The Image Bearers are a sect of Christianity, and one of the first denominations of religion to be started after man left Earth for the stars. The faith advocates peace and goodwill as one of it's foremost tenants. The Image Bearers maintain the Christian belief that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of Humanity; the Messiah as prophesied by the Old Testament, and uphold his teachings from the New Testament.

The denomination has added many non-Christian teachings into it's belief system, chief among them Buddism and parts of Hindu, particularly those teaching treatment of other individuals. Unlike many other denominations, the Image Bearer sect does not have many strict teachings other than that of peace and goodwill, and as such has splintered into many small sub-sects, with some folding back into other larger Christian denominations.

History

Founded in the wake of atrocities committed during the First Stellar War, the Image Bearer denomination began it's teachings of peace and goodwill in hopes to help prevent such major war ever again. Many practitioners were horrified that man could so greatly disrespect one another with such mass destruction, and regardless of intent cited many of these actions as great sin.

The Image Bearers gained great momentum in the wake of the war, and this helped it to spread throughout the stars, and they in turn greatly supported the Human Continuity Project when it started, and many Image Bearer churches did what they could to ensure that their teachings spread with these first colonies.

Throughout history, many of these churches found themselves in opposition to one another; some reverted to be closer to older, more traditional Christianity, while others started to meld with the Erudites of The Firstborn (starting the Image of Christ's Mind movement) which taught more modern versions of the faith.

Etymology

The origin of the name of the Image Bearers is simple; all humans being created in God's Image denotes all humans as "Image Bearers," of God, ergo the name for the sect.

Core Tenants

Hard-and-fast beliefs of the Image Bearers are few; the only true belief held by all Image Bearers, beyond the core tenants of Christianity itself, is that all humans must be treated with respect and goodwill, as all humans are created in God's Image - and therefore bear His Image - and as his greatest creation warrant like treatment. This does not mean that responsibilities and consequences must not be dealt, only that they must be dealt fairly. The Golden Rule is a common teaching in Image-Bearer based law.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31, New International Version, Bible

While not officially backed by any major world government, most Image Bearers hold firmly that the Death Sentence is sinful, and abhor nation-to-nation warfare over resources and territory, though do not object to the presence of military forces for defensive or noble purposes; such as putting down tyrants and pirates.

Controversy

Many who prescribe to the philosophical and religious teachings of Image Bearers, including entire sects or individual churches, embody a philosophy of non-violence and refuse to serve in the military, or at least in combat roles.