Faith

Poison in The Well

Mouse flipped the page over, read through the verses, and then flipped it back to start again.
She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples as she tried to figure out what it meant. At first, she felt it was an account of the end of Earth, but the more she read, the less sure she was. She knew she'd need help, and If anyone could help, it would be The Archivist. She left immediately, and when she entered the archive, the archivist greeted her with boisterous laughter, "Rhey, it's good to see you. Welcome home, and thank you for bringing back such a spectacular specimen. The sample was a delight to study, though I will need to requisition a larger container."
Mouse nodded and smiled, "I'm glad it could brighten your day. I was wondering if I could ask you something, but I'm not sure how you'll react."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She held out a piece of paper, the page found on their boarding of The UEN Azrael. "Can you tell me anything about this?"
The archivist took the page, moving with a natural flow and grace. When he scanned the page, his body stiffened, as if suddenly remembering he was a machine. "A page from an old religious text from earth, The Book of Revelation. Why are you seeking information about this? I didn't know you kept it."
Mouse gasped, her grin widening. She spoke as fast as the words would form, "No one knows what it is, except you. I've asked everyone on my crew and even my parents. "
"Rhey, I..." the archivist began, pausing as if in deep contemplation. He shook his head. "I see."
Mouse cocked her head, the smile fading. "What?"
He tore the page in half, and continued tearing despite Mouse's attempts to take them back. He spoke clearly, "I'm sorry, but I can not seem to find any information regarding your previous query."
"I don't think so. Force query-"
The Archivist let out a groan and held his hands out as he spoke as if the gesture would make her stop, "Please, Rhey. This information should stay buried."
"Why?"
The archivist stood silent for several moments, the red lenses casting light on Mouse. She knew he was seeking a way out, but she was never one to give in so easily. After a long moment of silence, he nooded and began his lecture...

Religion and spirituality remain a complicated subject for humanity. Most of our theological history lingers in the depths of The Archives, buried under countless bits of data. It is exactly as it should be. Faith is a dangerous weapon and not just to those who find themselves on the receiving end, but to the wielder, as well.
The old faiths died off, or faded away during the earth's final years. Those who kept to the old ways tend to be secretive in their worship. They fear persecution, they fear hatred, and most of all, they fear being wrong. To have faith is to acknowledge a lack of proof. Belief cannot exist in the presence of truth. knowing and believing are two entirely different things.
Imagine the shock these people experienced when confronted with intelligent life beyond Earth. With faith as our weapon, we likely would have gone extinct in some ridiculous crusade, believing ourselves to be chosen. Such ideas exist among other species, and holy wars have occurred throughout galactic history, but the others are not as few in numbers as humanity.

Keep it secret

On Safeharbor, it's encouraged to refuse any discussion on religion. While there are several factors, the main reason is to avoid impacting impressionable youths. We felt they should choose for themselves. When we arrived at Safeharbor, it was agreed to let the old faiths die. Most earth-born humans are agnostic, and fear our troubled history regarding the subject of religion.
There may be some among us who still practice the more resilient of Earth's many faiths, particularly the Abrahamic religions, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Be this as it may, they would never admit to it. To do so would make them pariahs in the eyes of their peers.
It;s bes not to ask. Asking could make them rather upset, regardless of what they believe. Just the thought of being viewed as a person of faith is enough to instill panic in the accused, and yes, the question will certainly feel like an accusation.

Murky Origins

You will find names of many figures pulled from old earth religions in Safeharbor's culture. We name ships after gods and monsters of myth and legend. While Stargazing, we tell stories passed down after countless generations, painting their protagonists in the stars above us.
This was intentional. Many believed that presenting these figures as mere stories would impact their religious value, painting them as fiction despite our ancestors belief in their authenticity. The practice is surprisingly effective. It also acts as a form of catharsis for those who still believe in secret, allowing them to express their faiths under the guise of fiction without fear of persecution.
In this way, we buried our gods, for we no longer needed them. I imagine most abandoned their faiths when presented with the current state of our species. How could a god let such horrors occur? How could a god exist, and value humanity above all when there were so many other candidates to choose from? Regardless, religion is an artifact of our past, and has no place in our future.

A need for comfort

I understand why religion exists, even on Safeharbor. Now more than ever, we need comfort. It makes sense that many would find solace in believing they are here for a reason and something watches over them. It makes sense that they would hold to these ideals regardless of evidence to the contrary.
Do not fault them. Our universe is cold, and unwelcoming. We sit, isolated on a lonely rock, floating in the void with little hope of progress. Even I ponder the existence of a life beyond this one from time to time. It's okay to not know what can't be known.
Perhaps, one day we will learn of it, and negate the need for belief. Perhaps pur technology will reveal the truth, the dangers of faith pacified once and for all. Until such a time, we must remain cautious of indulging our desire for warmth when lost in the cold.

Mouse felt anger rising, and struggled to keep it contained. "It's not like im converting. I just want to read it."
"Why?" The Archivist asked.
"It's a little dense, but I want to know what happens next," Mouse said with a shrug. "I honestly just want to hear the rest of the story."
"The story?"
"This details the end of the earth-"
The archivist let out a laugh, the sound blending with static from the speaker that served as the archivist's mouth. "It's completely fictional, written millennia before the fall."
Mouse scoffed and shook her head. "Then why is it so dangerous? Some of it sounded beautiful."
"That right there. That is why it is dangerous."

---

Religion at home and abroad

A Cult of Logic

In the earliest days of Safeharbor, back when Juliet was our only colony, a religious group gained traction among those that made planet-fall. They called themselves The Church of Logic, and worshiped the technology found in the depths of our planet wide city.
They were fervently evangelical to the point of threatening others if they refused to join. They mounted expeditions into the depths, but never brought anything of worth back with them. Instead, they brought back objects they believed to be holy, despite having no merit. They claimed that it was beautiful, and felt the holy power radiating from them.
Statues, containers, and what appeared to be household objects were placed on altars and worshiped by the faithful. They have since been exiled from the colonies, and fled into the depths of Safeharbor. If you ask me, they simply went mad. They may have latched onto anything that could explain the horrible state of humanity, the truth far too much to bear.

The Eden Somnihein

Religious systems are remarkably few among the others. The species that populate the galaxy often shed such primitive notions. The Eden are a noteworthy exception. Each ethnic group of the eden maintains its own religious doctrine, and the matriarchy are the most zealous.
They share a warlike faith centered around "Somnihein," The Loop. They believe in gods, even having a central figure these gods worship. This allows them to incorporate faiths of other species into theirs, posing that all gods are gods under a single pantheon. These other gods, saints, and holy beings are given their own place in the faith, assumed to have power in their own right.
The Eden center their own pantheon around the oldest ships in their navy, believing the vessels to be avatars of their gods in physical form. It is baffling how such an advanced species, one of the most advanced in the galaxy, would maintain such a system of belief for reasons other than personal gain. Perhaps syncretism improves interspecies relations.

"Fine," Mouse said, turning to leave. "Thanks for nothing."
"The book of revelation was one of several texts compiled into a single book, The Bible. This religious text caused just as much harm as it did good."
"Then it's a crucial part of our culture," Mouse said, crossing her arms. "That means you have a copy."
"Of course I do, but I don't allow access, and you can't force it out of me either."
Mouse raised her voice, something she never did before, at least to him, "Is your stance on religion not also a belief? You don't do much to prove your point. You talk a lot about us being the last hope for humanity. Is that not taken on faith?"
The archivist fell silent, then chuckled. "Maybe so, but my answer remains the same."
"So, I'm just stuck then?" The archivist Nodded and Mouse stormed out of the archive, fuming. Her hands stayed tightly clenched the entire way home. While she understood his reasoning, it was insulting. She was capable of making her own decisions. She wasn't a child.
Walking into her quarters, she jumped at the sight of her father sitting in a chair on the far side of the room. "Dad? What are you-"
"Sorry, I thought you'd be here and the door was unlocked."
"Is something wrong?" she asked, eyeing a box in her father's hands.
He stood up, and took a deep breath before speaking, "I shouldn't be doing this. Keep it between us." He handed her the box and crossed his arms as she opened it. "When you mentioned it on the shuttle…" he paused and rubbed the back of his head before continuing, "I don't know. I guess I just wanted us to have something in common, something to bond over."
Mouse pulled out a book, the pages worn and faded. Small drops of blood stained the white cover, and Tucked beside the book was some form of jewelry, a necklace of beads.
He smiled as she gazed in both wonder and confusion, "I used to be a priest, but the church closed its doors before the end. That's when I moved on to chemistry, which got me on the ark."
Mouse narrowed her eyes, lifting the necklace from the box and marveling at how long it was.
"It's a rosary. Don't worry about it, it's confusing. You wanted to know more about that page? There you go. Don't go showing it off. You can get into a lot of trouble."
"I know. Thank you." She replied, her fingers drifting down the rosary. She studied the cross swaying on the end, eyed the man with arms stretched out and a pained look on his face. "Who is-"
"Just read it. It'll make sense. If it doesn't…" he stopped and sighed before continuing, ''Well, then it may be for the best."
She opened the first page, reading through the words under his watchful gaze. "Seven days?"
"Never made sense to me either." He replied.
She read further, occasionally scoffing after reading various passages that didn't add up. "I mean, perhaps days for a god would be different to us? Surely no one could take this literally."
He laughed. "You'd be surprised. I don't know though," her father said, pausing as he walked toward the door. "I mean, 'Let there be light' is spot on."