Resurrectionism

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Resurrectionism
IconResurrectionists.png
Symbol
Organised Religion
Ideological doctrine: Messianism, Neo-Luddism
Leader: Various
Operation
Region(s) of operation: Multi-system
Based in: Earth
Historical information
Predecessors: Christianislam
Founded: 37th century
[Source]
He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

–Luke 22:36

Resurrectionism, also known as the Resurrectionist Church, is a splinter of Christianislam dedicated to combating what it sees as the Antichrist and ushering in the Messianic Age and the later World to come. Although technically a successor faith to Christianislam, Resurrectionism primarily draws from Christian and even Jewish doctrine for its theology rather than Islam. The religion is known for its violent extremism relative to its small size against Mars and Tranquility for those states' tolerance of artificial intelligence.

History[edit | edit source]

Background[edit | edit source]

The Resurrectionist Church is directly descended from a splinter faction of Christianislam that separated from the main branch after the Martian Civil War over the issue of the threat of artificial intelligence. However, Resurrectionism also took specific inspiration from Christian and Jewish eschatology. This is mostly due to the origins of Resurrectionism in the North American arcologies on Earth.

During the Martian Civil War, many Earthers intently watched the conflict taking place on the most inhabited planet in known space. Chief among the watchers were those on Earth with apocalyptic beliefs, usually relating to the existential threat of ALIAS, the date of the war's start (3666), or both. In particular, large numbers of adherents to Christianislam believed that they were now living in the End of Days and ALIAS represented the Antichrist predicted in the Bible. These worries grew progressively as the war turned against the enemies of ALIAS and turned into panic when Mariner Valley finally fell.

At the same time, many Earthers saw this apocalyptic thinking as foolish and wanted their religious authorities to reassure them of their safety. This led to direct conflict within Christianislam that led to a progressive fracturing of the faith between its more apocalyptic sects and the mainstream. Thusly, Resurrectionism came into being.

The central figures of early Resurrectionism were Adam Couchman and Baruch Goldschmidt. Couchman, a minister of the Protestant tradition from Independence, and Goldschmidt from New Manhattan, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, both held ALIAS to be the Anti-Christ and felt ostracized by recent Christoislamic efforts to stifle apocalyptic furor within the religion. So, the two combined their efforts to unify the movement into something more substantial. Their work codified the traditions that quickly became Resurrectionism, mainly that artificial intelligence itself (not only ALIAS) represented the Antichrist and that only the Second Coming of the Messiah would prevent the complete destruction of humanity by its wayward creations. In the meantime, Couchman and Goldschmidt called for the faithful to fight “the Martian Beast” by any means necessary. After Couchman and Goldschmidt’s ideas were declared anathema by Christianislam in 3689, Resurrectionism formally split from its parent religion. Different strains of Ressurectionism adopted disparate views on who their 'Messiah' was, leading to the religion dividing even further after the initial split.

After that and the beginning of the Great Interstellar War, Resurrectionism spread quickly from Earth throughout the Solar System, particularly the Main Belt. Belters in close proximity to Mars felt great anxiousness at their situation, and Resurrectionism provided an answer to some of their anxieties. Resurrectionism would serve as a general outlet for anti-ALIAS or anti-Mars sentiment on Earth with many Commonwealth servicemen during the Coalition Invasion of Mars holding Resurrectionist beliefs. The religion held less appeal to Saturn but gained a strong foothold on Jupiter that it retains. Meanwhile, Resurrectionism would eventually spread to exosolar systems through returning coalition servicemen who converted in their time in the Solar System or through missionaries. In the late 3700s, Resurrectionism would cultivate a significant following within the People's Republic of Cariocecus, and it would subsequently influence the creation of the Reverent Church.

The spread of Resurrectionism has generally been viewed with suspicion or even outright hostility. Their anti-ALIAS views are welcomed in most corners of known space, but the church’s neo-Luddite views on artificial intelligence have made them outliers in most places, especially on Cariocecus and Tranquility. On Cariocecus, Resurrectionists have repeatedly called for the removal of ARES and have at times been violent toward the government. However, most sects are generally left alone if they direct their hostilities more at ALIAS than ARES, which most of them do. On Tranquility, Resurrectionists make up a significant bloc among the lower classes who oppose the excesses of the rich and their explorations into artificial intelligence. This has been usually expressed through voting patterns, but they have in the past been violent as well.

Current Era[edit | edit source]

Currently, the Resurrectionist Church remains disparate and divided but still very active. Numerous efforts to unify the religion under one authority in the last two centuries have failed, but it continues to spread nonetheless, stoking neo-Luddite sentiment along the way. As the Interstellar Cold War has escalated, Resurrectionists prepare themselves for what perhaps could be the final war against the Antichrist. Across known space, they continue to curse the Anti-Christ and hope for a future free from cyber abomination.

Structure[edit | edit source]

A decentralised religion, Resurrectionism is organized by congregations on the local level with the larger communities being organised into planet-wide conferences. Congregations are usually headed by independent pastors with worship being described as a gestalt made up of prayer, singing, sermon, condemnation of the Antichrist, altar intercession, offering, announcements, testimonies, reading, and occasionally the Lord's supper. There have been attempts to organise Resurrectionism across known space, but these attempts have all failed, as there are many powerful dissenting personalities within the religion.

Membership[edit | edit source]

Resurrectionism is a minority religion everywhere except for some asteroids in the Main Belt, with its strongest presence being within the Solar System on Earth and the Main Belt. Pallas in particular has a majority Resurrectionist population with intense tension due its close location to Mars. Outside the Solar System, Resurrectionism is strongest on Tranquility in the Gliese 832 System among the lower class in response to excess among the upper classes and the threat of artificial intelligence. Resurrectionism also has a significant presence in the Trappist System and the 82 G. Eridani System with smaller communities throughout known space.