The Old Faith

In the times before the Affliction, people worshipped the gods openly and faith was a significant part of many people's lives. People during this time typically worshipped a god with whom their values aligned most with as their primary god, but it was also common for them to make offerings to gods of other domains under specific circumstances. For instance, one person's primary god may be Melha the god of happiness and joy, but they may make an offering to Kamika the god of travel if they wished to make a trip to a neighbouring town safely.

Since the gods are known to exist, people who primarily worship other gods get along without conflict unless the gods they worship have tenets that directly oppose each other. Conflict is not very common, however, because culturally people had similar values. The gods that were most commonly worshipped In the Old Faith include the god of Death, Ai'mori; the god of family and community, Ai'michi; the god of happiness and joy, Melha; the god of life and birth, Kaidua; the god of nature, Malimi; the god of protection, Rokai; and the god of travel, Kamika.

There were different traditions used to worship the different gods, creating different sects/religions. However, in the current age where the New Thought is the common belief/value system, they have been lumped together as practitioners of the Old Faith due to their fairly united cultural values which tend to differ from that of the New Thought. The culture created by the Old Faith is collectivist, meaning that they value family and what was best for people as a whole instead of the individual. As a result, connections between people are deemed incredibly important. Happiness and health are valued over individual achievement. Family connections are paramount. In The Old Faith, interpersonal relationships are valued, as is people's spirituality and relationships with the gods.

Currently, in the time after the Affliction, individual achievement and innovation has become more important for the vast majority of people. Those that still follow the beliefs of the Old Faith believe that this individualism, while it has lead to great discoveries that have bettered the lives of people, is not exactly healthy for the society as a whole. When work ethic and the amount a person can achieve is valued over personal connections and happiness, people's well-being is often pushed to the wayside. Those of the Old Faith believe in finding their happiness and peace which often contradicts the values of the New Thought. In addition, practitioners of the Old Faith have noticed that in a society where the New Thought is dominant, some people are viewed as more important or valuable than others (based on their achievements), which also opposes their belief that everyone should be treated equally.

Type

Religious, Other