[Discuss] Religions

[Anthony Cerqueira]

On 3/8/07, Lyman Stone <lymanstone at alltel.net> wrote:
> > (A) Introduce some advantages to having multiple religions in your
> > realm. It's great for roleplay as is, but the game mechanics simply
> > discourage it too much.
>
> Um... is there any advantage to having many religions in RL? I can't
> think of any off the top of my head, besides just the sort of
> subjective advantage of cultural diversity which, in BM, would be an
> entirely roleplayed thing.
>
> Even in today's world religious division is a problem for nations.
> Case in point being sectarian strife in Iraq, the Ireland/Northern
> Ireland, Waco, etc, etc. Religious diversity, so far as I am aware,
> has rarely been a good thing for a nation, historically. One notable
> exception to that would be Moorish Spain... but even there religious
> diversity produced great art and philosophy, but not necessarily a
> stronger nation, as could be illustrated by the fact that more or
> less religiously unified peoples pushed out the Moors.
>
> Now, of course, religion is never the only factor, but I don't think
> there should be an advantage for religious diversity. Penalty
> perhaps, but not advantage. Priests are at a good strength how they
> are. RL priests were even stronger. Case in point being many
> preachers in modern day America who rally votes for the Republican
> party, or, oh whats his name... Bernard of Clairvaux perhaps? The guy
> who's preaching played a huge role in getting the Crusades on their
> feet and rolling. Or take the Muslim religious leaders in Iran or
> Iraq right now.
>
> Want some tips for the one-realm-one-religion problem? Here are some:
> 1. Don't allow yourself to be nationalistically affiliated.
> 2. Be willing to get wounded/banned from your own realm
> 3. Spread in the places that preaching is allowed (most nations allow
> religious diversity that I've encountered so far)
> 4. Get in, build shrine, get out.
> 5. Border hopping with priests.
> 6. Accompany invading armies, be they of your religious leaning or not.
> 7. Don't preach when you enter a land: preach once you're into the
> interior heartlands that, quite likely, are not as well patrolled.
> 8. Make your religion worthwhile. If you can't get a strong enough
> following to keep your religion a presence somewhere, maybe your
> religion is just doomed to go the way of the dodo bird.
> 9. Wikitisement.
> 10. Once you've done these things, you have a pretty strong base to
> function from in order to make it awfully hard for a realm to pull
> off a ban on your religion.
>
> Yes, there will always be a problem with people not really RPing
> religion, and just going with the masses... but that's something that
> just has to be accepted, I think.
>
>
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Since all the cool kids are doing it I figure I'll add 2 cents.

We have a state religion, but tollerate other faiths, under one
condition.  (actually it's possible and practicded to hold a second
faiths at the same time as our state one.... but that's another story)

3) All citizens have the right to believe in any religion so long as
its practices do not conflict with the law.

So if your religion is big on, for example say, burnt offerings of
foodstuff, we're going to go inquisition on your asses, otherwise
welcome.

Is there an advantage? Not really, but meh, wouldn't have it anyother way.


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