Aralan
From Aryez
Aralan is a religion of Aryez. Unlike most other religious traditions, Aralan is a constantly evolving spectrum of beliefs. In other words, it espouses that spiritual enlightenment should come from questioning and verification of what actually does work in one's life, not blind faith or obsequious ritualism. Although Aralan is a pantheistic religion, it incorporates many dualistic, monotheistic, and polytheistic elements, making it flexible enough to accomodate future spiritual knowledge.
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Brief Introduction
Aralan can be described as either a religious or philosophical system. It is a world-view, an ethical system, and a theological system.
The basic metaphysical thesis of Aralan is that the supreme concept and force in the Universe is existence (in Aryezi: Zülf) and that the Universe is a manifestation of that existence. Science is actually a quest to describe this existence and true reality. While the Zülf is distant and removed, it has a personification, God (in Aryezi: Iru). Unlike the Zülf, Iru is an active player in the spiritual Universe, is the highest conception and absolute of goodness, truth, and justice, and is responsible for our moral and ethical wellbeing. Aralan also includes a Devil (in Aryezi: Melkör) who is the personification of evil and a mother-earth type of spirit (in Aryezi: Arya), who is the personification of nature and the physical forces of nature. Finally, Aryezi also includes a messiah figure, the Kwestadz who is the human personification of God who has come in human form several times. The Kwestadz is supposed to serve as a bridge between humans and the higher divine. Aralan also accepts the existence of other “spirits” and “gods” who are personifications of local entities and serve under God.
A place of worship for Aralan is known as a Rönd, for which there are no specifications.
In order to convert to Aralan or join Aralan, one can simply declare themselves a follower of the ideals presented in The Marfat and other books of Aralan. Anyone is free to make a contribution to the thought of Aralan and may present his or her own ideas.
The Holy Books of Aralan include The Marfat, the Aryama, and the Nejar.
There are over one billion followers of Aralan in Arel.
Organization of Faith
The Aralan religion is organized on three levels: individual faith, group faith, and community faith. Individual faith is someone's personal experience with Aralan. Group faith is realized through the local congregation of Aralan followers. Community faith encompasses all people in the world who practice Aralan. No level of faith can exist without the others, nor can any level of faith have more influence than the others. Respect of the individual is a high priority in this religion. Individuals who practice Aralan are neither required to attend local congregational meetings or practice the Aralan rituals at home or with others. Aralanists could in theory do absolutely none of the practices their religion usually does entail--and yet still rightfully call themselves an Aralanist. The official position of several Aralanic scholars is that the a person's overall religious experience cannot reach its fullest potential without interaction in both group faith and community faith. An official position of those same scholars is that group faith and community faith should never overshadow individual faith and that without individual faith the other two levels of faith can neither grow nor be effective in their goals.
Denominations
There are three main schools of Aralanic thought or subdivisions: Shannarash (Truth), Esharnash (Justice), and Zihreka (Righteousness). All three schools have had some influence on each other and they all contain elements found in the other schools. The three schools are very different in beliefs and interpretations however.
Shannarash
Also known as Kwestadzva, Shannarash focuses on the Kwestadz or messiah and the concepts of love and truth and is the dominant form of Aralan in Aryez and Aryezizdar. Most Aryezin belong to the institutionalized Faith of Aryez, headed by the Emperor of Aryez. Other branches of this sect include Reform Aralan, Alanar, and the Faith of Aryezizdar. This branch accepts both the Marfat and other Aralanic books equally. A moderate sect. Between 30-35% Aralanists belong to this branch.
Esharnash
Esharnash is considered by most scholars to be mainstream Aralan. The majority of Aralanists belong to this branch of Aralan, including the majority of people outside Aryez and Aryezizdar, in the countries of Arnor, Arzor, Arzdar, Chu, Mandoria, and Loninya. Esharnash focuses on the divine manifestation and personifcation known as God or Iru and the concepts of justice and hope. It is not institutionalized or organized much beyond the level of local congregations although scholars and priests collaborate on issues of law and theology, and there are several schools of thought within this sect. It accepts the Marfat above other Aralanic books. A conservative sect. Between 65%-70% of Aralanists belong to this branch.
Zihreka
Zihreka is the least common branch of Aralan. It is considered an esoteric, mystical sect. It focuses on the mystical force known as the Zülf and the concepts of freedom, equality, and righteousness. It is not the majority in any country. However, people from this branch are renowned for this superior wisdom and understanding. There are no congregations and there is no organization beyond small groups and non-congregational temples. People of this sect claim to seek a higher truth and do good in the world. It is subdivided almost infinitely into a variety of devotions. It accepts other Aralanic books above the Marfat. A liberal sect. Between 1%-3% of Aralanists belong to this branch.
Related Religions
Aralan is one of the three Iruic religions, the other two being Iruism and Valarism. Aralan grew out of a combination of these two religions with Aryezi traditions and the new teachings of Aryeztur.
