Post by captainbryce on Dec 3, 2018 18:43:09 GMT
This is my depiction of how religion has actually progressed in society. I utilize this analogy, which I call “The Religion of Superman” to illustrate my point.
Imagine if 50 years from now an asteroid the size of New York collides with the earth somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. I know, you’ve seen this movie before – it’s called Deep Impact. But imagine it comes true, and all of the costal cities are obliterated by tsunami, and most of the inland cities and infrastructure significantly damaged (to the point of wiping out most technology). Tectonic and volcanic activity triggered by the impact damages or destroys many other habitable areas of the planet, while dust thrown into the air blocks out the sun for years, causing a “nuclear winter” and triggering the next ice age. Agriculture is devastated, fresh water is contaminated, and radiation makes many areas uninhabitable. Malnutrition and disease wipe out many of the survivors as well, resulting in the population of the earth being reduced from 7 billion, to merely 4-5 million people.
Civilization as we know it has basically come to an end, and only a small number of the most resourceful survivors of the most well equipped and prepared countries remain to rebuild human civilization by way of “The Ark”. The Ark being an all inclusive term for any area of land that was selected as, and designed for the survival of a handful of individuals. Essentially, vast bomb shelters! Scientists, engineers, medical doctors, legal experts, and various other professional, educated experts within necessary fields are targeted for salvation by their respective governments, while “the privileged”, those rich, famous, or otherwise powerful enough to take advantage of their social status buy their way into “the Ark”. The idea being to save the most capable, in order to help rebuild civilization.
Then some 1,000 in the future, the descendants of survivors of the asteroid cataclysm have successfully rebuilt life on earth. The year is now 3068 AD, (or year 68 of the New Age) and the air has cleared, the temperature has risen, new cities stand, and advances in technology have helped “clean up” the vast wastelands that were once the majority of the planet. Humanity has essentially rebuilt itself from the ashes of it’s former self. An era that for the sake of convenience we will call “The New Age” now exists. The capital city of “North America” is designated as “Phoenix”, as the first city that rose from the ashes of destruction. Phoenix coincidentally also happens to be the former Phoenix Arizona, one of the least damaged cities in the world, where enough infrastructure remained intact enough to rebuild. Archeological evidence discovered in the New Age, and recovered from “Old Phoenix” centuries ago points to the existence of an ancient belief system shared by many of the previous ages of man. An ancient disk-shaped object, measuring about 120 millimeters in diameter is recovered largely intact from a long buried building that seemed to be an archive of information. The disc-shaped object, with remnants of the inscription “Superman: The Movie” on it, is regarded almost as a shrine by archeologists, is preserved and studied for generations, until such time as technology can reveal the purpose and meaning of the object.
Then around 3093 NA (“New Age”) and approximately 50 years after the disk shaped object was originally discovered, laser video technology developed enabling scientists to for the first time view the stored video data on what is described as “The Chronicle Disk” (what we recognize today as a Blu-Ray disc). They witness astonishing recorded images chronicling the events of an alien man with superhuman abilities, who was sent to earth from another planet, saving people from various disasters. A man wearing a blue suit with a red cape, and possesses many superhuman powers, including the ability to fly. After the findings are publicized, the meaning of the images takes various shapes, with some interpreting the events as a literal, historical document recorded by some advanced yet forgotten technology, with a larger majority interpreting the events merely as a re-creation (or symbolic representation) of events that actually occurred. Only a minority of non-believers reject the authenticity of the information contained on the Chronicle Disk.
Flash forward another two thousand years, to the year 5093 AD (or 3000 NA). A millennias old “religion” dubbed Kryptonarianism is now thriving, with many different denominations and doctrines collectively representing the bulk of human religious belief systems on Earth. Along with the ancient shrine known as the Chronicle Disk, many other evidences supporting the belief in Superman have been discovered throughout the centuries. Some of those evidences include the discovery of numerous other intact Chronicle Disks (such as the film “Man of Steel”), digital media devices (memory cards) containing “The Smallville Chronicles” (the Smallville TV Series) fully preserved, as well as remnants of a printed, illustrated, novelization (DC Comics Superman #1) recovered in a time capsule. This combined with the archaeological discovery of the actual city of Metropolis Illinois, and the apparent remnants of a statue in that city that resembles the characterization of Superman from the other media all seems to confirm that there was in fact a real Superman that existed in ancient times, and that he had many worshipers who believed him to be a savior of men.
Superman is revered as a “god” of sorts by modern day citizens of earth. And while there are many doctrinal differences and various interpretations of the myth of Superman, the central tenets of the religion seem to be consistent: being centered around a morally good person, helping other people in need, and honoring the principles of truth, and justice which are collectively know as “The American Way”.
The three major branches of Kryptonarianism include: Orthodox Kryptonarianism - the smallest yet oldest denomination, Progressive Kryptonarianism - the largest denomination, and Value Kryptonarianism – the newest form of Kryptonarianism that is quickly growing.
Orthodox Kryptonarians believe in a literal Superman, and their beliefs are based solely off of the Chronicle Disk, which they consider to be the original (canonized) recording of events representing a literal history. They consider more recent discoveries of Superman related media to be apocryphal, and in some cases forgeries intended to re-write, or misrepresent the true Superman. They also view interpretations based off of that evidence to be misguided, though not necessarily immoral or unwarranted. They believe that Krypton, the planet Superman came from was destroyed eons ago when their sun went supernova (as depicted in the film Superman: The Movie), and that his true name is Kal-El, son of Jor-El. They worship Superman as a god, and believe that he was immortal, and that his disappearance is explained by his apparent inability to prevent the virtual destruction of the planet that he spent so many years protecting. They believe he went off in search of a new world to call home, but will eventually return once human civilization reaches the technological level necessary to send a message to him. Traditions of Orthodox Kryptonoarians include adorning their clothing with the “S” symbol, or tattoos of the “S” symbol on their bodies, as a public testimony of their faith. They believe the “S” stands for Superman, and believe that wearing it publicly serves to remind people of their true history and the importance of never forgetting the values for which he stands, which everyone is to live up to. Orthodox Kryptonarians formed the original “Kryptonarian Society”, which has since grown to include some Progressive Kryptonarians. The Kryptonarian Society was responsible for the mass reproduction of the Chronicle Disk, and transliterations of it into word, so that anyone could read or view the history.
Progressive Kryptonarians also believe in a literal Superman, however their beliefs differ in that they interpret the Chronicle Disk not as a recording of actual events, but only as a loose depiction of events, as told through the collective eyes of witnesses. They believe that the information is largely true, though not necessarily a perfect depiction. They also believe that other more recent discoveries (the “Man of Steel” Chronicle Disk, the “Smallville Chronicles”, and DC comic book), all confirm the historicity of Superman, and consider them equally canon along with the original Chronicle Disk. They reconcile the differences and divergences in story lines by recognizing that all records of Superman (including the Chronicle Disk) are not literal histories, but rather depictions of history as told through inspired witnesses and historians. They believe they have a much more extensive historicity of Superman as compared to Orthodox Kryptonarians as a result. They believe that Krypton was destroyed by the collapse of the planet’s core (as depicted in both Man of Steel and the Smallville TV series). They view Superman as being extremely powerful, but not necessarily immortal. They believe that his true name was Clark Kent (rendered as Kal-El in the unknown Kryptonian language). They also believe that he was killed while attempting to prevent the asteroid cataclysm, and that he will not return. Like the Orthodox, Progressive Kryptonarians will often adorn themselves with the “S” symbology, however they are much less dogmatic about it than the Orthodox system, and they neither expect, nor require anyone to publicly display it. They believe the “S” represents “hope”, that wearing it is a personal choice, and that it serves as a reminder (to inspire themselves and others) to always value the ideals of Superman.
Value Kryptonarianism is less a religion and more of a philosophy based on the concept of Superman. Members who identify as Value Kryptonarians do not believe in a literal Superman, nor do they worship this being as a god. They don’t believe in a literal Krypton, or a literal Jor-El either. Some Value Kryptonarians (the primary denomination) believe that the legend of Superman was possibly based on a real person, a human being named Clark Kent, whose abilities and virtues have been exaggerated over time. They believe that Superman was a persona created either by Kent himself, or by others who chronicled him, meant to represent what a person could be. Other Value Kryptonarians (the secondary denomination) believe that the stories are entirely fictional, and are not based on a real person, but rather created and preserved for their time as a means of inspiring people to live up to certain values which they share. Value Kryptonarianism is perceived by the other branches as more of a secular, “new age philosophy” which steals from religion, rather than true Kryptonarianism. The other branches consider it blasphemous, while Value Kryptonarians generally view those branches as dogmatic and overly concerned with tradition and literalism, to the point of overlooking the intent of those who preserved the Chronicles in the first place. Value Kryptonarianism, is generally the only denomination that is widely respected by the minority of atheists – who generally regard the entire Superman mythos as a collection of fantasy works meant to entertain people living thousands of years ago.
Kryptonarianism is the largest and most prominent religious belief system in the world. Certain other (more ancient) belief systems are practiced by a small minority of people here and there, but none of them affect culture or politics as much as the ideal of Kryptonarians. With no evidence of religious figures like Christ or Muhammad ever existing, a few religions like Christianity, and Islam seem to have faded into obscurity altogether, and are largely regarded as ancient myths (ala Greek Mythology) practiced by people who invented religious moral systems, and mystical explanations for things they didn't scientifically understand. Whereas Kryptonarianism is at least based on a real person (Kal-El of Krypton) who actually existed on earth at some point in the past (whether he was superhuman or not).
Thoughts?
Imagine if 50 years from now an asteroid the size of New York collides with the earth somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. I know, you’ve seen this movie before – it’s called Deep Impact. But imagine it comes true, and all of the costal cities are obliterated by tsunami, and most of the inland cities and infrastructure significantly damaged (to the point of wiping out most technology). Tectonic and volcanic activity triggered by the impact damages or destroys many other habitable areas of the planet, while dust thrown into the air blocks out the sun for years, causing a “nuclear winter” and triggering the next ice age. Agriculture is devastated, fresh water is contaminated, and radiation makes many areas uninhabitable. Malnutrition and disease wipe out many of the survivors as well, resulting in the population of the earth being reduced from 7 billion, to merely 4-5 million people.
Civilization as we know it has basically come to an end, and only a small number of the most resourceful survivors of the most well equipped and prepared countries remain to rebuild human civilization by way of “The Ark”. The Ark being an all inclusive term for any area of land that was selected as, and designed for the survival of a handful of individuals. Essentially, vast bomb shelters! Scientists, engineers, medical doctors, legal experts, and various other professional, educated experts within necessary fields are targeted for salvation by their respective governments, while “the privileged”, those rich, famous, or otherwise powerful enough to take advantage of their social status buy their way into “the Ark”. The idea being to save the most capable, in order to help rebuild civilization.
Then some 1,000 in the future, the descendants of survivors of the asteroid cataclysm have successfully rebuilt life on earth. The year is now 3068 AD, (or year 68 of the New Age) and the air has cleared, the temperature has risen, new cities stand, and advances in technology have helped “clean up” the vast wastelands that were once the majority of the planet. Humanity has essentially rebuilt itself from the ashes of it’s former self. An era that for the sake of convenience we will call “The New Age” now exists. The capital city of “North America” is designated as “Phoenix”, as the first city that rose from the ashes of destruction. Phoenix coincidentally also happens to be the former Phoenix Arizona, one of the least damaged cities in the world, where enough infrastructure remained intact enough to rebuild. Archeological evidence discovered in the New Age, and recovered from “Old Phoenix” centuries ago points to the existence of an ancient belief system shared by many of the previous ages of man. An ancient disk-shaped object, measuring about 120 millimeters in diameter is recovered largely intact from a long buried building that seemed to be an archive of information. The disc-shaped object, with remnants of the inscription “Superman: The Movie” on it, is regarded almost as a shrine by archeologists, is preserved and studied for generations, until such time as technology can reveal the purpose and meaning of the object.
Then around 3093 NA (“New Age”) and approximately 50 years after the disk shaped object was originally discovered, laser video technology developed enabling scientists to for the first time view the stored video data on what is described as “The Chronicle Disk” (what we recognize today as a Blu-Ray disc). They witness astonishing recorded images chronicling the events of an alien man with superhuman abilities, who was sent to earth from another planet, saving people from various disasters. A man wearing a blue suit with a red cape, and possesses many superhuman powers, including the ability to fly. After the findings are publicized, the meaning of the images takes various shapes, with some interpreting the events as a literal, historical document recorded by some advanced yet forgotten technology, with a larger majority interpreting the events merely as a re-creation (or symbolic representation) of events that actually occurred. Only a minority of non-believers reject the authenticity of the information contained on the Chronicle Disk.
Flash forward another two thousand years, to the year 5093 AD (or 3000 NA). A millennias old “religion” dubbed Kryptonarianism is now thriving, with many different denominations and doctrines collectively representing the bulk of human religious belief systems on Earth. Along with the ancient shrine known as the Chronicle Disk, many other evidences supporting the belief in Superman have been discovered throughout the centuries. Some of those evidences include the discovery of numerous other intact Chronicle Disks (such as the film “Man of Steel”), digital media devices (memory cards) containing “The Smallville Chronicles” (the Smallville TV Series) fully preserved, as well as remnants of a printed, illustrated, novelization (DC Comics Superman #1) recovered in a time capsule. This combined with the archaeological discovery of the actual city of Metropolis Illinois, and the apparent remnants of a statue in that city that resembles the characterization of Superman from the other media all seems to confirm that there was in fact a real Superman that existed in ancient times, and that he had many worshipers who believed him to be a savior of men.
Superman is revered as a “god” of sorts by modern day citizens of earth. And while there are many doctrinal differences and various interpretations of the myth of Superman, the central tenets of the religion seem to be consistent: being centered around a morally good person, helping other people in need, and honoring the principles of truth, and justice which are collectively know as “The American Way”.
The three major branches of Kryptonarianism include: Orthodox Kryptonarianism - the smallest yet oldest denomination, Progressive Kryptonarianism - the largest denomination, and Value Kryptonarianism – the newest form of Kryptonarianism that is quickly growing.
Orthodox Kryptonarians believe in a literal Superman, and their beliefs are based solely off of the Chronicle Disk, which they consider to be the original (canonized) recording of events representing a literal history. They consider more recent discoveries of Superman related media to be apocryphal, and in some cases forgeries intended to re-write, or misrepresent the true Superman. They also view interpretations based off of that evidence to be misguided, though not necessarily immoral or unwarranted. They believe that Krypton, the planet Superman came from was destroyed eons ago when their sun went supernova (as depicted in the film Superman: The Movie), and that his true name is Kal-El, son of Jor-El. They worship Superman as a god, and believe that he was immortal, and that his disappearance is explained by his apparent inability to prevent the virtual destruction of the planet that he spent so many years protecting. They believe he went off in search of a new world to call home, but will eventually return once human civilization reaches the technological level necessary to send a message to him. Traditions of Orthodox Kryptonoarians include adorning their clothing with the “S” symbol, or tattoos of the “S” symbol on their bodies, as a public testimony of their faith. They believe the “S” stands for Superman, and believe that wearing it publicly serves to remind people of their true history and the importance of never forgetting the values for which he stands, which everyone is to live up to. Orthodox Kryptonarians formed the original “Kryptonarian Society”, which has since grown to include some Progressive Kryptonarians. The Kryptonarian Society was responsible for the mass reproduction of the Chronicle Disk, and transliterations of it into word, so that anyone could read or view the history.
Progressive Kryptonarians also believe in a literal Superman, however their beliefs differ in that they interpret the Chronicle Disk not as a recording of actual events, but only as a loose depiction of events, as told through the collective eyes of witnesses. They believe that the information is largely true, though not necessarily a perfect depiction. They also believe that other more recent discoveries (the “Man of Steel” Chronicle Disk, the “Smallville Chronicles”, and DC comic book), all confirm the historicity of Superman, and consider them equally canon along with the original Chronicle Disk. They reconcile the differences and divergences in story lines by recognizing that all records of Superman (including the Chronicle Disk) are not literal histories, but rather depictions of history as told through inspired witnesses and historians. They believe they have a much more extensive historicity of Superman as compared to Orthodox Kryptonarians as a result. They believe that Krypton was destroyed by the collapse of the planet’s core (as depicted in both Man of Steel and the Smallville TV series). They view Superman as being extremely powerful, but not necessarily immortal. They believe that his true name was Clark Kent (rendered as Kal-El in the unknown Kryptonian language). They also believe that he was killed while attempting to prevent the asteroid cataclysm, and that he will not return. Like the Orthodox, Progressive Kryptonarians will often adorn themselves with the “S” symbology, however they are much less dogmatic about it than the Orthodox system, and they neither expect, nor require anyone to publicly display it. They believe the “S” represents “hope”, that wearing it is a personal choice, and that it serves as a reminder (to inspire themselves and others) to always value the ideals of Superman.
Value Kryptonarianism is less a religion and more of a philosophy based on the concept of Superman. Members who identify as Value Kryptonarians do not believe in a literal Superman, nor do they worship this being as a god. They don’t believe in a literal Krypton, or a literal Jor-El either. Some Value Kryptonarians (the primary denomination) believe that the legend of Superman was possibly based on a real person, a human being named Clark Kent, whose abilities and virtues have been exaggerated over time. They believe that Superman was a persona created either by Kent himself, or by others who chronicled him, meant to represent what a person could be. Other Value Kryptonarians (the secondary denomination) believe that the stories are entirely fictional, and are not based on a real person, but rather created and preserved for their time as a means of inspiring people to live up to certain values which they share. Value Kryptonarianism is perceived by the other branches as more of a secular, “new age philosophy” which steals from religion, rather than true Kryptonarianism. The other branches consider it blasphemous, while Value Kryptonarians generally view those branches as dogmatic and overly concerned with tradition and literalism, to the point of overlooking the intent of those who preserved the Chronicles in the first place. Value Kryptonarianism, is generally the only denomination that is widely respected by the minority of atheists – who generally regard the entire Superman mythos as a collection of fantasy works meant to entertain people living thousands of years ago.
Kryptonarianism is the largest and most prominent religious belief system in the world. Certain other (more ancient) belief systems are practiced by a small minority of people here and there, but none of them affect culture or politics as much as the ideal of Kryptonarians. With no evidence of religious figures like Christ or Muhammad ever existing, a few religions like Christianity, and Islam seem to have faded into obscurity altogether, and are largely regarded as ancient myths (ala Greek Mythology) practiced by people who invented religious moral systems, and mystical explanations for things they didn't scientifically understand. Whereas Kryptonarianism is at least based on a real person (Kal-El of Krypton) who actually existed on earth at some point in the past (whether he was superhuman or not).
Thoughts?
