Akronism: Difference between revisions

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Akronism does not have a single, canonical text or "holy book" containing all of the teachings and commandments of the Akronist faith. The Goddess Akrona is said to have personally spoken to the seven women she blessed only on one occasion. Her words at that moment were recorded as "I give to you and to all the people of your nation all the blessings of life in creation, and charge you with the protection and continuation of life everywhere." In addition to speaking, Akrona bestowed upon the women a vision of what she wanted the Church and the world to be like. Together, the words Akrona spoke and the vision she gave the women are called "the Mandate," which is held to be the highest doctrine of the Akronist faith.

These seven women, the only mortal beings to whom Akrona personally appeared, would become the first Elders of the Church, the first ruling body of the faith. These First Elders, over the course of their leadership of the religion during the formation of the Church and the Acronian Empire, issued one hundred and three official statements called Edicts. These 103 Edicts are considered to be the "truest Edicts" because they were issued by the people with the most direct knowledge of Akrona, inspired by the words and visions of the Mandate. These first 103 Edicts have been collected into a book called The First Edicts. The First Edicts contain some of the most fundamental beliefs of the faith, including the ban on killing land animals for sustenance or sport, the rule that services are to be held on the full moon each month, and the mandate to cremate the bodies of the dead, among many others~~, are part of the First Edicts~~. A number of the First Edicts, usually counted as between 5 and 8 depending on differing definitions, are called "Poetic Edicts" because instead of direct rules, they are descriptions of some of the visions the First Elders saw. Edict 4 is a Poetic Edict that describes seeing the entire Akronist conception of the cycle of life - from birth to death and then reincarnation until the spirit lives a life in accordance with Akrona's wishes and enters into direct communion with the essence of Akrona herself.

These seven women, the only mortal beings to whom Akrona personally appeared, would become the first Elders of the Church, the first ruling body of the faith. These First Elders, over the course of their leadership of the religion during the formation of the Church and the Acronian Empire, issued one hundred and three official statements called Edicts. These 103 Edicts are considered to be the "truest Edicts" because they were issued by the people with the most direct knowledge of Akrona, inspired by the words and visions of the Mandate. These first 103 Edicts have been collected into a book called The First Edicts. The First Edicts contain some of the most fundamental beliefs of the faith, including the ban on killing land animals for sustenance or sport, the rule that services are to be held on the full moon each month, and the mandate to cremate the bodies of the dead, among many others. A number of the First Edicts, usually counted as between 5 and 8 depending on differing definitions, are called "Poetic Edicts" because instead of direct rules, they are descriptions of some of the visions the First Elders saw. Edict 4 is a Poetic Edict that describes seeing the entire Akronist conception of the cycle of life - from birth to death and then reincarnation until the spirit lives a life in accordance with Akrona's wishes and enters into direct communion with the essence of Akrona herself.

The Elders, a body that continues to this day, continue to issue Edicts~~, and the First Edicts have the same exact level of authority as Edicts issued in contemporary times (although they are cataloged separately)~~. Edicts are generally issued in the form of rules or advice that are binding on a particular set of people or a particular institution. Edicts can be binding upon, for example, the entire body of the faithful, or on a single person, such as the King or the Prime Minister of the day. Some Edicts have been issued to cover only a particular geographical location, and one Edict - "An Edict to Encourage Universal Amity and Respect" - was issued to the audience of "all the people of every nation on Urth."

The Elders, a body that continues to this day, continue to issue Edicts. Edicts are generally issued in the form of rules or advice that are binding on a particular set of people or a particular institution. Edicts can be binding upon, for example, the entire body of the faithful, or on a single person, such as the King or the Prime Minister of the day. Some Edicts have been issued to cover only a particular geographical location, and one Edict - "An Edict to Encourage Universal Amity and Respect" - was issued to the audience of "all the people of every nation on Urth." While the First Edicts are cataloged separately, all Edicts have the same legal standing, and in theory, the Elders of the day can amend or repeal any Edict. However, none of the First Edicts have ever been repealed or directly amended, as to do so would generate immense controversy among both Church leaders and the body of the faithful. New Edicts are sometimes issued to "expand upon" or "clarify" parts of the First Edicts, and there has historically been significant debate over what some things in the First Edicts mean, especially the Poetic Edicts.

There have been several texts that have been written by scholars of the Church, referred to in general as "the Conversations." These are generally commentaries on particular Edicts or enshrined beliefs or actions of the Church. Examples include "Letters to the People of Dravai," written by three priestesses in the city of Tovar to various people living in the city of Dravai in the late 16th century. At the time, Dravai was believed to be a hotbed for anti-religious activity in the country. The Letters contained various pleas to the people to come back into the fold of the faith, and in several places, offered concessions to people who raised issues with religious rules of the time. Famously, the Letters contain a phrase that is today held as a central operating tenet of the Church: "It is wrong to deny fundamental mercy and compassion to those who have chosen, with the same will granted to them by the Universe as has been granted to us, to follow a different conviction than that of thankfulness to the Benefactor." Since the Letters to the People of Dravai were enshrined by the Elders as canonical in the year 1604, this statement has been held to forbid the Church from denying respect or compassion to people who follow other faiths, or none at all.

There have been several texts that have been written by scholars of the Church, referred to in general as "the Conversations." These are generally commentaries on particular Edicts or enshrined beliefs or actions of the Church. Examples include the surviving personal diaries of the First Elders, or other commentaries such as "Letters to the People of Dravai," written by three priestesses in the city of Tovar to various people living in the city of Dravai in the late 16th century. At the time, Dravai was believed to be a hotbed for anti-religious activity in the country. The Letters contained various pleas to the people to come back into the fold of the faith, and in several places, offered concessions to people who raised issues with religious rules of the time. Famously, the Letters contain a phrase that is today held as a central operating tenet of the Church: "It is wrong to deny fundamental mercy and compassion to those who have chosen, with the same will granted to them by the Universe as has been granted to us, to follow a different conviction than that of thankfulness to the Benefactor." Since the Letters to the People of Dravai were enshrined by the Elders as canonical in the year 1604, this statement has been held to forbid the Church from denying respect or compassion to people who follow other faiths, or none at all. A book called "The Conversations" is published by the Church and contains all the Conversations that are considered to be canonical.

Additional texts include the Golden Hymnal, a collection of songs written by early adherents of the faith during the War of Foundation, before the Acronian Empire was formally established. One of these hymns, "March On," has been adopted as the national anthem of the Acronian Empire. The Golden Hymnal is of particular interest to historians because most of its songs were written by commoners, not by religious officials, and are believed to reflect the honest, day-to-day feelings and beliefs of individual members of the church as it was being formed. In many cases, the tunes are adaptations of folk songs that already existed in the region.

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 Akronism does not have a single, canonical text or "holy book" containing all of the teachings and commandments of the Akronist faith. The Goddess Akrona is said to have personally spoken to the seven women she blessed only on one occasion. Her words at that moment were recorded as "I give to you and to all the people of your nation all the blessings of life in creation, and charge you with the protection and continuation of life everywhere." In addition to speaking, Akrona bestowed upon the women a vision of what she wanted the Church and the world to be like. Together, the words Akrona spoke and the vision she gave the women are called "the Mandate," which is held to be the highest doctrine of the Akronist faith.
-These seven women, the only mortal beings to whom Akrona personally appeared, would become the first Elders of the Church, the first ruling body of the faith. These First Elders, over the course of their leadership of the religion during the formation of the Church and the Acronian Empire, issued one hundred and three official statements called Edicts. These 103 Edicts are considered to be the "truest Edicts" because they were issued by the people with the most direct knowledge of Akrona, inspired by the words and visions of the Mandate. These first 103 Edicts have been collected into a book called The First Edicts. The First Edicts contain some of the most fundamental beliefs of the faith, including the ban on killing land animals for sustenance or sport, the rule that services are to be held on the full moon each month, and the mandate to cremate the bodies of the dead, among many others, are part of the First Edicts. A number of the First Edicts, usually counted as between 5 and 8 depending on differing definitions, are called "Poetic Edicts" because instead of direct rules, they are descriptions of some of the visions the First Elders saw. Edict 4 is a Poetic Edict that describes seeing the entire Akronist conception of the cycle of life - from birth to death and then reincarnation until the spirit lives a life in accordance with Akrona's wishes and enters into direct communion with the essence of Akrona herself.
+These seven women, the only mortal beings to whom Akrona personally appeared, would become the first Elders of the Church, the first ruling body of the faith. These First Elders, over the course of their leadership of the religion during the formation of the Church and the Acronian Empire, issued one hundred and three official statements called Edicts. These 103 Edicts are considered to be the "truest Edicts" because they were issued by the people with the most direct knowledge of Akrona, inspired by the words and visions of the Mandate. These first 103 Edicts have been collected into a book called The First Edicts. The First Edicts contain some of the most fundamental beliefs of the faith, including the ban on killing land animals for sustenance or sport, the rule that services are to be held on the full moon each month, and the mandate to cremate the bodies of the dead, among many others. A number of the First Edicts, usually counted as between 5 and 8 depending on differing definitions, are called "Poetic Edicts" because instead of direct rules, they are descriptions of some of the visions the First Elders saw. Edict 4 is a Poetic Edict that describes seeing the entire Akronist conception of the cycle of life - from birth to death and then reincarnation until the spirit lives a life in accordance with Akrona's wishes and enters into direct communion with the essence of Akrona herself.
-The Elders, a body that continues to this day, continue to issue Edicts, and the First Edicts have the same exact level of authority as Edicts issued in contemporary times (although they are cataloged separately). Edicts are generally issued in the form of rules or advice that are binding on a particular set of people or a particular institution. Edicts can be binding upon, for example, the entire body of the faithful, or on a single person, such as the King or the Prime Minister of the day. Some Edicts have been issued to cover only a particular geographical location, and one Edict - "An Edict to Encourage Universal Amity and Respect" - was issued to the audience of "all the people of every nation on Urth."
+The Elders, a body that continues to this day, continue to issue Edicts. Edicts are generally issued in the form of rules or advice that are binding on a particular set of people or a particular institution. Edicts can be binding upon, for example, the entire body of the faithful, or on a single person, such as the King or the Prime Minister of the day. Some Edicts have been issued to cover only a particular geographical location, and one Edict - "An Edict to Encourage Universal Amity and Respect" - was issued to the audience of "all the people of every nation on Urth." While the First Edicts are cataloged separately, all Edicts have the same legal standing, and in theory, the Elders of the day can amend or repeal any Edict. However, none of the First Edicts have ever been repealed or directly amended, as to do so would generate immense controversy among both Church leaders and the body of the faithful. New Edicts are sometimes issued to "expand upon" or "clarify" parts of the First Edicts, and there has historically been significant debate over what some things in the First Edicts mean, especially the Poetic Edicts.
-There have been several texts that have been written by scholars of the Church, referred to in general as "the Conversations." These are generally commentaries on particular Edicts or enshrined beliefs or actions of the Church. Examples include "Letters to the People of Dravai," written by three priestesses in the city of Tovar to various people living in the city of Dravai in the late 16th century. At the time, Dravai was believed to be a hotbed for anti-religious activity in the country. The Letters contained various pleas to the people to come back into the fold of the faith, and in several places, offered concessions to people who raised issues with religious rules of the time. Famously, the Letters contain a phrase that is today held as a central operating tenet of the Church: "It is wrong to deny fundamental mercy and compassion to those who have chosen, with the same will granted to them by the Universe as has been granted to us, to follow a different conviction than that of thankfulness to the Benefactor." Since the Letters to the People of Dravai were enshrined by the Elders as canonical in the year 1604, this statement has been held to forbid the Church from denying respect or compassion to people who follow other faiths, or none at all.
+There have been several texts that have been written by scholars of the Church, referred to in general as "the Conversations." These are generally commentaries on particular Edicts or enshrined beliefs or actions of the Church. Examples include the surviving personal diaries of the First Elders, or other commentaries such as "Letters to the People of Dravai," written by three priestesses in the city of Tovar to various people living in the city of Dravai in the late 16th century. At the time, Dravai was believed to be a hotbed for anti-religious activity in the country. The Letters contained various pleas to the people to come back into the fold of the faith, and in several places, offered concessions to people who raised issues with religious rules of the time. Famously, the Letters contain a phrase that is today held as a central operating tenet of the Church: "It is wrong to deny fundamental mercy and compassion to those who have chosen, with the same will granted to them by the Universe as has been granted to us, to follow a different conviction than that of thankfulness to the Benefactor." Since the Letters to the People of Dravai were enshrined by the Elders as canonical in the year 1604, this statement has been held to forbid the Church from denying respect or compassion to people who follow other faiths, or none at all. A book called "The Conversations" is published by the Church and contains all the Conversations that are considered to be canonical.
 Additional texts include the Golden Hymnal, a collection of songs written by early adherents of the faith during the War of Foundation, before the Acronian Empire was formally established. One of these hymns, "March On," has been adopted as the national anthem of the Acronian Empire. The Golden Hymnal is of particular interest to historians because most of its songs were written by commoners, not by religious officials, and are believed to reflect the honest, day-to-day feelings and beliefs of individual members of the church as it was being formed. In many cases, the tunes are adaptations of folk songs that already existed in the region.

Akronism: Difference between revisions

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