The world of MK2K is one in which the miraculous and supernatural have been common occurrences throughout recorded history. With the existence of baffling structures like Metamor Keep and the Blessed Tree of Quenardya and the near-constant intervention of the pantheon in the lives of mortals, few people have seriously questioned that something intelligent was responsible for the creation of the universe. As such, "atheism" as it is known in our world has never been a large part of MK2K culture and philosophy.
This does not mean, however, that all people in MK2K share the same religious beliefs. The Empire of Metamor is home to a variety of different faiths — some resembling the religions of our world, and others resulting from the unique influence of the pantheon on mortal society.
Theists, Universalists, & Agnostics
Most people in MK2K have religious views that fall into one of three broad categories, divided by their views of the nature of the Creator-god.
Theists
Theists believe that the Creator is a personal being who is actively involved in world history and desires a relationship with His creations. This Creator is most often referred to as either Eli or Iluvatar (by those native to Galendor) or the Great Maker (by those native to the Southlands), depending on the religious tradition in which one was raised. Theists believe that the Creator orchestrated the Great Fall in order discipline the members of the Pantheon, who had persuaded the mortal races to worship them as gods so that these self-proclaimed deities could draw energy from them.
The majority of theists are found in the Follower religions, the largest of which is the Ecclesia; however, there are some theists scattered among most of the world's major faiths. Those who worship Eli or Iluvatar usually refer to the Creator by the masculine pronoun, though they may admit when asked that He is beyond gender. Those who worship the Great Maker may refer to It as either masculine or feminine, depending on their upbringing and personal views.
Rebuilders
Rebuilders are a subset of theists. They are a loose collection of religious organizations that broke away from the Ecclesia over a variety of doctrinal differences. As a rule, they don't agree with each other any more than they agree with the Ecclesia.
The Church of St. Merai is sometimes considered a Rebuilder faith, but other Rebuilder sects often think of it as a separate religion.
Universalists
Universalists believe that the Creator, also called the First Cause or the Great Maker, no longer exists as a personal entity, but that its energy or essence suffuses everything in the material world. They believe that some of this essence exists as raw, primordial energy, which they call the Numen. In this view, those who believe they have had spiritual encounters with the Creator have actually made contact with the Numen, and have then interpreted their encounters on the basis of their own preconceptions of what the Creator is.
Most Universalists would say that the universe is the result of the First Cause trying to understand itself, and thus breaking itself into many pieces so that it could experience many different ways of being. They believe that the perfection of reality will come when all the Creator's disparate pieces realize that they are all part of the same Being, at which point the Creator will re-form into a single entity that is truly able to appreciate the mystery of existence.
Universalists are most often found in the religions founded by the fallen pantheon, and in some religious philosophies that come from the East. Many of those who consider themselves non-religious are also Universalists.
Agnostics
Agnostics are those who don't have any strong opinions about the nature of the Creator. Most suspect that a personal Creator-god exists, or at least did exist, but they believe that He/She/It probably has little involvement in the universe in the present day. They would say that the true nature of the Creator is unknown, and possibly cannot be known, hence the name "agnostic" (which is from the Old Suielman for "without knowledge"). Agnostics are found in most of the same religions as Universalists, as well as among those who do not actively practice any religion. Many mages fall into this category, though with the general increase in the acceptance of magic, many people of faith are also learning to develop their magical talents.
Agnostic Religions/Paths
There are also a number of non-theistic centered religions. Most have their centers of practice outside of the Empire of Metamor, but as the Empire has had contact with the rest of the world practitioners have had made an appearance in the major cities. Many of these religions do not have a specific creator god, but hold that there is a overall essence of spirit/divinity/soul that all aware beings are part of. Within these beliefs, the Aedra and Daedra may appear as powerful beings, but they are not gods to be worshiped.
For example, Ba Zhengdao is a contemplative Agnostic faith (similar to real world Buddhism).
A number of martial art traditions may also fall under this category.
Index of Religions
These are faiths that have been encountered in Metamor Keel and Metamor City.
Theists
- Ecclesia the largest denomination of The Way. Its members are known as Ecclesiasts.
- Church of St. Merai - Associated with Merai Starchild. The second largest denomination of The Way. Its members are known as Meraists.
- Church of the Great Maker - Little is known about this Southlander religion, and whether it is a single religion with multiple denominations or a collection of religions with similar underlying lore and philosophies. Unlike the Creator-gods of western Galendor, the Great Maker is most often referred to with the feminine pronoun.
- Elven Monotheism - The theology of the Elves is a secret revelation that they keep hidden from humans and half-Elves, saying that the mortal races have their own revelations and the Elven faith is a path they cannot follow. Elves call the Creator simply "God", and avoid pronouns in discussing God whenever possible (since neither "He" nor "She" is accurate and "It" would be rude). The Elves have a name for God, but it is too holy to be spoken except in the most private, reverent prayers. They never refer to the Aedra and Daedra as "gods"1.
- The Yehudim- Yehudism - The faith of the Yehudim, a scattered ethnic group native to the Holy Land of Ainador (although they were ousted by the Suielman Empire, and the Ecclesia). They claim that their ancestor, Ibraim, was the first monotheist. They may be right.
Universalists
- Church of Eternal Brotherhood- Founded and led by the Daedra Lord Talia. Associated with the Vampire Syndicate.
- Church of Hedonism - Founded and led by the Daedra Lord Suspira. Its members are known as Hedonists
- Hundreds of other Universalist orders exist, as well.
Agnostics
- Ba Zhengdao - a contemplative Agnostic faith (similar to real world Buddhism).
- Vadkalan - a marital arts tradition from Delkari, a border state between Quenardya and Rukilia.
Others
- Lothanasi The Lothanasi were originally a religious order, and over the centuries the organization evolved into a supernatural police force. Most Lothanasi are Universalists or Meraists these days, and no one practices the old Lothanasi style of religion, sometimes called the "Old Religion." However, some of the methods of the old priesthood are still used by modern Lightbringer agents with the right talents, and some of the old prayers and poems are used as meditative texts2.
- Brotherhood of the Sepulcher — Also known as the Cult of Nasoj. The members of this religion attempt to maintain secrecy to ensure their safety.
Morality on a Wider Scale
While there are some consistent trends among races (and many of those races have been influenced by the actions and genetic ancestry of the aedra and daedra), any mortal individual within the world of Metamor is not chained to a morality based on race (or religion).3 For a more in-depth look, read Good and Evil in MK2K
Sources
Orginal MK2K Bible Entry - Religion, A Lightbringer Carol