THE RELIGIONS OF ERDE

The OutSiders and Religion

The OutSiders have long ago decided that religion, in any form, tended to divide the human family rather than enrich it. They saw that for innumerable eons, both on Earth and in Erde, more wars had been fought over religious principles than for any other reason. They listed countless examples of man's inhumanity towards man, all in the name of religion. They saw that conflict not only occurred between opposing systems of religious belief, but also within various sects of the same religion. This truth led the political leaders of the OutSiders to become disillusioned with religion, convincing them that it was both a waste of time and considerably dangerous. Consequently, for more than 3,000 years, religion in OutSider controlled Erde has been outlawed. It is one of the few laws in which governing rival Proctors have remained in agreement throughout the Rejoinders. They found it easier to deal with underground religious activities than with open wars prompted by opposing factions trying to force their belief system or the supremacy of their god(s) upon the will of others.

The rehabitation of newly discovered OutSiders within Erde has been a primary function of the government for thousands of years. A major part of rehabitation concerns the removal of religion from the minds and hearts of prospective new citizens. No man or woman who did not swear to recant their religious beliefs or who still showed signs of conformity to religious thought, was allowed to enter into the population at large.

 

Circle - The Religion of the Vigroth Peoples

The basic premise of the Vigroth is that humans are spiritual beings manifested into a physical world by a single creator in conjunction with other spirit beings. They see two sets of laws governing creation, Spiritual Law and Physical Law. These laws work hand in hand. Without one or the other, the known world couldn't exist. They also realize that humanity doesn't know all the laws. New discoveries and better understanding of them can and are being learned. It is their belief that the blueprint of these two sets of laws can be viewed by studying nature, which they call the Great Teacher.

The Vigroth know nature on a personal basis. They know the Spiritual Law and Physical Law that hold together the Universe are flexible. Through their study of nature they have learned that these Universal Laws can be stroked when they are understood fully. That is, they can be bent in certain ways to alter known results to make an outcome more favorable. They understand there is nothing magical about these processes, they simply use one set of know laws against others to bring about a conclusion.

An example of this would be using the danger signals of bees guarding a hive to entice swarms to attack an enemy. Another example would be using the mind to box a headache into disappearing. In our world, cloud seeding might be one example, as well as Native Americans dancing and singing to bring rain. The cloud seeding brings about the bending of Physical Law through the use of Physical Law. The rain dances bring about the bending of Physical Law through the use of Spiritual Law. The strength of repeated incantations of shaman and witches bend Physical Law and Spiritual Law in the same manner as repeated prayer. Many examples could be put forth. Magic? Not really. There are factual reasons that make cloud seeding work. There are also factual reasons that make rain dances work as well. They may not be understood as easily because they deal with Spiritual Law rather than Physical Law. We are more comfortable studying Physical Law. The study of Spiritual Law is not considered a science.

Through their understanding of nature, the Vigroth can see the Oneness of all creation. They are aware that all life is dependant on the death of other living things. It is for this reason, like many Native Americans, they refer to their beliefs as Circle. The Vigroth know that they must eat plants, animals, fish, and birds in order to survive. When they die, they will in turn nourish the ground, insects, birds, and animals. They have great respect for this Circle. Their focus is upon the importance of every single living thing to manifest an awareness of the living Spirit in the earth.

The Vigroth concept of Oneness is not about making all the varieties of life the same. Oneness suggests instead that people have the opportunity to view this rich diversity as an example of the multiple ways in which the One Spirit tries to find expression in life. Whether that life is the life of a fish, bird, animal, insect, plant, or person. Since there is only one Creator, the Universe must be composed of only one Force. Oneness as a force implies that all things are interrelated. Every one of us has a connection to one another, the land, the universe, and to the Maker.