There are more than 4000 different religions in the world. A world history full of religious conflict, modern day religious tension and discrimination. The world seems all too crowded for the advent of yet another member of the group already in the thousands. But this is the very reason for which Cromulism must surface.
Cromulism is an innovative religion created by Ben Creasy and Fynn Schmitt-Ulms that is a result of discontent with current religious systems. These two founders embarked on a journey to discover many of the lesser-known aspects of each of the most popular religions. In the process they uncovered much of the troubled past of branches of religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, noting many shortcomings, issues, and detrimental effects. It is this that inspired the creation of a solution: Cromulism.
The issues that exist throughout the history of religion are not only abundant, but also unavoidable due to the inherent nature of the religions that they reside in. It is as a result of these aspects that religious conflict, dissention, and discontent have been allowed to breed, highlighting the imperfections that exist in each religion.
Religious conflict can most notably be highlighted in religion-based conquests such as the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition. The goal of each was to punish and/or exterminate differing and thus opposing religions. Some in present day preach the acceptance of all religions, yet the combination of historical and ideological divides creates a barrier often insurmountable by such initiatives. This inherent rift in practice and history of conflict catalyzes a distrust between the masses that works counterproductively when considering one of the main purposes of religion: to bring people together. In the past, religious affiliation created an instant trust and unifying force between those who shared faith, just as it does today. However, in an increasingly multicultural society, the rifts, discrimination, and ideological differences between religions work to divide rather than unify in many scenarios. The very origins of religions disallow their uninhibited miscibility. At this point the purpose of Cromulism likely remains a mystery, but it is this issue that this new religion addresses. Past religions were created with the goal to be the only existing and accepted religion, aiming to convert all and accumulate power and an infinite following. On the contrary, Cromulism acknowledges the existence of other religions, and that it cannot simply compete and surpass established faith bases. It accepts all belief system as its own, and is a non-invasive, passive belief system that does not preach conversion or superiority. To avoid religious conflicts of the past, it poses no other threat to a specific religion rather than mere existence. In this way, historical rifts and hatreds are circumvented, leaving Cromulism on the path to nonviolent, nonthreatening, and passive prosperity.
Beyond existence, a spiritual service provided by religions is the comfort of an afterlife. This aspect can be associated with both positive and negative actions and outcomes. The detrimental applications of the afterlife include negatively impacting the actions of someone in the present, such as to fight or kill in the name of religion. For example, a suicide bomber, who acts under the assumption of a provided prosperous afterlife for their actions. On the other hand, many claim that the promise of a “heaven” shapes human morality and assists in the pacification of a population. While this being the basis of morality is disputable, it is certainly true that the afterlife concept brings comfort to those who believe in it. With the belief that there is something beyond current existence, many feel able to live their lives more comfortably, without the unanswerable worry that would otherwise be the question: “What happens when I die?”. This benefit is recognized, and thus Cromulism addresses the afterlife in another manner. As assumptions based on unverifiable evidence are contrary to the core beliefs of Cromulism, the religion itself does not support the idea of the afterlife, but rather creates value in what one accomplishes with their life, however short. Instead of comfort creation through the assumption of a seeming ‘life after life’, Cromulism promotes the afterlife equivalency of prolonging existence and impact in the world through a legacy. What one leaves behind shapes how they will be remembered, and it ensures that they never truly die. This comfort is attainable through the teachings of Cromulism, and through the pursuit of knowledge and advancement of the human race.
Despite religious unity throughout societies of the past being a catalyst for societal progress, the need for unification to promote advancement is limited. In many ways, modern religions inhibit growth, especially in areas of science. The most noted example of this is the incompatibility between religion and evolution. The stalling of progress such as this has no place in the modern world, and the hindrance of scientific advancement is currently one of the most detrimental aspects of religion. Cromulism addresses this issue to the fullest extent, through its innate basis in discovery, advancement, and progress. The most absolute underlying beliefs and goals of the religion revolve around these very areas that increase knowledge, and better the human race. As Cromulism maintains a driving force in these areas, it is able to supplant previous religions that provided merely hindrances for the betterment of humankind.
The future of religion is uncertain, especially when considering that more than 15% of the world’s population is currently unaffiliated with a religion. Increasingly, this is due to the broadening scope of internet and information access, allowing for the more questionable aspects of religion to be highlighted. Many people are deciding that the holes, assumptions, and incongruences in religious texts render these faiths essentially false, and are unable to follow them. Thus, an increasing problem for religious groups and leaders to address is to combat the questioning of legitimacy. Cromulism allows for no such questioning, for one simple reason: “Cromulism does not assume beyond what is known, only that there is more that is unknown”. This simple phrase defines much of what makes Cromulism unique. The strongest beliefs in the religion revolves around knowledge and its pursuit, as well as respecting the scientific process. Thus, the religion’s legitimacy cannot be questioned, as it does not assume or claim any truths with certainty, just as scientists regard their work as subject to change. Because the religion does not draw conclusions beyond the realm of human knowledge, everything and anything presented as fact must be regarded not as gospel, but as the most probable truth based on information currently accessible. In Cromulism, claims regarding unknowns are unfounded and do not have a place in the religion, however legitimate scientific theories are highly valued, due to their tendency to lead to further discovery. In this way, Cromulism is immune to the questioning of religion that is currently plaguing the major religious communities of the world.
An aspect of religion that was beneficial continuously throughout history and continues to be impactful is the sense of community and unity brought on by religious congregation. These vary based on religion, and usually exist during services at a church, mosque, or temple. While these events bring people of one unique faith together to create bonds and relationships, the innate exclusion of people of differing religious affiliation hinders the benefits of this practice. Ideally, a community should be unified through gatherings such as these, however with absolutely no exclusion, and with the intent to educate, inspire, and form relationships. This is where Cromulism excels, as it is able to accomplish all of these things, through education and morality-based congregations, Cromulism allows for an entire community to come together. Cromulist services address current events (inside the community and out), scientific advances, ways of viewing the world, and a variety of other topics. These sessions are open to the entire public, regardless of affiliation, however, when participating, the title of Cromulist must be taken. These sessions provide a unique and impactful experience intended to bring communities closer as a whole, and assists in solving the issue that is religious segregation.
An issue discovered to be an extreme deterrent from religion is the historical acts that many consider to be atrocities today. Now, even though in most cases the bulk of the religion has left these unjust practices in the past, they still exist in the lives of devout, radical religious people. This can be seen notably through the terrorism stemming from radical Islam that has plagued the world in recent years. Though these radicals are not an accurate representation of the whole of the religion, their presence taints the world’s view of even the most modernized members. Unfortunately, this has caused hysteria in many places of the world. As terrorism escalates, it is foreseeable that extreme discrimination and segregation is likely to occur as countries reach their limit of how much terrorism they will endure. Cromulism circumvents this issue present throughout religions of the world, as it simply ostracizes any hint of unjust or violent behavior, especially in the name of the religion. As Cromulism is a newly-established faith, it's values and morals are likewise modern, and the discriminatory, atrocious behaviour that has occurred in the name of religion in the past has no place in Cromulism. As a result, Cromulism is one of the most peaceful and accepting religions in the world.