RELIGION OF THE INFINITE PATH
BELIEFS
Etodism is based on the "universe-within-a-universe" cosmology; simply put, our world is a mere particle within an infinitely greater universe, while other universes exist within every particle of our own cosmos. Etodists view human life as merely a temporary journey through the known universe; after death, the soul is reborn in some greater or lesser universe, as determined by a law which is essentially based on Karma (see sites on Hinduism or Buddhism). Most Etodists equate the larger universes with heavens, the internal universes with hells; for every 'heaven' (universe) the soul reaches, there will be an even more perfect 'heaven' to work towards. Unlike most religions, Etodists do not predict any kind of end point to the soul's journey--no nirvana or paradise. Their view is that "perfection is like infinity--no matter how perfect the soul becomes, it can always strive for greater perfection".
OTHER QUOTES
"Life is not a game to be won or a path to a goal; the purpose of life is to live".
"Right now you look forward to Heaven, but when you are there you won't recognize it, for there will be an even greater Heaven to look forward to, and so on into infinity."
HISTORY
Etodism arose as a minor religion in the 21st century AD (around 30-60 ESY) among the tech-elite on Earth. The faith gained in relative influence only on Earth's initial colonies, due to a high proportion of Etodists among the spacefarers. Although persecuted on some Human Rim worlds after the collapse of Earth, especially during the Tahmetian crusades, Etodism became a powerful religion, first in the Eridanus League (peaking at over 800 million faithful) and again centuries later in the Yoson Confederacy (where the Etodist population reached nearly 3 billion). Even then, Etodism rarely had full government or military support; aside from a few popular uprisings, the religion remains mostly unsullied by fanaticism or atrocity.
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