Religious Landscape

Pax Aurea holds a rather religious people, although the nation itself is more or less secular. There exists no official "state religion", yet the Federal Commonwealth is involved on many levels in the religious and spiritual life of the nation. Aurean citizens tend to be members of religious denominations and participate in ecclesiastic activities at least every now and then, but one's religious views are considered to be a private issue, less so a communal matter. While there exists a lively interfaith dialogue between the many religions and denominations, religious narrow-mindedness, intolerance, and fanaticism are seen as extremely rude and "oafish", and the more zealous individuals are usually shunned by the rest of the society.

Ever since the Pre-Roman Era of its history, Pax Aurea has housed a rainbow of religious traditions, and this has remained true throughout the Middle Ages and well into the present day. The lack of a single dominant faith has made it crucial for the survival and stability of the society to become tolerant and accepting to the multitude of religions. Despite the fact that over a half of Aureans are Christians (of many denominations), the nation never became thoroughly so, which in its own way prevented the formation of an omnipotent, hegemonous state church.

One explanation behind this success in interfaith relations and the friendly coexistence of so many traditions lies in the pacific viewpoints that are common to all major religious schools followed in the Commonwealth. Non-violence and pacifism coloured the rise of the early Christian congregations, partly due to the influence of the previous non-Christian philosophical traditions. The birth of the Lutheran Universalist Church during the Reformation, and the grievous civil war between Lutherans and Catholics that followed, further paved way for pacifism in the Aurean thought. Other faiths have shared this conviction -- a good example would be Buddhism that arrived on Aurean shores in the 16th century with merchant ships returning from the Far East. Pacific views of one faith or philosophy tend to syncretically influence its neighbours, and vice versa.

The Council of World Religions

The Council of World Religions is a body closest to a "state church" entity. It is an assembly of representatives from each religion or denomination that has chosen to register itself for such cooperation. This registration is no compulsory, and many smaller denominations and sects have decided against it. Joining the Council has its benefits, and it is generally considered to be the most important tool in ecumenical and interfaith relations in Pax Aurea. The Council gathers to give non-binding statements, advises, survey results, and suggestions to the Aurean officials charged with religious matters of the country: the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Federal Senate, the legislative body. The Council holds no executive or legislative power itself, but it works closely together with the Ministry as a special advisor. The Council also organizes interfaith summits and symposiums, mediates possible disputes between religious communities, and generally produces information and chances to learn more about the different religious traditions present in Pax Aurea and around the world.

At the moment, 46 religions and denominations are represented in the Council. The current Chairman is Perfecta Estela Numinus of the Aurean Cathar Church.

Ministry of Religious Affairs

A slice of the federal budget is reserved for "religious affairs", and the aptly named ministry charged with the applications. Religious communities represented in the Council of World Religion may petition for government support for their projects. Most commonly funded or subsidized are the construction of new houses of worship, domestic and international humanitarian work, upkeep of cemetaries, and cultural events such as concerts and historical exhibitions. As the ministry cannot be involved in every single instance, it relies on the counsel of the Council of World Religions when doing prioritizing. High on the list are projects aimed for the "common good". Upholding the interfaith relations and education about the different religions are considered to be the most important matters.

Religious Education

Religion and philosophy is a subject in the public school curriculum, all the way from elementary to high school. These courses are planned and taught by teachers of the public school system, not representatives of religious communities. The goal of this subject is to teach the young Aureans about different religious traditions in an educative, analytical, and critical way, to increase awareness and respect towards diverse beliefs. Aureans tend to generally possess solid knowledge of the largest world religions, which may be a key factor in the overall good relations between religious communities in the Commonwealth.

Private schools may have confessional classes in addition to the religion & philosophy courses. Beyond the school world, religious communities are free to hold their own Sunday schools, madrassas, and soforth.

As a side note, private schools, no matter how confessional their roots, are required to follow the overall guidelines of the national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education to be granted an official status -- this includes, among others, the teaching of evolution.

Recent Developments

In 2012, some new winds have blown through Pax Aurea's religious landscape. The Aleutian Catholic Church started a missionary program, introducing their version of the Catholic doctrine to the Aureans. Membership in the European Economic Community has brought many Duxburian corporations and businessmen into the Commonwealth, and many have brought their Dalaenist traditions with them. Pyrrium's religious reformation has been noted with great curiosity and interest.