The Barmenian Church

[Oakwood]

The independent Hosian Church of Barmenia, led by the Abba, the Bishop of Kathura, Sanatruk VI. His Holiness' decrees and documentation shall be issued here.

[Martinulus]

(OOC: I am slightly confused about your Church's background. Is it the Barmenian Apostolic Church or some strange offshoot of Western Patriarchalism? If the former, why does the Church presume it ever had any authority over Priests whose allegiance was with Auroria for centuries and who believe Eastern Hosianism is heretical? Also if the former, I wonder what the Apostolic Church of the East thinks of all this.

Also, the Oseyim do not acknowledge the divinity of Eliyahu and they do not accept any of the four canonical Annunciations as presently understood.

In addition, reference to Eliyahu as "Son" is something Hosianism has been trying to avoid from the start. In the most recent renditions of the Ecumenical Creeds as they were retconned, the Spirit "proceeds" from God and became man through Sarahae, but is not in any sense God's Son, or at least that doesn't have any significance.)

[Oakwood]

(OOC: I am slightly confused about your Church's background. Is it the Barmenian Apostolic Church or some strange offshoot of Western Patriarchalism? If the former, why does the Church presume it ever had any authority over Priests whose allegiance was with Auroria for centuries and who believe Eastern Hosianism is heretical? Also if the former, I wonder what the Apostolic Church of the East thinks of all this.

Also, the Oseyim do not acknowledge the divinity of Eliyahu and they do not accept any of the four canonical Annunciations as presently understood.

In addition, reference to Eliyahu as "Son" is something Hosianism has been trying to avoid from the start. In the most recent renditions of the Ecumenical Creeds as they were retconned, the Spirit "proceeds" from God and became man through Sarahae, but is not in any sense God's Son, or at least that doesn't have any significance.)

(OOC: I shall answer this in parts so bear with me; there are two authorities at work here; the spiritual power of the reformed B.C (formerly the Apostolic Church of Barmenia) and the secular power of the King-Consort, who is empowered to carry out theocratic laws (the secular power of God). In this case, the secondary power is being combined with the former in a sort of Henry VIII esc way. The Church doesn't recognize them; the state, or at least the portion of it that matters on this issue, has sided with the Church. The Aurorian church can be as united as it wants to be but it is a minority, the Ahmadi majority has been crippled, slowly exiled (it's still in a process; I'm planning on converting them to the B.C and Halaweism) and depressed by years upon years of institutionalized discrimination, and they shall now face civil forfeiture of assets along with other persecution, alike that which faced the Roman Catholic Church during the RL English Reformation.

As to what they would think of all this.....well, the Church was loosely connected at best prior to this, so really it is isn't that big. The Church could have made this change anyway, and the only true deal here is the outright break with the communion.

As for Oseyim.....well the B.C is sort of the middle ground of the Churches at this junction; from a doctrinal stand point it could go either way, but it sits in Barmenia, and as I see it, it agrees a lot more with them than, per se, the Auriorians. Plus the clause said Communion. As they are different churches, that likely means they shall be free to participate in each others rites, and have a series of agreements (mutual recognition of members, etc).

The Church is free to interpret; if they state he is his son (by the way, a new creed shall be published on behalf of the church soon enough), then he is his son, according to the Church. Technically it just said "a" son in the previous legislation, in the sense of "we're all God's children."; therefore, you could take it that he was God's son, personally, or that all on Terra are his children and Elijah was just special in and of himself, which would be my belief. The spirit and the light, according to the doctrine of the B.C, reside in all. It is immaterial, and not an actual presence, like the other Hosian churches state. The Ecclesia Barmenia interpretation is more like it's the life and inspiration of humanity, and the Lord's gift to his creation.

Remember, the Church has the right of interpretation; this was always true, but is even more so now.)

[Polites]

OOC: I'll mention here what I also mentioned in the PM:

I like your work on religion in Barmenia, it shows you did your homework, so to speak, and it really is more detailed than what most players do when they participate in religious RP. But for all that, the doctrinal changes are a little bit drastic and I would say unrealistic. Henry VIII may have broken communion with Rome, and the English Reformation was quite radical at times, but the Church of England never changed its doctrinal stance on the Godhead or on Christology by abandoning Trinitarianism or Chalcedonianism, for instance. Such changes to the most central theological concepts happen rarely, and need better justification that just "the government said so".

I would find such changes realistic and understandable if they were to occur within the context of a nation divided between the Osean Church and the Apostolic Church, with frequent and peaceful inter-communal contact and a weak religious identity (such as what happened in Mikuni-Hulstria). But in the Barmenian context it just doesn't make sense. The Eastern Hosian faith was one of the main things preserving Kathuran identity IG, the main religions of Barmenia have a long history of violent conflict, and sectarian self-identification is very strong.

In any case, I would, both IC and OOC, urge you to not break ties with the Apostolic Church of the East. The Barmenian Apostolic Church has very close ties with the Department of Cildania, its daughter Church, as the two have common early history, use the same liturgical language, the same rite, and generally assist each other. I don't think it is wise for your minority apartheid regime to break connections with the only foreign nation that is willing (and eager) to support it.