Semi-OT: The Icaran Empire Preview (the book one)

[Starhawk]

El_Phil when it comes to religous supression, again the problem with your theory is that the vast bulk of the Icarans are followers of "The Path" religion (which btw is a similiar religion to the earliest christianity but has changed over the millenia) so they are not supressed, the bulk of what's left is the Asiatic "holdouts" who are buddhists so the vast majority of the population is not supressed at all.

The handful of other faiths within the Empire are as I said not actively hunted (except cults who are seen as a major threat) as long as they don't try to do anything overly active in the public. It's simply a matter of them not being approved of by either the government or the mainstream Icaran populace. So yeah they are supressed but the average Icaran wouldn't much care because it doesn't effect them which is a bad point for rebellions.

As Dogscoff said their Buddhists are not something those living in our world would recognize fully, but the changes are on a subtle level.
Buddhism is as stated also very diverse because as we saw the Japanese of WWII who were "buddhist" certianly did not stick to the peace, love and enlightenment philosophy.
For that matter Japan has not followed this at any point in history so saying being buddhist instantly means your a pascifist is slightly flawed. Sure the monks are but the average buddhist?

Granted the ESS buddhism came mainly from the Chinese branch but there to we see that they were willing to wage war throughout history, it's just that they were less "active" about it. (Fewer battles but bigger and in later dynasties mainly defensive against Huns/Koreans, Mongols and Japanese/Koreans).

Some buddhist philosophy does actually also include living budda's in mythology and if the Icarists/Buddhists belive the Praetor is one of these it would not be totally unlike the Icarans "Living Saint" philosophy.

In regards to brave new world isn't that the one where they were all "Get stoned it's good for you and sleep with as MANY people as you possible can?" and "Long term relationships are bad."
Because that sorta doesn't fit in with a near Theocratic government And as stated Icaran school children actually see "posters" with the exact opposite messages.

Or was that stuff just the movie version with Spock I mean Nemoy?