Christianity

Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom Christians hold to be the Messiah sent by God to redeem Mankind of their sins. It is the most commonly practiced religion in the Orbin Federation, as well as the rest of the Western world.

Overview
Jesus of Nazareth was likely born around the year 4 BC in Bethlehem, in what is now the modern-day country of Israel, which was at the time under the control of the Roman Empire. Jesus began His ministry at age 30 after being baptized by John the Baptist and tempted by Satan in the desert.

He collected twelve Apostles, and about seventy disciples, and countless other followers during His ministry, which is often held to have lasted about three years. He preached sermons, performed miracles, and called out the Pharasees (the Jewish religious authorities of the day) on their constant hypocrasy. Eventually, he was betrayed and excecuted upon a cross alongside two thieves, died and was buried. However, three days later, he rose from the dead, appeared to his followers, and then rose to heaven.

The life of Jesus is recorded in the four Gospels of the Holy Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Christian Bible also includes the entire Hebrew Bible various letters from the earlier Church leaders to congregations across Rome.

Christianity is far from being a unified religion. There are over 5000 sects and denominations worldwide; the largest being Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican (which the Church of Orb is).

Christianity teaches that one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and perform various practices such as prayer, church attendence, and sometimes good works, in order to be redeemed of sin and granted eternal life in Heaven.

Place in As The Orb Turns
Nearly all characters in the series are at least nominally Christians, the sole notable exception being Gilbert Stern, who is Jewish. The most common denomination in Orb is Anglicanism, with Roman Catholicism being a distant second (Lorelei's family being the only known Catholics).

Clarence Roland's family are Unitarians, which is a unique take on Christianity in that while most foms of the religion teach that Jesus Christ is both Son of God and God incarnate, Unitarianism teaches that Jesus is sent by God, but not God Himself; instead being a great prophet, angel given flesh, or perhaps human-made-messiah, as the Jews predicted.

Marie Herzeleid and her family, meanwhile, belong to Light of Zion Church, a non-denominational evangelical/fundamentalist church. These kind of Churches, though common in the United States, are scarce in predominantly-Anglican Orb, and thus Marie sticks out a bit.