The Great Religion Retcon Project

[Polites]

This topic is a response to this: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4502

Many of you noticed that, in spite of game rules prohibiting the use of RL characters or references, there are numerous and well-established particracy religions with the same name as their RL counterparts. The offenders are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Scientology, and possibly others. Within Christianity we also have the use of RL words such as "Catholic", "Protestant", "Lutheran", "Mormonism", and maybe "Reformed" may count as well. The problem here, noticed by several players before, is that many of these religions have long-established histories and a central place in the RPs of many countries. To solve this, I suggest the solution proposed by Amazeroth, namely a massive retcon to replace the RL names of religions and their founders with more acceptable ones.
I know many would not agree with such a project, especially considering the fact that the community and the mods have, until recently, tolerated the issue, but I believe that this would be a good idea not only because it would be consistent with the game rules, but also because it would allow for greater creativity in the game.
In case the community decides to accept this project, I think suggestions for alternate names (and hopefully backgrounds) of religions would be most welcome.

[Fred]

I know many would not agree with such a project, especially considering the fact that the community and the mods have, until recently, tolerated the issue, but I believe that this would be a good idea not only because it would be consistent with the game rules, but also because it would allow for greater creativity in the game.
In case the community decides to accept this project, I think suggestions for alternate names (and hopefully backgrounds) of religions would be most welcome.

Actually, the use of RL religions is entirely consistent with game rules. See Pax Cynica 6.5.3:

"6.5.3 Party organisations should be in-character with the game world. That means, references to real-world ethnicities or nationalities are not allowed in an organization makeup. A notable exception to this is that real-world religions are allowed in such organizations, as long as other references to real-world concepts (such as, for instance, Jerusalem) are not allowed. You are also encouraged to make a truly international organization, so creating one that focusses on your nation is, while allowed, not encouraged.[/quote]

As such, there is no problem to solve.

ETA: I vote no.

[Zanz]

I know many would not agree with such a project, especially considering the fact that the community and the mods have, until recently, tolerated the issue, but I believe that this would be a good idea not only because it would be consistent with the game rules, but also because it would allow for greater creativity in the game.
In case the community decides to accept this project, I think suggestions for alternate names (and hopefully backgrounds) of religions would be most welcome.

Actually, the use of RL religions is entirely consistent with game rules. See Pax Cynica 6.5.3:

"6.5.3 Party organisations should be in-character with the game world. That means, references to real-world ethnicities or nationalities are not allowed in an organization makeup. A notable exception to this is that real-world religions are allowed in such organizations, as long as other references to real-world concepts (such as, for instance, Jerusalem) are not allowed. You are also encouraged to make a truly international organization, so creating one that focusses on your nation is, while allowed, not encouraged.

As such, there is no problem to solve.

ETA: I vote no.

But the issue is that it's next to impossible to have a functioning Judaism, Christianity, or even Islam, for game purposes, without Jerusalem. It's silly to pretend that we can keep the overarching structure and function of religions without their specific content and, quite honestly, it's lazy. This is an RP based game and we can't come up with a back story for Terra without shamelessly pirating real life religion? The development of world religions on Earth has been one strictly dictated by history and place; Christianity needn't be the largest religion on Terra simply because "that's how it is on Earth, so let's do it here too." I am in favor of the creation of depth in Particracy role play and would certainly support a player based movement to develop original religions for the game.

[SelucianCrusader]

I know many would not agree with such a project, especially considering the fact that the community and the mods have, until recently, tolerated the issue, but I believe that this would be a good idea not only because it would be consistent with the game rules, but also because it would allow for greater creativity in the game.
In case the community decides to accept this project, I think suggestions for alternate names (and hopefully backgrounds) of religions would be most welcome.

Actually, the use of RL religions is entirely consistent with game rules. See Pax Cynica 6.5.3:

"6.5.3 Party organisations should be in-character with the game world. That means, references to real-world ethnicities or nationalities are not allowed in an organization makeup. A notable exception to this is that real-world religions are allowed in such organizations, as long as other references to real-world concepts (such as, for instance, Jerusalem) are not allowed. You are also encouraged to make a truly international organization, so creating one that focusses on your nation is, while allowed, not encouraged.

As such, there is no problem to solve.

ETA: I vote no.

But the issue is that it's next to impossible to have a functioning Judaism, Christianity, or even Islam, for game purposes, without Jerusalem. It's silly to pretend that we can keep the overarching structure and function of religions without their specific content and, quite honestly, it's lazy. This is an RP based game and we can't come up with a back story for Terra without shamelessly pirating real life religion? The development of world religions on Earth has been one strictly dictated by history and place; Christianity needn't be the largest religion on Terra simply because "that's how it is on Earth, so let's do it here too." I am in favor of the creation of depth in Particracy role play and would certainly support a player based movement to develop original religions for the game.

There is a equivalent of Jerusalem in Particracy, it's called Yishelem. Read the wiki on this matter. I like the idea of truly original religions, but I simply don't think it will work.

[Farsun]

Early days of the game? Yeah, this late? Not entirely possible.

[UniSocAll]

There is a equivalent of Jerusalem in Particracy, it's called Yishelem. Read the wiki on this matter. I like the idea of truly original religions, but I simply don't think it will work.

If there is an equivalent of "Jerusalem" on Terra, then why can't their be an equivalent to "Judaism"?
Call it "Yishelaism" or "Beitnism" or whatever, it isn't really all that hard.

[Zanz]

Early days of the game? Yeah, this late? Not entirely possible.

To call it "late" in the game is the same as to say that the game is essentially dying, which I reject. There is no reason there shouldn't be exactly the same opportunity for a person who joins tomorrow to impact this game as there was for a person three years ago. Nothing is set in stone and it's the mentality that it is that discourages this community from creativity and RP. If we don't accept new players and new ideas, or new ideas from old players, we should indeed let the game die, because at that stage it's just become an elitist club for those who were here when the game was still "able to be changed."

New ideas must always be welcomed.

[Farsun]

When I say late, I mean a majority of the ideologies and religions are entrenched in the game and RP already, to alter them now would kinda just be irrelevant.

[Polites]

Early days of the game? Yeah, this late? Not entirely possible.

To call it "late" in the game is the same as to say that the game is essentially dying, which I reject. There is no reason there shouldn't be exactly the same opportunity for a person who joins tomorrow to impact this game as there was for a person three years ago. Nothing is set in stone and it's the mentality that it is that discourages this community from creativity and RP. If we don't accept new players and new ideas, or new ideas from old players, we should indeed let the game die, because at that stage it's just become an elitist club for those who were here when the game was still "able to be changed."

New ideas must always be welcomed.

The problem here isn't so much that Particracy religions mirror and have the same name as RL religions, but that many of them have played a significant role in the RP of several nations thus far, and to just change them altogether, no matter how creatively, would ignore the sometimes brilliant work of previous players. For instance, almost the entire first half of Deltarian history makes quite little sense without the Terran Catholic Church, Islam is a central aspect in Badaran and Kafuri histories, and so on.
The ideal solution here would be to keep those aspects of RL religions that are essential to what has been RPd until now, and be more creative with the rest. There is no reason, for example, why the founder of "Christianity" would have to have been crucified and not killed in some other manner, if at all.

[UniSocAll]

I don't know, if you just give it different terms, then everything still happened. It doesn't take away from the RP or the events.