Adopt Paxcism!

Soon, ICly, the August Divine Service will be overturning a centuries-old policy that privileges Latin Paxcists in seeking government positions within Imperium. The policy is generally considered controversial, as it not only restricts members of other religions - like Flemingovianism, Rethenism, and Rakanism, but also other Paxcist sects, like Napule Paxcism (Neapolis being a city in Imperium), Alainni Paxcism, and Port Paxcism (in the former Kianese Empire).

Instead, the August Divine Service will be instituting the idea of 'Mysteries' - state-sanctioned religious sects that promote the practice of various religious institutes deemed compatible with Paxcism, and offering syncretic explanations of theology. For example, a Flemingovianist living in Imperium would be able to openly worship Flemingovia by registering as a Paxcist, and being inducted into the Mystery of Flemingovia. The various Mysteries will be split into Latin and Napule Rites, with Latin Rites incorporating the various Paxcist sects and the patron saints of Paxcism, and the Napule Rites being the Mysteries representing other religions.




Latin Paxcism, also known as Imperial Paxcism, is a dualistic religion which considers Pax and Caesar to be the contrasting aspects of a single omnipresent deity. In this context, Caesar is the inherited title of the Imperator. Pax is the deity of peace and the public (chaotic order, chaos in order), who represents the rise of individualism asserting itself against the order of the state, to temper it by force. Caesar is the deity of war and the state (ordered chaos, order in chaos), representing communalism, and the order of hierarchy and strategic decision asserting itself against the chaos of the battlefield, and the sovereignty of soldiers fighting for honour and glory. The Deity of War is passed on through death, and those who pass are returned to Pax. Peace is eternal, while war is fleeting, ended by death.

Paxcist worship is equally dualistic. It combines both personal valour in battle, charity, and service, and communal worship through volunteer work, community sports and culture, and resource-sharing in poorer, dense areas. Many apartment buildings in Imperium have recreation rooms and meeting halls that are maintained by homeowners' associations, and poor suburbs often have communal kitchens and bathrooms, with perhaps personal whitegoods at a maximum, like mini-fridges, microwaves, or crock-pots, and low-flow sinks.

Sects of Paxcism generally focus on the position of Pax's Other - in Latin Paxcism, Caesar. Most Paxcist sects in the 'Pax Latina' retain the idea of an Other that serves until death. In Alainn, the Other is an individual elected somewhat like the President of the United States, with a shortlist generated by sitting members of parliament nomination, put to a preferential national popular vote. In Neapolis, the home of Napule Paxcism, the leader is the oldest member of a council - in practice, the governing city council - and serves until death. In Napule theology, the Council is intended to be representative of the general population, rather than elected as August city councils are. Port Paxcism utilizes the appointment process of the Flemingovianists.




This thread is specifically to encourage discussion of possible Mysteries that would be introduced. ICly, the introduction of Mysteries is a reaction to the occupation of New Intelligensia, to try and create a formal institution to encourage and support moderate Flemingovianists in New Intelligensia and Imperium, and assuage fears of Paxcist occupation. The Mystery of Flemingovia would also assist in delivering foreign aid from Imperium to McMasterdonia.

Existing Mysteries are provided in the following post.
 
The Mysteries of the One (Plembobria - Rethenism)

The Mysteries of the One (hereafter, Mot1), is a reference to Rethenism's progenitor God. The Mot1 is taken to be a metaphorical description of the birth of Pax and Caesar from nothing - in Paxcism and the Mot1, the nothingness of Rethenism is the period before human civilization and the idea of Imperium, referring to the sovereign state, at which time peace and war gained meaning. It is this nothing which birthed Imperium, and the One from which dualism was created.

Mot1 characterises Rethea and Astarial, again, as dual entities of the One. Rethea is a feminine manifestation of Pax, which redeems those who serve Caesar and pass into the afterlife, who turns the order in chaos of war and hierarchy to the chaos in order of the state, and the freedom of peaceful people. Mot1 represents Rethea and Pax interchangeably - they use the term 'Rethea' to represent the feminine aspects of Pax. They do the same with Astarial and Caesar, representing Astarial as the feminine aspects of Caesar. Mot1, as a result, maintains civilian counterparts to Imperium's Divine Service armed components. Imperium utilizes the Vestal Virgins, a female service, to represent Pax in Caesar's home, and the Companions to represent Caesar in the state - the gardens and publically-accessible property of the royal family. Mot1 utilizes two unarmed volunteer cadres - one all-male, and one all-female - that are trained rigorously, as well as a larger general-population mixed-gender volunteer cadre. The all-male cadre is known as the Rethen Students, and the all-female the Compatriots, taking Astarial as a patron.

It should be noted that the Mot1, plural, encompasses two paired Mysteries - the Mystery of Rethea, and the Mystery of Astarial. The Mystery of Rethea minimizes discussion of Astarial, to remain palatable to conventional Rethenists, and often focuses on the need to minimize the need for Astarial (Caesar) to rule by perpetuating peace through community service and the economic strength of the nation, and to maintain Imperium's capacity to end wars on its own terms quickly, and without bloodshed (through propaganda, non-lethal warfare, negotiation, etc.), while the Mystery of Astarial encompasses the entire revision of a dualist deity, rather than Rethenism's deity/antideity dualism.




The Mystery of Nature (Silly String)

Of all the Mysteries, the Mystery of Nature is perhaps the most civic, as opposed to spiritual.




The Mystery of Alle-roon (Myroria)


The Mystery of Alle-roon focuses on the ancestor worship of the Myrorian folk religion. Instead of discussing the divinity of Caesar and Pax, it takes them as a given, instead choosing to be a revelatory mystery on the relationship between Pax's spirit world (Alle-roon), and Caesar's mortal world. It, unlike even Paxcist sects, is heavily predicated on the veneration of Paxcist Saints, including Caesar's ancestors, and on the ancestors of worshippers. Unlike most other Mysteries, it does not hold physical community service and similar such rites to be particularly important, although they continue to encourage such charity - instead, the charitable organizations of Alle-Roon organize charitable research, particularly in history and heritage planning. The Mystery of Alle-Roon is extremely traditionalist, venerating libraries, places of learning, and the heritage planning that typifies much of Alba Longa.

Of all the Mysteries, the Mystery of Alle-Roon is perhaps the most spiritual, as opposed to civic.
 
Here are my thoughts about Floregasque Paxcism; these may be incompatible with the most basic tenets of the religion and, if so, I would like to change them to be more fitting.

The Floregasque sect of Paxcism venerates the god of Peace to a greater extent than the god of War; peace brings good fortune and wealth, while war threatens both of those things as well as the very existence of the vulnerable city-state. Caesar has no bodily manifestation on Eras; instead the Floregasque government views the Gonfaloniere, elected by the Signoria to a life term, to be Caesar's Vicar.

The state-like aspects of Caesar are emphasized in Floresque, and the Gonfaloniere's role in establishing order and security matches closely with the five great tenets of Floregasque civic philosophy: security, safety, order, fortune, and multiculturalism. Floregasque temples, which overwhelmingly focus on Pax instead of Caesar, exist side-by-side with Flemist, Mainline-Paxcist, Rethenist, and Rakanist temples - though perhaps with a healthily-sized police presence to ensure that protests and clashes never get off the ground.

When war inevitably comes to the city, the Gonfaloniere and the Floregasque religious power structure are more concerned with increasing order at home than deaths abroad. Increased police, gendarmes, and soldiers on the streets are not just a security measure but the rarely-heard voice of Caesar himself. If liberties are unavoidably curtailed during these times, this test only exists to make the Floregasque more appreciative of when Pax rules over the country.

The Floregasque faith asks of its adherents to hold fast to its interpretation of Pax's orders: to be united in their service towards Caesar, manifested by the Gonfaloniere, Signoria, and all state institutions, to amass wealth both for your own use and the use of your neighborhood and city, to be tolerant of other cultures to minimize discord, to have faith in the security forces of the Republic, and to keep yourself, your family, and your neighbors safe from crime and disorder.
 
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