Religion, it may be said, is one of the quintessentially silly aspects of human society. Comedians observe that warring over religion is fighting to see who has the best imaginary friend. In spite of this, religion is one of the most ubiquitous human phenomena and one of the most powerful motivators of human behaviour, and religion as a whole should be taken with careful thoughts and consideration for the powerful opinions it can provoke.

There is one restriction to freedom of religion in the Empire. While individuals are free to conduct their faith however they wish in private, it is unlawful for a citizen to proseletyze to those uninterested in discourse. An individual who wishes to preach publically must obtain a Preacher's License from the government, which entitles them to openly proclaim the tenets of their faith in a public place. This License may be revoked if the preacher proceeds to harass or otherwise upset citizens in a manner which they cannot freely leave, such as accosting and following them or going door to door in spite of a household's instructions to leave them alone.

The Aerican Empire has no official religion; freedom of religion is guaranteed to any faith which does not require its practioners to harm others. In spite of this, one faith has grown along with the Empire and is the favoured faith of citizens: Silinism, a disorganized religion worshiping Forsteri, the Great Penguin, along with its associated non-religious philosophy, the Path of Forsteri.

Follow these links to explore the Empire's religious structure.

Back to the Aerica main page!