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Kingdom of God: A Quest of Holy Revolution

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[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].

This possibly going to cause in fighting in the future or spiting the sect in the future if we somehow tie the vote again, but we are leftist here and infighting is normal
And also because our popularity is still abysmal

Cetashwayo said:
And Ghadan Nasir's article, On Time and its Robbers, challenges the domination of time by the issuance of authorities on high, that the time available to the people, which should be determined by the people is instead monopolized by a small class of 'timekeeping priests and uniformed bankers'. The propensity of time spent on labour as opposed to leisure, and the necessity of the emancipation of popular time from its control by elite forces, is the liberation of humanity..
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Hey look! It's The Tyranny of the Clock - or at least it's close equivalent. I have a bit of affinity with that article since it's perhaps the first serious critical sociological work I have ever read. Unfortunately..

[x] On Witches and Non-Believers by Hadat Sutri & Hadat Bhadan [Drawing on the esoteric edge of Mystic Amalism].

I am still an Amalist and this choice is losing, so I can't really approval vote.

[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].

Brother and sister, the Autocephalates eldars may - are conformers who would rather see our Kingdom sink rather than sacrificed their privilege. Yet, the particular ire that raise the hatred of the flock is not so much of their fundamentally deficit as much as the fact that they dare - for once - to use their collective power to protect their flock. The particular veto the exercised is not used to stop any fundamental reform, but to protect themselves from organ that not only listen to their concern, but also ask them to take on the burden that those who are truly responsible for it - the high priests and the high jury - do not wish to bear. Is this any different than our attempt to ask those of the upper chamber to take on their own sins rather than to further bled the mouflons dry?
 
[X] They are better off as allies [Gain Ravs of Labour as ally].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].
[X] The Autocephalates should be abolished [Popular and Radical Opinion].

Confessionism remains based.
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].
[X] The Autocephalates should be abolished [Popular and Radical Opinion].
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Witches and Non-Believers by Hadat Sutri & Hadat Bhadan [Drawing on the esoteric edge of Mystic Amalism].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].
 
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[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].

- I like the idea of regional variations on one faith, and I don't think it should be abandoned
- the attacks on the Autocephalates are entirely unfair. The Autocephalates were right to put that veto, and attacking them for it is ridiculous and immoral.
 
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[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].

I am not as gung-ho on Confessionalism as some, but since we are actually analysing the work instead of accepting it, this is actually a great opportunity to pick the good parts of their doctrine and drop the bad ones, which, regardless of anything else, would help with the tension within the sect. I do hope we will get another opportunity to pick some Iconoclastic attitudes in the future, though.

The question of Autocephalates is a difficult one, though. That they have sunk a very mild bill that threw them and only them under the train is no reason to hate them, and even though they are undoubtedly a flawed institution, so are most of the institutions of Nachivan, and straight up abolishing them might not be the best solution. On the other hand, maybe it is the best solution, and the inherent radicalism of it can be its own benefit. Moreover, it's a popular option, and popularity is quite important right now as we start becoming a halfway relevant sect. Something to consider for sure.
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
[X] The Autocephalates should be abolished [Popular and Radical Opinion].
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
[X] The Autocephalates should be abolished [Popular and Radical Opinion].
 
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[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
[X] The Autocephalates should be abolished [Popular and Radical Opinion].
 
Yeah, thinking about it while the Autocephalates certainly sound like they need to be updated I do think they provide a useful function and are ultimately right in this instance. The leadership may be assholes but their whole populations would've been fucked over while the rest of the country refused to take any real burden on themselves.
 
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[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Time and its Robbers by Ghadan Nasir [Drawing on the deepest layers of True Confession].
[X] On Witches and Non-Believers by Hadat Sutri & Hadat Bhadan [Drawing on the esoteric edge of Mystic Amalism].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].

Mixed between the Amalist and ughh Confessionalist options due to their Synergies.
Refusing to vote for anything other than reforming the Autocephalates cause I can see how railing against the autonomy of ethnic and religious minorities can lead to some Young Turks and Yugo shit
 
Man I'm too damn exhausted to put much text to my vote today, much less in character, but y'all know Shevah would hate hereditary aristocracy (REEEEE), anything to do wtih the confessors, but we definitely need to up our popularity and reach. Growth will be difficult but so be it.
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].
 
I have added a new entry to the front page codex, specifically on clothing styles within the Kingdom of God. There's a lot of image references since I find that often helps.
 
I have also been asked how the sages look like for a potential commission, so:

Wendam is in the process of regrowing a Babylonian pleated beard as he had before exile where he preferred to sport a more simple moustache. He is a short-ish, stocky man with a broad chest and dark eyes who always sports a smile and has wavy hair he keeps well-oiled that flows to his neck. He prefers more unassuming and form-fitting clothing

Qanam is tanned, tall, tense, and clean-shaven, with angular features and a long face, dark eyes, straight black hair that he lets grow, and a severe expression, always in a priest's black frock, and white shirt and pants. Dvorah is olive-skinned, taller than Wendam but shorter than Qanam, with piercing blue eyes, black hair, a lean but not lanky build and a preference for colorful shawls and fine flowing dresses (but without jewelry) that loosely cover her hair often held into a braid, a thoughtful and reserved expression on her face.

Baba Tanda is of average height and still stands upright, with short gray hair, a stocky build, olive skin, a flinty expression through green eyes, preferring to either be bundled under the layers of a peasant dress under which she can hide guns or in the black habit of a domineering schoolteacher. There is a scar from a cut on her left cheek and she is clearly well-muscled and toned. She keeps her hair tucked and covered within a habit or a shawl.

Hyanaki Akov is of average height but skinny, with dark skin, clean-shaven, and has been regaining muscle since the return from Kutan. He has golden eyes and keeps his blond hair in a Nesri top-knot and his arms are covered in black tattoos from his home town depicting various geometric symbologies of faith and victory. He prefers loose workman's clothes to the tailored juror's uniform. He smiles like someone who's not very practiced at it.

All sages will at some point or another wear red and gold headbands, with the gold on the headbands depicting the letters spelling 'freedom'.
 
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So I'm considering some basic thoughts and theses that the Sect's theology and political philosophy might work toward or expand on. Commentary welcome, especially by Cetash as to whether these ideas actually fit in within the setting and what might have influenced them or what precursors or foreign antecedents they might have had.

Principle 1: All souls are equally valuable in the eyes of God.

This is not to say that all people are completely equal in terms of their capabilities or dignity, nevermind righteousness and virtue. Rather it is that God does not weigh the souls of particular elites or particular nations more highly than those of anyone else. The pauper and the Patriarch have lives of equal value before the judgment of God, and God will rejoice at the virtue of the one as much as the other. There are thus no inherent claims to particular privileges and dignities by birthright or by office, only by one's own conduct and probity. And the souls of those who might be saved by repentance or conversion are just as valuable as the souls of orthodox Amalgastine believers, so cutting them short simply because they are not believers should be forbidden. Likewise the oppression of anyone is just as much oppression of everyone else and so is categorically unrighteous.

Principle 2: The only distinction between believers is the sacred calling of the priesthood.

All believers belong together in a sacred Oikumene, and are equal before God and as such should be equal before human law as well. The sole exception is the priesthood, which is a sacred calling that attends to the ritual demands of the faith and looks to the spiritual health of the nation. As such there is a need to re-sacralize the priesthood so that it remains dedicated to its core function. The priesthood should be the reserve of the virtuous and righteous who are called by God, not a career path for the sons of wealthy elites. The distinction between High Priest and Low Priest is a violation of the fundamental equality of the souls before God and should be abolished. The priesthood needing to fill administrative positions should do so by election, not by rigged exams, and election should allow all priests concerned an equal vote. The qualification for the Patriarchy should be virtue, humility, wisdom, compassion, and deeds of ministering to believers and missionary work to non-believers.

Principle 3: The defense of the faith and nation is a responsibility of all believers.

The Order of Jurors, having failed its purpose and its own membership, should be replaced by a professional volunteer military open to all believers without distinction. It is the duty of all believers to take up arms in defense of the faith against aggressors, and in defense of the principles of the faith against oppressors. Jurors should not see this as a loss of dignity and privileges, but rather as a needed levelling so that all souls in Vaspukaran may be free; most especially themselves.

Principle 4: The orders as a whole should be abolished (or made non-exclusive).

The only way to achieve the equality of all souls within Vaspukaran is to remove all hereditary privileges, exclusive dignities, and obstacles to self-improvement. All souls should be free to develop their talents and interests in the work they are called to do. As such the various orders of the Low Priesthood should be abolished if they do not directly support the sacred work of the priesthood. Or should it be expedient to organize labor by orders, the orders should be open to application by all souls without regard for their social or economic background and decided on exclusively by suitability for the work required.

Principle 5: Self-improvement is required of all believers.

In order to defeat the darkness outside, the darkness within must be vanquished. Believers are religiously obliged to cultivate their talents and to develop virtue and wisdom. Social conditions that render cultivation impossible must be abolished. Common laborers and peasants must have leisure time and the means of life necessary to allow them to flourish, as much as merchants or scholars or priests. All souls are equally valuable so whatever potential the masses may have is just as valuable as the potential of the elites. The end goal of the believer's cultivation is to become the Master-Over-Self, who does not need to exert power over others because his example of righteousness moves society and banishes darkness.

Principle 6: The Sanhedron (reformed) is the vessel of the Oikumene.

The political and material direction of Vaspukaran is the business of all souls who reside within, and it is their collective will that the Sanhedron must represent. As such the chambers of the Sanhedron must be abolished into a single unified assembly of representatives elected from among the people of Vaspukaran, according to their numbers in the population. As all believers are equal, they must all have a single vote for their representatives who may not be disallowed except for obvious practical reasons (ie, age or mental disability).

Principle 7: The nations called to God are all equal.

This may be articulated as the "National Principle" establishing that the Vasp do not have any inherent claim to leadership or superiority over any other peoples. As such all peoples must be allowed to develop and flourish their own cultures and traditions so long as they are compatible with the basic principles of revealed religion. This means that autonomy may be established in certain regions to allow the national developments of their people, that the Oikumene must accommodate the languages of all souls under it, and that any claims of one people or another to national superiority must be rebuked. In essence a means to justify a pluralist society and political autonomy to minorities as needed.

Principle 8: Oppression and Lies are the Darkness manifest.

The example of Pasan Ghadi is the light leading the HaKhofshim forward. Oppression of souls is a literal manifestation of the Darkness against which struggle is mandated. Lies are the tools of the Darkness in weakening the Light. They must be destroyed. Fighting against them is always justified.
 
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Looks very good! I'll highlight some areas of note.

Cavalier said:
The sole exception is the priesthood, which is a sacred calling that attends to the ritual demands of the faith and looks to the spiritual health of the nation.
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It should be kept in mind that this definition has somewhat started to fall apart since the Confessional Sanhedron. If almost all skilled labour are priests, then what does that say about the priesthood as a distinct body? It covers too many different elements and has become almost synonmous with the idea of an 'active citizen' within the religious matrix of Vaspukaran.

The Mouflon is a passive soul who is preached to, while the priest is the active soul who does the preaching. The idea of specific scholars or sages who determine scripture is separate from the question of the priesthood as a whole, which has become too large to defend itself as a specific and unique sacred calling. To be a Priest is to effectively have religious autonomy in performing the sacrament. So there isn't actually a need, necessarily, to preserve the priest:mouflon distinction as a point of theology, and Pugilism reflects this by elevating certain gurus from among the peasantry who are seen as spiritual and religious leaders but do not have a monopoly on the sacred.

This is also why the Ravs of Labour are ambitious and radical - if Ravs are saints or masters, righteous men and women, then to call yourselves Ravs for the purpose of being a laborer is a direct challenge to the ziggurat of priestly sacrament where low priests are more holy than Mouflons and High Priests holier. But this doesn't preclude the idea of leadership altogether, of course.

Cavalier said:
The Order of Jurors, having failed its purpose and its own membership, should be replaced by a professional volunteer military open to all believers without distinction. It is the duty of all believers to take up arms in defense of the faith against aggressors, and in defense of the principles of the faith against oppressors. Jurors should not see this as a loss of dignity and privileges, but rather as a needed levelling so that all souls in Vaspukaran may be free; most especially themselves.
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This is a natural progression from what the sect is advocating for now but actual abolition of the Jury is still obviously something which has not been broached publicly because it would be extremely controversial.

Cavalier said:
As such the various orders of the Low Priesthood should be abolished if they do not directly support the sacred work of the priesthood. Or should it be expedient to organize labor by orders, the orders should be open to application by all souls without regard for their social or economic background and decided on exclusively by suitability for the work required.
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This would be very controversial as the orders have their own internal cultures and histories and a level of autonomy within Vaspukaran, but the hierarchical and stultifying aspects of the system would absolutely be a target. But organizing on the basis of order is not a controversial or despised idea, especially when it is utilized to protect workers, not exploit them.

Everything else looks like a reasonable extrapolation and assumption off existing theology and philosophy, though of course open to discussion.
 
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My main impression on the priesthood is that there would be a legitimate need for ordained or established priests to carry out various ritual ceremonies and "sacraments" but that all the extraneous, non-ritual/spiritual portions of the priesthood could be excised off into the "secular" mass - the laity, to use a less loaded term than Mouflons. If the situation's a bit more like Islam in that there's no specific priestly order being prescribed by the Amalgastine religion, then abolishing the idea of a priesthood as separate and distinct from the rest of the Oikumene (except in so far as certain people are respected as gurus or scholars or ulemma) may be the more "Pugilist" and egalitarian approach.
 
Cavalier said:
My main impression on the priesthood is that there would be a legitimate need for ordained or established priests to carry out various ritual ceremonies and "sacraments" but that all the extraneous, non-ritual/spiritual portions of the priesthood could be excised off into the "secular" mass - the laity, to use a less loaded term than Mouflons. If the situation's a bit more like Islam in that there's no specific priestly order being prescribed by the Amalgastine religion, then abolishing the idea of a priesthood as separate and distinct from the rest of the Oikumene (except in so far as certain people are respected as gurus or scholars or ulemma) may be the more "Pugilist" and egalitarian approach.
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It mostly draws around Jewish ideas of the priesthood as scholars and legal jurists who interpret texts. The radical argument from all corners (and elaborated on by Oshana if you pick her article :V) is that there is no necessity to monopolize interpretation in the hands of a priesthood and that since such interpretation has implications for the entire body politic, the entire body politic should be invested with the priestly frock.

This is why there is such a strong emphasis on education and exams for the priesthood - because what is most important is knowledge and understanding of the texts and scriptures. The priesthood originally is actually a pre-Amalgastene construction which was integrated into the religion by Amalgast - they were the priests and scholars of Sufgan and Sufgan's religion which worshipped the Simurgh. Amalgast gave them pride of place and institutionalized them as a major pillar of the country, but the scripture itself is agnostic on the method by which a priesthood is actually chosen and how large it can be. The Ravs, for example, made many of their soldier-followers priests simply to invest them with the idea of being special soldiers of God. In traditional Pugilism Gurus were just drawn from the villages and existed as shaman/pastor figures who could mediate disputes and forge alliances.

Jurors are all technically priests, since it's a holy order, but they don't really act like it, aren't considered it legally, and their own sacraments are much more democratic, with elected standard-bearers and so on who perform standard-cult ceremonies.
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On Witches and Non-Believers by Hadat Sutri & Hadat Bhadan [Drawing on the esoteric edge of Mystic Amalism].
[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].

We need more Mystiscism
 
[X] Integrate the Ravs of Labour as a Mass Section [Gain Ravs of Labour as mass section, sect popularity triples but fervor and discipline will fall].
[X] On the Hoarders of God by Esterkesy Oshana [Drawing on the extreme peak of Political Iconoclasm].
 
[X] They are better off as allies [Gain Ravs of Labour as ally].

[X] The Autocephalates should be reformed [Amalist Opinion].

[X] On Witches and Non-Believers by Hadat Sutri & Hadat Bhadan [Drawing on the esoteric edge of Mystic Amalism].
 
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