Worldbuilder Tips and Guides

Civ. Cultural Guide: Religion

              If you are like me, and you don't want to step on the religions of our society or risk an unintended insult, then you might think it would be fun to 'create' a religion. I cannot say that I have put a lot of practice into this, as I have only touched on the pantheon of gods/goddesses within my own works, but this is a guide I built for this purpose. Please, remember that none of this is required and is only offered as a recommendation. If you need any further assistance, feel free to contact me personally and ask. 

              So, what do we need to create a religion?

              First, you must decide of the god(s)/goddess(es) are physically living beings who are proven to exist or are they entities believed to exist, worshiped by people who believe they exist (without proof). You could also go for a middle ground, making a god/goddess that does exist but remains hidden from their followers, only communicating with a select few who are worthy, but not outright making it known they are real. 

              Then, you get into the details. 

Name of Religion:

Name of deity(s):

How it started: One of the harder points to fill out, this outlines how the religion was founded in society. It could be some random drunk starting to ramble on and make it up on a late night to some miracle being performed by a blessed man who tells all who sees that his god/goddess gave him the power to do it.

Famous prophets, speakers, ext:

Beliefs: Another tricky part. but in short, what do the followers of this religion or the god/goddess encourage or preach or believe in. Peace? Harmony? Honesty? War? ect. Be sure to detail reasons behind the more vague values that might seem odd or unexplained. If you can explain why these beliefs are there, it goes a long way to breathe more life into the religion.

Religious Leader:

Religion Hierarchy: Is there a formal structure of command among the religious believers? Are they a militant group? If not, do the preachers have a hierarchy? 

              If your diving for a fantasy approach, these added details will expand further on the above setting you have just created. 

1A) Do your gods/goddesses choose champions? Might they be referred to a title other than a champion?:

1B) If so, how are these people selected? Do they take a trial, test? Must they prove their worth through faith?

2A) Do your gods/goddesses provide blessings to their followers? 

2B) If so, how do you acquire them? Is it decided by your faith? Must they reach a certain point in the hierarchy? Or just a trial or task be completed?:

            A special thanks to @djhowty for mentioning the following possibility!!! Thank you!

            On another note, you could choose Ancestral Worship. In this case, instead of a religion with either a single God/Goddess (or multiple), the people pray to their ancestors believing that their spirits are still able to influence the living world. Just like the first decision you needed to make for the above religion guide, you should decide now if these spirits can or cannot influence the living world. 

            From there you can determine the rituals taken place to contact their ancestors and present their prayers. If you need inspiration, I advise researching witchcraft. In some cases, like The Vampire Diaries or The Originals, whiches must draw their power from their ancestors. 

              Notice: I highly recommend that you keep copies of all your work for this in multiple locations. As a tip, I always keep a backup on a hidden flash drive (Password Protect your files if you can), A saved copy on google docs (Personal email only, do not save to a public email) and a printed copy. Remember to date and put your name on ALL copies.   

A/N:
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Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/142522276-my-update-schedule