Martian folk religion

Martian folk religion
Symbol
Unorganised Religion
Ideological doctrine:	Ancestor worship, Animism
Operation
Region(s) of operation:	Multi-system
Historical information
Predecessors:	Chinese folk religion, New Age Movements, etc.
Founded:	24th century
Successors:	Reverent Church
[Source]

“	The mountains are calling and I must go.	”
–John Muir

Martian folk religion is an ancient religious tradition of Martians, and involves veneration of forces of nature and ancestors and the belief in a deist God connected to the planet Mars itself. The exact source of Martian folk religion is unknown but a variety of sources, local forms, founder backgrounds, and ritual and philosophical traditions are evident. Never a majority religion on Mars, Martian folk religion suffered greatly when ALIAS established itself as the dominant force on Mars after the Martian Civil War with great persecutions. Currently, Martian folk religion retains adherents in the Martian diaspora across known space and in some corners of Mars.

History

Background

There are disagreements among anthropologists about the origins of Martian folk religion, as influences from numerous sources are evident throughout the religion. The strongest influence and the most agreed upon influence upon Martian folk religion is the Chinese folk religion brought by early Chinese settlers to Mars. Ancestor veneration and many other concepts within Martian folk religion are directly drawn from Chinese folk religion, leading to the many comparisons. However, the view of Mars as a largely deist god has different origins, with most agreeing that this portion of Martian folk religion came from various New Age Movements with similar views on Earth. Also, various earlier recorded “Gifted” are also identified with New Age Movements, furthering this connection. Therefore, a majority of historians and anthropologists agree that Martian folk religion came from a fusion of Chinese folk religion and New Age Movements sometime in the 24th century. The minority view, called “Divine Truth”, held by the Reverent Church and some adherents of Martian folk religion is that the beliefs are truly unique and divinely inspired with little to no connection to any religions previously originating from Earth. These two views have contested with one another for hundreds of years and continue to into the current day.

Most historians trace Martian folk religion’s origins back to the settling of the Martian frontier in the 23rd century. Making their way out from Arcadia, Martian settlers relocated to relatively isolated areas to assist in the ongoing terraforming efforts. It was in the historic Mariner Valley that thousands of Chinese settlers came first made their home in the early 23rd century and with them, they brought their traditions taken from their home country on Earth, Chinese folk religion. Later settlers from Arcadia would bring more New Age beliefs to Mariner Valley and with that, Martian folk religion would form and slowly spread across rural Mars.

The “Divine Truth” view on the formation of Martian folk religion differs greatly from the mainstream. They contend that the Martian folk religion has more esoteric origins, with some even contending that it was the religion of the planet’s “previous inhabitants” first picked up by settlers through divine inspiration in the early 23rd century.

After the formation of the Martian folk religion in the 23rd century, the religion would slowly spread across the Red Planet. Martian folk religion became the de facto religion of the Martian Frontier with many Martians at the very least showing reverence towards their ancestors and believing in some sort of higher Martian consciousness. However, Martian folk religion did not have any organised religious institution or clergy, which left a decenralised but expansive religion that allowed for great flexibility.

The Martian Civil War ushered in untold devastation to Mars, with adherents of Martian folk religion being common victims of the irreligious forces of ALIAS and opportunistic Saturnian mercenaries. Millions of Martians, many religious, would flee off-world while many more were left on Mars. These adherents of Martian folk religion would be left to the harsh mercy of ALIAS, who ruthlessly stamped out any public displays of religion it found. Martian folk religion, Buddhism, and Christianislam were the most affected by the religious persecution with the latter two being completely wiped out on Mars. Soon enough, the only Martian folk religion adherents were a few rural Martians and certain members of the remnants of Freedom Club.

Meanwhile, Martian folk religion would spread across known space alongside the Martian diaspora. The Martian colonies in the Trappist System would also keep their adherents as they won their independence from Mars. Martian shrines would become major points of culture on Cariocecus, Ganymede, and Nova.

The Reverent Church emerged during the 38rd century in the Trappist System and has contested the religious loyalties of the Martian diaspora since then. This has divided some Martians, but most Martian folk religion adherents and Reverents are able to coexist.

Current Era

ALIAS and the Martian Federation have warmed up to Martian folk religion in recent years for a multitude of reasons. ALIAS has become less anti-religion, Mars has largely softened its image, and the threat of the Reverents has divided the Martian diaspora somewhat. So, Martian folk religion is tolerated and even encouraged as a part of historical Martian culture by ALIAS, even though it is now only practiced by a very small percentage of Martians on Mars.

Off of Mars, Martian folk religion remains strong in Martian diaspora in the Solar System while it has faltered on exoplanets as the Reverent Church has expanded. Some governments such as Zhu Que and Nova have sided against the Reverents as a radicalizing force for the Martian minority, empowering local sections of the Martian folk religion to deal with interlopers. Martian folk religion persists, though divided, across known space.

Structure

An unorganised religion, Martian folk religion has no real structure to it, despite attempts in the past to do so with the most recent being the Reverent Church. The religion has no temples and no clergy, with shrines to the dead and unofficial "faith leaders" being the closest things. Occasionally, "Gifted" who claimed to have a deep connection to Mars would arise and gain great followings, but none of them would reform the religion in any meaningful way.

Membership

Historically, the Martian folk religion was followed by a large minority of the Martian population especially in the Martian Frontier and in smaller states. At that point, it was confined to there and the then small Martian diaspora in the Solar System. However after ALIAS achieved victory in the Martian Civil War, millions of Martians fled their homes and took their faith with them while their counterparts on Mars were persecuted for their faith, driving the religion into near-extinction on its home planet. Meanwhile, Martian folk religion remains the majority religion for the religious section of the Martian diaspora in the Solar System and beyond, though its reach in the exosolar colonies has been contested recently with the spread of the Reverent Church. The religion still remains dominant in the diaspora within the Solar System however, as the Reverent Church has had extreme difficulty breaking into the Solar System. This is especially seen in the Martian communities on Ceres, Earth, Saturn, and Jupiter. On Mars, recent times have seen something of a revival of Martian folk religion in a show of tolerance by ALIAS many perceive to be feigned.