Zoroastrianism vs. Taoism vs. Confucianism: Who would you leave out?

[Blaupanzer]

Confucianism is an adjustment of Buddhism, a philosophy to go with it if you will. Therefore, it is the one that should be replaced by a Zoroastrian religion.

Note that Buddhism comes too early in the game, before polytheism -- not a reflection of Earth's history.

[Solver]

Okay folks... this probably will wind up getting closed anyway, but keep this clean. Going to various crap in the first dozen replies is a bad idea.

[Zoid]

Even if Zoroastrianism was very influential in early civilization very few people has even heard of it. And since Civ isn´t a historically correct game in all aspects I say it´s ok to leave it out.

[MasterDave]

If Civ4 should be inclusive of religions that exist only in the past, then the Polytheistic Hellenistic pantheon (or whatever you call the religion of the anceint Greeks) that the Greeks and then the Romans followed before they went Christian is far more famous than Zorostrianism.

I think that the civ developers wanted to stick to religions that are still practiced today. Although there are still a smallish number of Zorostrians in India and Iran, I can understand why they have been edited out.

I am trying very hard to ignore the blatant anti-semitism above. I see more than enough of that garbage flying around in the filthy chat room at Civ4 Gamespy.

[LordShiva]

Meanwhile, adding more religions (without taking any out) would suck alot. I think there are already too many in the game relative to the number of civs, and if almost everyone can found/adopt their own religion, there's no point in having any at all.

[Zoid]

I think they should´ve made up some religions. That way they could´ve had only 3 or 4 and not get hissy fits from people who think that just their religion is better than everybody elses...

Meh, religion is stupid. Throw rocks at it!

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by Bobby Chicken
Personally, I would like to see atheism in the place of Confusianism. Confusianism is more of a philosophy of how to live from my understanding of it, and atheism is a widespread belief about the gods, that their aren't any. It could be founded with scientific method or biology, perhaps.

How many civilizations have you heard of that have had an atheistic theocracy? Organized atheism?

In my opinion, "true" atheism is a modern phenomenon spawned by dissatisfaction with most organized religions or by the apparent "science vs. religion" conflict.

I don't think atheism really qualifies as a "formal" religion.

[MasterDave]

Originally posted by Alexander01


How many civilizations have you heard of that have had an atheistic theocracy? Organized atheism?

In my opinion, "true" atheism is a modern phenomenon spawned by dissatisfaction with most organized religions or by the apparent "science vs. religion" conflict.

I don't think atheism really qualifies as a "formal" religion.

I was playing in a multiplayer game a week or two ago where the human player on my northern border had no religion, yet chose theocracy to keep my buddhism from creeping into his cities. The weird thing was that after he quit, the AI STAYED with theocracy, so it was impossible to spread my religion there even after I made open borders with that AI.

So there is an example of an Atheistic Theocracy

[Solver]

Originally posted by Alexander01


How many civilizations have you heard of that have had an atheistic theocracy? Organized atheism?

It's a country, not a civilization, but the USSR had "organized atheism", if you could call it that. I guess it's as close to an official organized atheism as you can get.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by MasterDave

So there is an example of an Atheistic Theocracy

I of course meant in real life, but I see your point.

Originally posted by Solver

It's a country, not a civilization, but the USSR had "organized atheism", if you could call it that. I guess it's as close to an official organized atheism as you can get.

Yes, I did in fact have them in mind when I called atheism a "modern" phenomenon.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Alexander01
Well, Confucianism really isn't a religion as much as it is a philosophy or a lifestyle.

Taoism began in a similar fashion, but evolved to have more mystical aspects and is more properly called a religion than Confucianism.

True. But if you cut both out Asia will be staggeringly under-represented. Also, Daoism have two distinct meanings. The religious sect is in fact more of a bastardization of the original philosophy.

Originally posted by Alexander01
The "real" (pardon the contrived terminology) religion in China was the mysticism and ancestor worship that the Chinese practice(d), and upon which Con. and Tao. were later superimposed, sometimes simultaneously.

Nah, actually it's a kind of polytheism, having some interesting similarities with the Norse and the Greek mythologies.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Alexander01
In my opinion, "true" atheism is a modern phenomenon spawned by dissatisfaction with most organized religions or by the apparent "science vs. religion" conflict.

Nope. For starters, atheism has been around for ages. Many ancient Greeks were atheists. A number of schools of thought from the "Spring and Autumn" period in China were distinctly atheistic.

[Kuciwalker]

Far fewer people have ever heard of Zoroastrianism. It is rightly not included.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

True. But if you cut both out Asia will be staggeringly under-represented. Also, Daoism have two distinct meanings. The religious sect is in fact more of a bastardization of the original philosophy.

I would not cut out other Con. or Tao. Were I to modify the religions in the game in any way, I might add Zoroastrianism. Other than that, I wouldn't make any changes.

[proviisori]

Atheism should be a option. As scientific outlook on world is so strong in western world.

I know that many people are in fact atheist (or agnostic) and still they belong to some church 'cause of the traditions it contains. If you are registered to some church does not often mean that you believe in some god.