Religion and Progress
Generally, religion is seen as an enemy of progress. While there are some exceptions that come to mind, (particularly abolitionism in the mid 1800s) the rigid nature of religions means they, more often than not, act as a social anchor, opposed to progress. If, for example, being gay is considered wrong when a religion is founded, it's going to be very difficult to convince people otherwise in the modern day. The two are hard to reconcile. But Earthseed seems to offer a kind of synthesis, maintaining the strong and valuable social and cultural bonds associated with organized religion, while seeming to fit better with social changes, as change is so central to its beliefs. In a way, Earthseed, or something like it, seems like the perfect religion, especially in dealing with the chaotic world of Parable.
Earthseed puzzles me. On the one hand, as you say, this seems like the perfect religion because it is so unlike most other religions. You don't worship a humanized God, you don't have a checklist of appropriate behaviors to get into a happy afterworld, etc. That's what it isn't; I struggle to figure out what it IS. I suppose, as you say, it does still offer synthesis -- it's still something to unite people, but it also incorporates the key idea of change. That works.
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