THE SPIRITS OF THOSE WHO LIVED BEFORE US
SYMBOL: A CIRCULAR-STYLE FAMILY TREE
BELIEFS
Venpredessi is a modernized take on ancestor-worship. Essentially members of this faith believe that their ancestors watch over their lives from the "world beyond" and can intervene in daily affairs. There are parallels to both African and Chinese beliefs, however the Venpredessi beliefs are not directly derived from those ancient faiths (a more recent faith based on spirits is Umbanda in 20th-century Brazil). The Venpredessi have a very simple solution to the world's injustice: after death, everyone must feel the pain that it inflicted on others during life, a shock that eventually brings every soul to the ultimate understanding (the downside being that the more evil you are in life, the greater the pain you will endure in the afterlife). There is no hell, only a quasi-heaven where all beings are equal, where the most powerful dictator and the weakest invalid suddenly are face to face. Because they know the consequences of their actions, a soul will try to advise his or her living descendants on moral behavior. In return the living need to keep the line of communication open by remembering and venerating (nonbelievers incorrectly say worshipping) their ancestors, and speaking to them as if still alive. Although it is believed that blood relatives are the most important spirit guides, Venpredessi also allow that adopted relatives, friends or even strangers who are free of all pain (such as Buddha, Jesus, or Gandhi) can intervene in the lives of the living.
The most important celebration of Venpredessi is the Day of the Forgotten Names. On this day, instead of remembering relatives, believers instead join together to venerate the unknown souls of people who died without families to remember them by name, or people who are now dying alone (such as on disabled ships or lost in the wilderness). Although somber in meaning the day of the Forgotten Names is often used as a reminder of all that is good in Humanity, because of all those who are willing to send thoughts into the Unknown to comfort anonymous souls--the ultimate moral act to a Venpredessi.
HISTORY
The Venpredessi Society International was formed by mainly European and North American believers, but with a theology similar to African and Chinese indigenous beliefs (which were dying out due to severe Christian and Marxist persecution, respectively). All ethnic groups were eventually represented in the faith.
Venpredessi became popular offworld with people seeking links to Humanity's past on Earth. There was never any coherent organization other than periodic conferences to spread the faith and maintain standards for spirit-mediums. Most believers maintained small family interactive-shrines in their sleeping-niche, complete with images, DNA sequences, and voice recordings; a lucky few had room to keep antique possessions as well. Wealthy colonists sometimes set up entire rooms to display their family histories. Venpredessi communities were strong on some worlds in the Eridanus League, the Entente and the FSA. However, only occasionally did Venpredessi groups become political. The estimated total number of adherents reached 800 million, although the number rose and fell with the fortunes of various worlds. The Venpredessi were a target of the Tahmetian Crusades after the breakup of the FSA, suffering some of the worst atrocities, but the religion maintains unexpected popularity, especially on some of the free-trade colonies.
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