Difference between revisions of "Church of Fenspace"

Latest revision as of 17:45, 13 February 2011

(also known as the Fenchurch, particularly to Londoners and Douglas Adams fans)

Religion is closely tied to culture, community, and way of life. So it stands to reason that with the mass migration of people into space, new beliefs would evolve...or get created, as the case may be. The Church of Fenspace generally subscribes to the creation doctrine, on the basis that God clearly has a sense of humor.

The Church of Fenspace is the largest Christian organization existing off-planet, and the only one recognized by Christian churches back on Earth. However, "recognized" might be a strong term; the degree of acceptance varies across the mundane religious community. The Vatican and several Protestant bodies regard the Fenchurch as a full-fledged denomination, albeit a strange one...but many others denounce them as a cult. Or worse.

The actual situation is somewhat problematic, because "organization" is a bit of a stretch when describing the Fenchurch. "Organization" tends to be lacking in any Fen endeavor, and the Church is no exception. Individual worshipers vary greatly in their theology and conduct. In practical terms, the Church of Fenspace is pretty much a catch-all category for any Fen that professes to be Christian.

That said, the Fenchurch does have a government of sorts. The various priests and pastors are on the same mailing list, and they have a message board. Flamewars are common, but the Church insists this merely shows their members have Fire of the Holy Spirit. God is their moderator, as it were.

And there are a few doctrinal matters that the Fenchurch agrees on. Kind of, anyway. As a general rule, the Church subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, accepting the existence of God and the divinity of Christ. It is a Protestant or Reformed body, insofar as it does not accept Papal authority...or at least the mundane Pope, but all efforts to appoint a new "Space Pope" have thus far met with failure.

Many Fenchurch members also venerate Saints, although Sainthood in this case is more Anglican in nature than Catholic. Saints are elevated by popular opinion as holy people, rather than formally canonized by Church authorities. Attempts have been made to draw up an official Litany of Saints, but discussions inevitably get bogged down. For example, many believe in St. Rei and St. Asuka of Evangelion...but the Sainthood of Shinji is a bit debatable.

Several groups fall within Fenchurch's umbrella, ranging from monastic orders such as the Grammaton Clerics and Order of Magdalene to regular congregations like the Wolfwood Chapel and In Nomine Tether.

However, the largest place of worship is St. Liebowitz's Cathedral, possibly the biggest religious structure off-Earth. It has the worshipers to match, making it the unofficial headquarters of the Fenchurch. Located on Mars, the Cathedral holds services throughout the week, catering to all believers. There are occasional clashes...for instance, Quakers insist on silence during their services, but their weekly meeting in the Cathedral coincides with the Klingon Prayer Group...but such things are usually peacefully concluded in the universal brotherhood of Christ. Or sisterhood. Or gender-neuter-hood, considering some of the stranger biomods out there.

The Church of Fenspace is supported mainly by voluntary donations and tithes from members, although there are occasional fundraising activities like bake sales. Considering the amount of handwavium used by the average churchgoer, it might not be a wise idea to eat the cakes.

The Fenchurch has favorable relations with most other religious bodies in space, particularly the Unorthodox Jewish, Fen Muslims, and Space Buddhists. However, the Church has no association with the Jenova's Witnesses.