Religion

Meta-Information & Summary

This document is an out-of-character explanation and expansion on the role of religion and spirituality in the world of Chromed Out. Including how religions have changed, adapted, or been established over the past 66 years.

Faith as a whole has been polarized and revolutionized in the instability of the 21st century, many of the oldest faiths have been losing members rapidly, as new religions spring forth from the modern age's modern problems and modern mediums. A number of cult booms have struck the world since the turn of the millennia- the 2030s and 2060s being of particular note, as people displaced by political instability and climate disaster seek answers for their misfortune. As mentioned earlier, faith has become polarized more each year, with the auxiliary faithful, those raised in religious households, abandon their spirituality in favor of devout atheism or agnosticism.

In recent years, especially among the younger generations,

Abrahamic Faiths

Christianity

Christianity has been middling since the late 2030s. However, the divide between non-believers and people of faith has grown over the decades. It isn't hard to believe that the massive increase in natural disasters, wars, famine, and an overall decrease in world stability would cause many Christians to believe that the end is near. That also led to an overall increase in the amount of fanaticism and radicalism within the religion which pushed skeptics farther away.

Catholicism

Catholicism has remained largely the same in its traditions, which is why its presence is quickly declining. The debate between Catholics has been raging for years about the immorality of augmentations and the preservation of the human form. Yet, Ripperdocs and augment clinics would be met by crowds of Radical-Catholic protestors though they have slightly calmed by 2087. The intensely centralized presence of Catholicism has been its major Achilles’ Heel, though. With soaring property costs making the sprawling cathedrals and temples of old nigh impossible.

Protestantism

Protestantism in the idea of differing churches has been in a massive increase due to an overall increase in general-spiritualism. However, the number of people becoming permanent members has done a nose-dive. The majority of the time, people go to protestant churches for weddings and funerals but don't actively participate. That doesn't mean there aren't permanent members, but the people who seek guidance usually don't stay long.

Russian Orthodoxy

With the existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Orthodox has never returned to the Russian people as it would have. Existing in small, negligible pockets, the office of Patriarch would never be created. Yet the buildings remain for public use, as both museums and quick places of worship for those who are looking for satiation outside of Divine Liturgy. The appearance of such cells are more common as you go east into water-logged Siberia, with some actual churches in use.

Greek Orthodoxy

In stark contrast to its northern neighbor, Greek Orthodoxy has a stronghold in the sea of Islam of Africa - this being the Ethiopian Empire. Besides cells outside of the nation, it would have its own actual god-chosen monarchy to call home ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

Coptic

Facing relentless persecution and without the aid it needed, the Coptics have become scattered from their region.

Evangelicalism

As it's now called, the Holovision Churches satiates the very-specific tastes of willing Sons & Daughters of God. Largely for-profit studios mass-produce digital sermons and magical cures to millions globally. Some range from exclusively wholesome to absolutely insane. This comes from the invention of new technologies that allow people to experience the edited emotions of the actors. In recent decades, these have been the blame for many atrocities but have gone largely unpunished due to no explicit linkage between terrorist attacks and mad-ramblings on a disk.

Mormonism

Mormonism has been splintered for decades due to the fall of their Head-Quarters in Salt-Lake City, Deseret. However, perseverance is a key aspect of the religion so many people make their homes into temples. This also follows a massive increase in activity within Africa, it can be assumed that the next heartland of Mormonism may be in Africa.

Islam

The overall number and shape of the Islamic world haven't changed. On the other hand, the persecution of the Islamic faith has risen significantly.

Sunni and Shia

The separation between the two people hasn't changed in a long time and doesn't look like it'll stop. However, under British Imperial Rule, both of the groups more radical believers have a commonly perceived enemy.

Oriental Religion

Buddhism

Buddhism is a faith that has been on a steady increase since the 2000s, but began to accelerate in growth around the 2030s, as climate and political refugees from China and Japan began to enter the western world. Though many of its finer details have been lost in translation, and refined down to a much more digestible religion; Classical Buddhism is mostly practiced by middle class or upper class individuals, and others with the time and energy to research the complexities of the faith.

Modified Religions

Neo-Islam

Neo-Islam, while not existing in our world today, is the direct successor to the Islamic faith. The seeds of Neo-Islam were planted in the 2030s, as climate refugees from the Middle East and North Africa began to flood into the first world, many coming the United States. In the late 2040s, as augmentations became more commonplace, a fundamental split began to form over whether or not the faith would allow such a modification to the human body: The old guards of Islam would continue their hate, whereas the minority, mostly the new muslim immigrants to America and other parts of the first world Islam would embrace augmentations, leading to a split in which about 80% of the faith took a technophobic stance, as Classical Muslims would join with Catholics in protests against ripperdocs, and these rejected followers would break to create their own faiths, which would eventually coalesce to form Neo-Islam. Neo-Islam would go on to supplant the Classical Islamic faith in the late 2060s.

Newly Developed Religions

Pastafarianism

Pastafarianism has been a long running joke in our own world, but in the world of Chromed Out, it became a legitimate religion in the late 2030s, the thought leader at the time, going only by the title ‘Chartreuse’, turning the once cult-like, highly central joke of a church into a decentralized, hedonistic faith worshipping the state of intoxication and inebriation, the religion increased massively in popularity in the 2040s, as people displaced by The Blaze and its ensuing consequences sought answers in faith, turning it into one of the fastest ever growing religions. Belief in Pastafarianism is easily the most widespread of the new religions, owing its success to the ideas formed by the Cult of Dionysus, over 8,000 years prior.

Anchali

Anchali is a mysterious faith, emerging in the late 2010s from various internet forums and imageboards. Anchali is a strange beast of faith, containing many competing sects and beliefs, with the only unifying traits being a desire to reach a state of complete anonymity (absentonymity), and a common language with which to share their perspectives. Followers of the faith often wear masks to confuse or block out facial recognition, some even going as far as to augment their face, and the wealthiest among the followers having a multitude of android bodies that can be swapped out at will. As Absentonymity has not been achieved, Anchali will often take on the same name as their peers, forming groups known as Collectives, the largest being The Fridgeborn, Miku, and KillFuck69. Anchali are a rare breed, as the total devotion one must seek in order to follow the faith can be a major obstacle. However, the Anchali are most often seen in obscure or anonymous internet forums, such as 4chan.