History PlayingWith / PathOfInspiration

* '''NecessaryWeasel''': The author has recently converted to a religion, but his audience has come to see the in-story religion as a PathOfInspiration; he will often use a [[CrystalDragonJesus variant of his religion]] as the "good" religion to fight against the PathOfInspiration.

** The [[MassEffect Church of Shepard]] is made up from the ground up. They are entirely open about this, but have designed it so that people will benefit from a religion without actually believing in it.

* '''Inverted''': [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Kornelius von Drachs]], a.k.a. [[DarkShepherd Cornelius the Dragonblood]], creates an underground cult that appears to be a ReligionOfEvil (therefore drawing in criminals and scum) that is [[DarkIsNotEvil intentionally designed]] to gradually teach its adherents goodness and virtue in the face of evil and make better people out of them.

* '''Inverted''': A saint creates an underground cult that appears to be a ReligionOfEvil (therefore drawing in criminals and scum) that is [[DarkIsNotEvil intentionally designed]] to gradually teach its adherents goodness and virtue in the face of evil and make better people out of them.

* '''Defied''': Followers of the PathOfInspiration, concerned about some suspicious acts by its founders, split off and become a SaintlyChurch.

Back to PathOfInspiration

* '''Enforced''': [[AuthorTract The author is an atheist, so he puts this trope in all his works,]] [[CorruptChurch as well as]] [[ReligionOfEvil other tropes]] under the pretense that [[AuthorFilibuster all religions are just attempts to restrict individual freedom, and many of them either force their beliefs on others or involve ethnic supremacy]].

* '''Exaggerated''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] whose converts are taught IncorruptiblePurePureness... All of which turns the priests into omnipotent {{Eldritch Abomination}}s who devour the souls of every living creature in existence and [[ApocalypseHow destroy the universe]].

* '''Inverted''': A saint creates an underground cult that appears to be a ReligionOfEvil (therefore drawing in criminals and scum) that is intentionally designed to gradually teach its adherents goodness and virtue in the face of evil and make better people out of them.

* '''Averted''': SaintlyChurch.

* '''Exaggerated''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] whose converts are taught IncorruptiblePurePureness... All of which turns the priests into omnipotent EldritchAbominations who devour the souls of every living creature in existence and [[ApocalypseHow destroy the universe]].

* '''Subverted''': A benign religion is found to be secretly buying up land and sending money to overseas accounts... because it's building orphanages without trumpeting its involvement.

* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Straight''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] which preaches [[ThePowerOfLove kindness]], [[ThePowerOfTrust faith in your fellow man]] and TeamSpirit through 'contracts of good behaviour' with the high priest... In order to mass-produce easily deceived and pure-hearted dupes whose good souls are then sold to demons through the contracts.

* '''Downplayed''': The church is indeed benevolent, and they do indeed do controversial things, "controversial things" in this case being defined as scarification.
* '''Justified''': Cypher wants power over people, and figures that by starting a religion, he will gain adherents that will follow his instructions.

* '''Subverted''': A benign religion has some controversial elements, but these are completely justified.
* '''Doubly Subverted''': ...but its acts of charity are required to summon a demon.

* '''Averted''':
** SaintlyChurch.
** All of the characters are athetists.
** Or religion doesn't figure in any shape or form in this setting.
* '''Enforced''': [[AuthorTract The author is an atheist, so he puts this trope in all his works, ]] [[CorruptChurch as well]] [[ReligionOfEvil as others tropes]] under [[AuthorFilibuster the pretense that all religions are just attempts to restrict individual freedom, and many of them either force their beliefs on others or involve ethnic supremacy]].
* '''Lampshaded''': "Religion used to justify murder. Who would've thought?"

* '''Exploited''': Alice tells Bob that she's an atheist because of Louis Cypher's religion, which is indeed wicked to the core while hidden under a mask of fake virtue. Therefor, [[AssociationFallacy all the other religions must be just like that!]]
* '''Defied''': A splinter sect of the PathOfInspiration becomes a SaintlyChurch.
* '''Discussed''': "I don't care what ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' has told you: Most religious people aren't out to get you."

* '''NecessaryWeasel''': The author has recently converted to a religion, but his audience has come to believe in this; he will often use a [[CrystalDragonJesus variant of his religion]] as the "good" religion to fight against the PathOfInspiration.

* '''Exploited''': Alice tells Bob that she's an atheist because of Louis Cypher's religion, which is indeed rotten to the core while hidden under a mask of fake virtue. Therefor, [[AssociationFallacy all the other religions must be just like that!]]

* '''Discussed''': "I don't care what ''FinalFantasy'' has told you: Most religious people aren't out to get you."

* '''Played Straight''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] which preaches [[ThePowerOfLove kindness]], [[ThePowerOfTrust faith in your fellow man]] and TeamSpirit through 'contracts of good behaviour' with the high priest... In order to mass-produce easily deceived and pure-hearted dupes whose good souls are then sold to demons through the contracts.

* '''Untwisted''': ...or instead those acts are just done so that the religion looks benevolent to the outside.

* '''Deconstructed''': The religion, while preoccupied with helping the poor as part of its missionary work, is very open about the fact that its people are slaves to their god. All discussions on religion as justifying social mores considered abhorrent in the modern West, including the possibility of secular ideologies replacing religion in this way, are brought up.
* '''Reconstructed''': A group of indigenous people, upon hearing about this religion, tell the missionaries about how they can't see the god, and therefore he likely doesn't exist. And that if God made them pagans, who are the missionaries to change them?
* '''Averted''': SaintlyChurch. Or everyone is atheist.
* '''Enforced''': [[AuthorAppeal The author is an atheist, so he puts this trope in all his works.]] [[CorruptChurch And]] [[ReligionOfEvil others]].
* '''NecessaryWeasel''': The author has recently converted to a religion, but his audience has come to believe in this; he will often use a [[CrystalDragonJesus variant of his religion]] as the "good" religion to fight against the PathOfInspiration.
* '''Downplayed''': The church is indeed benevolent, and they do indeed do controversial things, "controversial things" in this case being defined as scarification.

* '''Exploited''': Alice tells Bob that she's an atheist because all religions are just attempts to restrict individual freedom, and many of them either force their beliefs on others or involve ethnic supremacy.

* '''Parodied''': A religion starts out benevolent, then starts talking about the more evil acts of their god very early on, and the potential converts don't even question how a benevolent deity could [[CompleteMonster slaughter innocent babies]], [[HumanSacrifice require human sacrifices]], [[NatureAbhorsAVirgin require all girls have sex with the high priest]], or [[MasterRace require they destroy all other races]].

* '''Played Straight''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] which preaches [[ThePowerOfLive kindness]], [[ThePowerOfTrust faith in your fellow man]] and TeamSpirit through 'contracts of good behaviour' with the high priest... In order to mass-produce easily deceived and pure-hearted dupes whose good souls are then sold to demons through the contracts.

'''Basic Trope''': A benign religion is in fact evil at its core.
* '''Played Straight''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] which preaches kindness, goodwill and charity... all of which was originally taught to give the high priests access to TheLegionsOfHell so they could TakeOverTheWorld.
* '''Exaggerated''': LouisCypher is the high priest of a [[PathOfInspiration religion]] whose converts are taught IncorruptiblePurePureness... all of which turns the priests into omnipotent EldritchAbominations who devour the souls of every living creature in existence and [[ApocalypseHow destroy the universe]].
* '''Justified''': The high priest of this religion cannot be rewarded in the afterlife without having experienced power over TheLegionsOfHell, because GodIsEvil.
** Cypher wants power over people, and figures that by starting a religion, he will gain adherents that will follow his instructions.