The Ashen Church

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The Ashen Church was a relgious group that came to prominence in the 26th Centrury, an offshoot of the ancient montheistic religion of Earth.

Background

Origins

Formed in the 23rd century on frontier worlds (thought to have been founded on Stark or Jasper, one of the particularly hostile frontier worlds), the Ashen Cult, later Ashen Church was formed by orthodox christians who wanted to worship a "pure" version of their faith away from the "god-less" techno-worshipping world of the Terran Federation / Confederate Union.
It gained its name from the use of ashes to consecrate the forehead of its worshippers and to be sprinked across holy relics and items. According to founders, the ashes were from "the burned remains of an ancient cathedral on Terra."
The Ashen-Cult took a long time to gain a significant number of worshippers and was largely overshadowed by the growth in the 24th century of Valtinism.

Growth

in 2580 On Earth, four new "Mega-Churches" were unveiled as a major expansion of the Ashen Cult. Bishop Antonio Franzelli of Milan, where one of the Mega-Churches was built, said that "The Ashen Cult speaks to a specific concern of Terrans, what are we here for? What is our purpose? But it also speaks to the need for community, connection and morality, a value that we feel has been forgotten by a society obsessed with progress at all costs."
The Mega-churches were also built in Dhaka, Chicago and Moscow, largely funded by the Corvo family.

Beliefs

The Ashen Cult

The core tenets of the Ashen Cult were:

• Belief in a supreme being, God or Yaweh.
• Belief that he sent his son in "mortal form" to the Earth to redeem the humans
• That only through his "grace" can a human be redeemed.

More broadly, Ashen Cult members believed that:
Humility and poverty are inherently "holy". That the worship of technology and "what is possible" have robbed humans of their uniqueness, perhaps even their souls. That meddling with human DNA is dangerous and wrong. That psionic powers are witch craft and therefore wrong. That sapient AI are contrary to the "design" of the universe generally somewhat socially conservative.

Reformation

After the Reformation of 2595, led by Father General Tiberus Corvo, the core tenets of the Ashen Church of the Unconquerable Son were:

• Belief in a supreme being, God the Almighty Father, the Lord of Light and Heaven.
• Descended to Earth as the Unconquerable Son who died and rose again for our salvation as the stars rise and fall in the sky.
• That the Unconquerable Son will return to the mortal universe again someday to judge.

More broadly, Church members believed in:
Temperance: Humilty, poverty, clean living and moderation in all things. Excessive manipulation of DNA, encouraging psionic abilities, and willingly giving the body up to machinery is dangerous and wrong.
Diligence: Just as their saviour toiled, labour is an intrinsic part of the human experience. fully automated luxury, where AI and technology caters to every whim is anathema to believers, who consider such humans to be soulless. Learning and scholarship is encouraged, but provided it focuses on furthering a humanity that is ‘spiritually intact’.
Vigilance: Socially Conservative, there is a suspicion of alien species and sentient AI, however most members believe it is up to the Lord to judge whether such creatures have souls. Some members believe all other species are tests from God to see how humanity will respond. Creatures from the ‘outer dark’ such as the Zzenddi, are most definitely agents of darkness and believers will happily lay down their lives for the glory of the Lord in battle.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion