Catholic dogma exclusively. This has resulted in an orthodox and militaristic state set up as a counterpoint to the Reich, but one that does support the rights of other species, such as elves, a species the Reich refuses to tolerate. In order to "be morally good", examples of the intolerance include a Catholic fatwah on overly liberal (as seen by the Syskeyians) individuals and nations.

Stuck in the middle

There remain other 'important' Christian nations, which manage to avoid wanking of Christianity to a greater or lesser extent than the ones mentioned above. Then there are nations that, in trying to play out their Christianity, get stuck in between the "Christian fascists" and their non-Christian opponents. The Republic of Syskeyia is again an example of a nation whose quarrels with the Reich concerning human rights, elves and so forth are well known, but whose orthodox Catholicism threw it in trouble with some of its friends in the now-defunct South Atlantic Treaty Organization, especially the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss.

Christian entities in NS

Major Christian Blocks in NationStates include, but are not limited to, The Reich, the Greater Prussian Empire , the Teutonic Empire of Lavenrunz, the Imperium of Pantocratoria, the Republic of Syskeyia, and the Dominion of the Holy Vatican See. Holy Vatican See is generally accepted by a large number of NS Nations as the location of the Vatican, and as such, as the Pope of the NS Catholic Church.

Other nations with known significant Christian populations are the Dominion of Dread Lady Nathicana, the Federation of Sentient Peoples, and the United Provinces of Tanah Burung.

Non-mainstream variants Christianity in the NS World

Eru-Christianity

This religion is formed of a modification of primarily Protestant principles from RL Christianity with a combination of the religious ideas derived in the 'Tolkienesque' relgions. The major changes occur in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, and include a different Creation Story (The one included in the Ainulindalë) and an expansion of the role of angels in early religious history, including the roles of the Ainur as described in the Valaquenta, who are portrayed as high level angels. Further, the religion promotes tolerance and understanding of other religions, and encourages scientific discovery and the acquiring of knowledge. While it does not approve of certain lifestyles, it argues for assistance and understanding, not persecution. Unlike many major Christian sects, it does not rule out the possibility of evolution. This is perhaps the largest religious grouping in the Federation of Sentient Peoples.