Canaanism


 * This religion is part of the Altverse universe.

Canaanism is a  that was founded by American-Brazorian John Casingden in 1825. The predominant belief of the Canaanite movement, most of Canaanism's 15 million adherents follow the teachings and doctrines of Canaanism's largest denomination, the Sanctuary of Isachul.

Canaanism teaches that, whose name is Isachul, is the genderless Creator and manifestation of the Universe and maintains that life and the human perception of reality is an. The origin of both good and evil, evil itself derives from Isachul's lesser self, Baahgul. All souls, including humans, Canaanism asserts, were originally in unison with Isachul in Canaan but following the cosmological Great Disturbance event, Isachul's Baahgul personality began to take precedence over Isachul's self. Following this event, the connection between Isachul and creation was severed, forcing all the souls to exist in the material plane. This life is filled with suffering and injustice, and one can only find relief from it by reuniting with Isachul.

According to Cannanite, should Isachul not reunite with enough of its creation, it will ultimately corrupt and transform itself into Baahgul. Under Baahgul, the created will live merely for Baahgul's pleasure where all the living and dead exist at its pleasure. In this state, creation and the Creator become separate permanently where there is no salvation nor escape unless Baahgul reverts back into Isachul. Some sects dispute this interpretation claiming that Baahgul already reigns or that Baahgul itself represents good or an aspect of Isachul that is not necessarily "evil".

Much of Canaanism's teachings and doctrines derive from two holy books: the Holy Writ of Isachul and the Apocrypha of Baahgul, both of which were compiled by John Casingden. Casingden, the religion's founder, is believed to have received the "purest" form of information that he placed into the two books from Isachul during meditation and then confirmation by one of Isachul's angels.

Prominent themes in Canaanism focuses on leading a life of, , , , , and. By severing or inhibiting all connections with the real world, one achieves salvation at if one's soul is "in sync" with Isachul. Failing to do so results in to the next life as any form of life, where one must re-attempt the journey of salvation. Canaanism does not guarantee absolute individual salvation as even if one reconnects with Isachul, Isachul itself may still devolve into Baahgul. For this reason, Canaanites believes Isachul must achieve the Great Equilibrium wherein Isachul's good and evil qualities are equal and counteracting. Only then, Cannanites believe, can salvation be guaranteed onto all believers. Non-believers who fail to reach re-connection with Isachul will either suffer the most under a Baahgul reign or be purged indefinitely into a realm of indefinite separation from Isachul known as Mashalca.

s, s, s, and are also found in Canaanite belief, and  is a staple part in Canaanism. Canaanites also profess a strict code of conduct and moral laws to abide by in order to improve one's chances in acquiring salvation. Canaanism claims that past religious and political figures such as, , and were s or divine messengers, and that life is Isachul's progressive revelation of knowledge to mankind.

Canaanism, which spread throughout southern Wabash, Brazoria, and eastern Sierra in the 19th and 20th century, faced conflict with various groups, prominently with the where the two groups clashed over the Sierran territory of the Deseret. In addition, during the early 20th century, Canaanism endured several offshoot movements and s from the original dogma professed by founder Casingden. Today, Canaanism remains a controversial New Age movement, mostly over the importance of in its ritual. Most of its adherents are predominantly the descendants of the Hoosier and Brazorian followers in the 19th century although the religion actively encourages.

Isachul
Canaanites believe that Isachul (sometimes called "Isa" or "Esa") is and the  of the Universe. Canaanites often refer to Isachul as the "One True God", the "Merciful Creator", and the "Sun of the Universe". Isachul is commonly represented as the. Inherently, most Canaanites believe that Isachul, who is generally predisposed to embody all good, is also the origin and harborer of through his "lesser", infrequent form, Baahgul. Canaanites do not believe that Isachul is although maintain that Isachul knows enough about the Universe to know the thoughts and actions of its creator. A genderless being, Canaanites maintain that Isachul does indeed have a physical, animated form, though it generally composes itself as the entire Universe.

as humans understand it does not exist outside Isachul and anything that does exist outside is considered irrelevant or unknowable. Canaanites do not necessarily believe that this Universe is the only universe, only that knowledge of others is pointless or unnecessary because Isachul does not reside in them. Despite Isachul's and imperfection, Canaanites believe that Isachul has always existed through . Although Canaanism is a religion, analysts claim that the religion is in fact,, based on the religion's teaching that implies Isachul's subservience to a greater "unknown" force as well as its supremacy over "lesser" beings in this universe.

The desire of Isachul is to become one again with its own creation, and to create life for the sake of happiness and joy. Life outside Isachul brings misery and delusion to the creation and encourages the corruption of Isachul itself. This corruption, if not remedied through the reintroduction of creation into Isachul results in Isachul's devolution into Baahgul.

Baahgul


Baahgul (sometimes caled "Baah") is the lesser form of Isachul and most Canaanites profess that Baahgul is the origin of evil and represents the negative qualities of Isachul. Baahgul is commonly referred to as the "Evil One", the "Cursed One", and the "Destroyer God" by most Canaanites. Baahgul is often represented as the and the symbol of Canaanism depicts Baahgul as a  slowly eclipsing the Sun, which is the representation of Isachul's general form. Those who view Baahgul favorably refer to it as the "Wise One", the "Liberator", and the "Coming God". The Refuge of Baahgull maintains that Baahgul is simply another form of Isachul that is not necessarily evil, and instead, a different perspective of the Universe.

Virtually all Canaanites believe that the Great Disturbance was a cosmological event that upset balance in the Universe when the predominantly "good" Isachul began to transform into Baahgul. This event triggered the coming end to Isachul's "general" demeanor where it will one day become known as Baahgul.

Mainstream Canaanites believe that should humanity fail to reunite with Isachul in time in order to achieve Great Equilibrium, Baahgul will come to dominate Isachul's personality and become the dominant force in the Universe. They assert that under "Baahgul's reign", Baahgul will proactively cause suffering and misfortune unto the live and conjure the dead to torment them. Through this hellish corruption of the universe, Canaanites fear that Baahgul will remain in this state for millions of years or even indefinitely.

Followers of the Refuge of Baaghul dissent from mainstream Canaanites believing the coming reign of Baahgul will bring an era of freedom and independence for humanity. Through Baahgul's arrival, it will allow its creation and allow voluntary separation between creation and the Creator. Through this means, humanity must find a way to take stead of their own lives while Baahgul becomes passive in governing the Universe. The real danger during the age of Baahgul then is not Baahgul itself but humanity. By keeping and converting the world into the principles of Canaanism, the world will enjoy peace while Baahgul reigns.

Salvation
Mainstream Canaanism believes that can be categorized into two forms: individual salvation and collective salvation. The former is considered the immediate goal for each individual whereas the latter is considered the more important goal of Canaanism.

Individual salvation is achieved when a believer has reached the state of synchronization with Isachul, known as "Balos" and has expired his/her life on Earth. If the believer had lived a life consistent with the ways and principles of Isachul's general form, their soul will reunite with Isachul and achieve "". However, as Isachul begins to devolve into Baahgul, the reunification of creation and the Creator demands that enough individuals be reunited with Isachul in order to prevent the superseding power of Baahgul.

Success in invoking the Great Equilibrium where Isachul's general and Baahgul form are equally balanced will ensure communal salvation for all believers alive and reunited as well as peace and stability in the cosmic order, preventing Baahgul from manifesting absolutely. The Great Equilibrium would mark the end to life in this reality, and all non-believers would be purged indefinitely for disobedience into the Maschalca. Canaanism and its holy texts are silent on the fate of those in Mashalca, other than that they would be indefinitely separated from Isachul.

Followers of the Refuge of Baahgul believe that salvation is obsolete in the order of the Universe and that the coming of Baahgul is not only inevitable but necessary. In addition, their view on Baahgul is that it does not bring suffering but instead, independence and freedom. The closest to salvation the followers believe, is to instilling a society of peace and harmony in a world without the proactive interference of Baahgul. The Refuge of Baahgul still believes that those who find Balos will reunite with Baahgul or Isachul and that nonbelievers will eventually be purged to Maschalca when Baahgul regresses into Isachul's general form.

Scriptures
Canaanism's two : the Holy Writ of Isachul and the Apocrypha of Baahgul, hold equal importance and sanctity among all believers. Both compiled by John Casingden, it is believed that Casingden received the text for both books by the angel, Bashul, one of Isachul's angel messengers. Casingden, who was meditating atop a mountain near the, began writing down what Bashul presented him and received additional revelations while he attempted to communicate with Isachul. The Holy Writ consists primarily of the nature of Isachul and its commandments, teachings, and divine plan, while the Apocrypha reveals the Canaanite, the nature of Baahgul, and the mission for Canaanites on Earth. Supplement, elevated books written by Casingden and other leaders in the movement are also revered although do not hold the sacred supremacy the Holy Writ and Apocrypha hold.

In contemporary times, both books are often published together as the "Holy Book of the Canaanites" and both have been translated into over 45 languages. The original English version of the books by Casingden, known as the Standard Canaanite Version (SCV), is used by the Sanctuary of Isachul, the Free and Independent Sanctuaries of Isachul, and the Universal and Free Church. The Orthodox Canaanite Version (OCV) is a variation of the SCV used by the Refuge of Baaghul.

Eschatology
Canaanite eschatology concerns with the end times and fate of the Universe. There are two generally accepted scenarios in Canaanism that occurs at the end of current reality. Most Canaanites believe that should not enough believers reunite with Isachul, eventually, the Day of Reckoning will occur where the Baahgul form of Isachul will overpower its general form, and completely transform into the evil, sadistic Baahgul. The Refuge of Baahgul regards the Day of Reckoning as a positive event, wherein the transformation of Isachul to Baahgul will usher in a cosmological era of independence and freedom from God, yet the vulnerability of no security because of Baahgul's negligence and apathy.

Should enough believers reunite with Isachul however, most Canaanites contend that the Great Equilibrium will occur. At the Great Equilibrium, Isachul will achieve Balos with Baahgul, thus preventing Baahgul from dominating Isachul's character. Because Isachul is naturally dominant, Isachul will eventually regain absolute prominence, thus neutralizing the threat of a Baahgul reign. Those who had reunited with Isachul through individual salvation as well as those who remain living and remained faithful to Isachul during the Great Equilibrium will be granted communal salvation. Nonbelievers however, will be purged out of existence forever and cast into Maschalca where they will be separated from Isachul and its domain indefinitely. Under Isachul's extended rule in the Universe, all believers will live in harmony and coexistence with Isachul, as well as the chance to become their own gods of their own universes.

The Apocrypha of Baahgul documents heavily of the eschatology of Canaanism claiming that prior to the Day of Reckoning or the Great Equilibrium

Sanctuary of Isachul
Located in the holy city of Bolaris, the Sanctuary of Isachul is the formal orthodox organization and the original organized source of the Canaanite religion. Holding true to the word of John Casingden (Holy Writ of Isachul), they are dedicated to the 'purer' side of Canaanism, in which they seek to rid themselves of worldly material pleasure by devoting themselves to one of the Sanctuary's religious callings. Revering Isachul to the highest regard, they typically remove the name 'Baahgul' in any equal praise and assume Baahgul as an evil alternative to Isachul. They do share several similarities with followers of the aspect of Baaghul, one being that they allow them to share the Divine Sanctuary in Bolaris during rituals. Since the creation of the religion, they are the groundskeepers and the officiators of at the primary Sanctuary. Those of the Sanctuary of Isachul do not practice as heavily as that of the Refuge, claiming that the Holy Writ provided an alternative to scheduled sacrifices, quoting the passage;

Among other rituals, they still continue to perform bloodletting due to support from Scripture, in which they usually do in practice with their ideological counterparts on certain holidays. Carrying out these sacred traditions is a known as the Piety of Day, which are the official care takers of local sanctuary property. They are particularly well involved in their communities, where they are ordered to preform and keeping the relations between the world and the Sanctuary in good standing. Several hundred have been opened under the donation of the Sanctuary, teaching typically to some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in Brazoria, Sierra and the Wabash. In regards to higher learning, they currently operate and own two, one located in Bolaris known as the University of Bolaris and the other in , Brazoria known as Casingden University.