Jippirasti controversies
From Almeopedia
Some of the points of contention within Jippirasti:
Contents |
Laxity
Whether or not a given practice is too lax. Each pita condems the others for laxity, and sometimes simultaneously for excessive zeal devoted to trivialities.
Laxness tends to proceed in cycles, since excessive strictness annoys people and breeds laxness, while laxness is poorly defended against new forms of strictness. People are not zealously evangelical in favor of toleration and moderate belief. On the other hand, strictness only thrives under cultural homogeneity; it’s hard to preserve it without a degree of political rigidity that leads to stagnation.
Women
The position of women. The archaic Tžuro lifestyle, endorsed by Babur, gives women a good deal of freedom and respect; believers are explicitly warned not to despise or mistreat women.
- The Carhinnoi depart most strongly from this norm; their society is frankly male-dominated, and women are expected to serve and be faithful to men. (Once a woman’s children are married, however, she can do as she pleases, and can boss her daughters-in-law around.)
- The Lenani pride themselves on maintaining Babur’s way of life; but their patrilineal bofama work differently from Babur’s matrilineal fsavau.
- Medieval Šura was influenced by the Skourenes, restricting women’s roles; male leaders also had a great deal more power over women simply because in a sedentary society they were always around. Modern Šura has however removed many of these restrictions and lessened the power of the aseve.
- In some ways the Fanpita has best preserved the freedom of women; the eastern Tžuro and the Fananaki even have a long tradition of female warriors.
Theology
Whether theology is permitted. Babur strongly condemns those who ‘add to God.’ Invented doctrines are the primary source of the confusion (igalna) that he was sent to alleviate.
- The hard-core position is that the only authority is Babur’s direct words (or, in the Sačutu pita, the approved holy books); even to paraphrase them is disallowed.
- The moderate position is that it’s acceptable to draw logical conclusions from the holy books, and that it’s a good service to clarify what is and is not sin.
- The loose position is that Jippir continues to speak, and that prophecy and speculation should even be encouraged, so that “no true word may be lost”; Jippir will not let incorrect doctrine prosper.
- There are mystical sects that offer radical reinterpretations and secret doctrines. Many are world-renouncing, criticizing the orthodox for their fine houses and rich foods; some practice magic or seek ecstatic experience, or predict the end of the world, or the return of Kurund to re-establish the Tej.
Creation
Whether Jippir is a creator. The Baburkunim has no creation stories and no promises of divine control over the weather, though there are implications that Jippir created the steppe, especially the desert, a region where Almean humans cannot survive for long.
- Some, perhaps the majority, believe that the world of body, mejkome, has always existed. Jippir is God not because he created mejkome but indeed because he is entirely apart from it.
- Especially in Feináe, many believe that Jippir did create the mejkome, and that he should be praised for its wonders as well as supplicated to control it for men’s benefit.
- A strong minority position holds that the mejkome was created by Kulig, the strongest and most evil of the lama or spirits. The physical world is thus inherently stuja (unclean, evil), and one must minimize attachment to anything physical; even eating is a sin. Many Fanpita teŋŋiri hold this position, and these normally choose at some point to fast until they die. (Water is allowed, and food is taken at increasingly long intervals, so the entire process takes about six months.)
Favors
Whether Jippir will grant favors— to be precise, favors not explicitly mentioned by Babur. Jippir is eager to communicate to man, but does not much encourage man to talk back. The one universally approved request is for a vision, and this requires undertaking an arduous vigil (ikeba).
Some anebe maintain that asking for any physical boon, even health and food, is ill-advised, if not istuja. Babur indeed mocks the pagans for coming their gods “with their mouths wide open like baby sparrows”. (This view largely correlates with those who belief that the mejkome, the world, is unimportant or hostile to Jippir.)
Others allow Jippir to be approached for benefits, but warn that this must be hidden, as it were, in a bouquet of gratitude, thanksgiving, and sacrifice.
The Tej
Whether a universal tej should be restored.
- The Šureni no longer have an atej, and most interpret the tej as a spiritual not a political community.
- The Carhinnoi identify the tej with Dhekhnam.
- The Lenani and Fananaki still believe in a single Jippirasti state, and more than one of their leaders have attempted to create one. Naturally enough, these efforts meet great resistance: few people want to be forcefully united to a petty foreign king who thinks he’s the new Attafei.
- Some, especially in Šura, believe that there should be an international, inter-ethnic spiritual hierarchy, much like that enjoyed by the Eleďi. As they rarely wish to give ground on differences between the pitau, this has never gone anywhere.
