Define Dogma: 1.) Religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof. I dont know about you but this gives me so many thoughts. After trying and failing with Phlagus (because it was too rushed and not detailed enough), I decided I needed a REAL topic to deal with. I actually first heard this word on TV, and thought it sounded like some Asian Fighting Style thing. It was a term I got hooked on sorta, and eventually I found myself online searching everything I could about it. Basic things I learned are that: 1.) A dogma can almost be considered a cult, like a following. 2.) Dogma istelf can NOT be questioned, and those who do are usually known as non-believers. In more extreme conditions, those who interrogate can find themselves being executed. 3.) Dogma can come with a certain set of rules that all should follow. This poses for a rather extreme following where people are forced to obey rather extreme laws. Now take Dogma, and give it a touch of corruption. What happens if this belief is wrong and invalid, and if someone is using this belief to manipulate people? After a good 1 week and 3 days of research I've come up with a rather good story. The outline is simple. We're in a far future; and unspecified time. Economy had plummeted and eventually crashed years ago. Without money, humans have slowly began to revert to middle-age fashion. They live in small shacks made of hay and the such. The only futuristic things that remain are basic appliances like fridges, vending machines, video games etc. Interplanetary travel is also possible. But the setting itself is similar to the middle ages. With Earth in denial, a new religion is formed (we'll call it Tenebrothelogy; because Tenebroth is part of the word Tenebrosity, which means shadows/darkness. And Theology can also mean religion.) Humans eagerly accept the new faith, due to the catastrophic conditions they live in. For the first 400 years, the religion is easily accepted. Until 1 man rises to power. We'll call him Theo Mayberg for now. He is a well known and respective figure in the Adolian ( a city ) council. He is selected to become the new leader of the disfigured Spain and rules with a light heart. Eventually his good nature promotes him to become the "Guardian", a new found rank given to people whose job is to oversee the planet earth itself. For the first 30 years, Theo rules well. But then a darkness overtakes him. He has grown to a god-like power, and can toy with anyone he wants whenever he wants. But he needs one vital key to complete dominance: supporters. Not everyone is happy about Mayberg's job at guardian, and to turn those non believers into a happy entourage, he uses the one thing he knows will certainly work: the Tenebrothean bible. Theo twists the bible's words. Given the fact that Theo is seen as god himself, people let him and eventually Tenebrotheology turns into a cult like religion. Everyone follows. Everyone obeys. Those who don't are killed. The year is 2877, and the world is in shambles. People kill and loot eachother for money. People follow the obsurd Tenebrothean laws such as: "Those with dark hearts are strong; and will meet the eyes of christ during the days of their death." The world is corrupt, and Theo Mayberg sits there watching it happen. With the people so weak, he can use whoever he wants. It was his chance. A poor orphan has risen to the occasion. He is the new savior. Can he stop the madness? Discuss.
Hello. Some major parts of it have already been explored in many SF novels but it could be quite interesting if it is well written. However there are some inconsistencies. Without a sustainable, industrialized economy, those would be impossible. For instance, how would these appliances work if there's no electricity? How would interplanetary travel work without a proper industry for the building, maintenance and repair of spaceships? What about the raw material extraction industry (fuel, iron ore) needed for all these? How did he rise to power? Who helped him? Is the rise to power of one person an exception or does the political system allow it (is it some sort of oligarchy, plutocracy or aristocracy)? Why this sudden change after 30 years of benevolent dictatorship? Was it an "evil intervention"? Senility? Or just a way to increase his power? For control over resources you mean, since there is no more money as you said ("Without money, humans have slowly began to revert to middle-age fashion.") And by the way, money existed long before feudalism, so there is no necessary correlation or cause and effect relation between the two. Why and how? Has he some leadership skills that could allow him to gather supporters? Is he charismatic? Has he any superhuman powers? What will Mayberg's reaction be?
