Coming of the Great Star Lobsterism

Coming of the Great Star Lobsterism is a bizarre offshoot of Homarism. It has been described as 'being to true Homarism what Pentecostalism is to Calvinist Christianity'. It originated in Canciona in 1472.

History
The religion was originated by Ronaldo Gamba, a Homarist missionary being trained in Minas Trone, RCM. On 13 October, 1472, he staggered into the meeting hall of the theological college during a lecture, and announced that he had experienced a terrifying vision of the Early Days. He claimed that his vision had shown him the vastness of the universe being expelled from the mouth of a gigantic decapod. His audience dismissed this vision easily, one student saying "I saw how much cheese that guy had for his supper last night".

Not to be so easily supressed, Gamba travelled to the south of Canciona and started up his own church as a pastor. Soon he had a massive following, as his spectacular sermons (often accompanied by dramatic visual effects) became very popular. The Homarist Church declared the religion to be a heresy, but by then much of Canciona had adopted it as their preferred religion. Although it has died out in the RCM, it continues to be practiced in New Canciona.

Doctrine
Upon being challenged by Homarists, leaders in Star Lobsterism summarised their religion thusly, basing their structure upon that of the Homarist doctrine in order to highlight differences. Unfortunately for them this made it easier for Homarists to find reasons to reject the religion as heresy.

1) The True Lobsters
We believe in the Great Nephrops as the chief deity. However, because we are not stupid, we acknowledge that the Giant Star Lobster is ultimately greater, if less deserving of honour. We believe in no other deities before them.

2) The nature of the True Lobsters
We believe that the Great Nephrops and Giant Star Lobster are balances of each other. The Great Nephrops is Good, the Star Lobster Evil; Great Nephrops ruled the beginnings of the world, and the Star Lobster will rule end times; Great Nephrops is immaterial, the Star Lobster material; Great Nephrops immortal, the Star Lobster mortal.

''[Much argument with Homarist theologians have ensued over how the Great Nephrops can be immortal where the Star Lobster is mortal, but yet the Star Lobster will rule the end of the world rather than the Great Nephrops. Star Lobsterists claim that this is supposed to be illogical, and if the Great Nephrops had wished us to understand it, He would have given his prophets the understanding in a vision.]''

3) The existence of other deities, and angels
Although we acknowledge the existence of angels and demons as understood by Homarism, they reject the idea that other Lobsters (deities) exist, believing only in the Great Nephrops and Giant Star Lobster.

4) The Afterlife
We understand that the Giant Star Lobster is constantly in need of food, and when a human dies, he will seize upon the soul and eat it- not because he particularly likes insubstantial souls, but because he has to eat something. However, he will remember the good deeds of a believer who sacrificed seafood or alcohol to him during life, and refrain from eating said believer's soul unless he is very hungry. Therefore, those who pacified the Star Lobster with food will most likely be spared and be taken by the Great Nephrops to heaven, while those who are consumed by the Star Lobster will spend eternity inside its digestive tract.

5) How the Great Nephrops and Giant Star Lobster are to be served
We believe that the Giant Star Lobster is more of a worry than the Great Nephrops; however, just to be on the safe side, consider it wise to serve the Great Nephrops in the same way as the Homarist Church does. However, this worship takes second place to pacification of the Giant Star Lobster.

Believers must daily sacrifice a meal to him; devout believers have a craypot-shaped shrine in their homes, and every evening leave a generous plateful of their dinner in the craypot. By morning it will be empty. Serving vegetarian meals is considered an Abomination; when believers feel the need to eat vegetarian, they prepare a second dish containing meat for the Star Lobster. He is said to prefer meals served off blue Willow-ware plates, and is more likely to spare the believer and his family if he is given alcohol as well. A glass of white wine is fairly standard; a pint of beer is generally considered better, though, as are good-quality spirits (except cider).

Once a year is the Festival of the Giant Star Lobster, where the Star Lobster can expect a good feed from its believers, who give food and alcohol to its papier mache effigy. This same effigy is later burned on a bonfire, to appease the Great Nephrops.

6) The Holy Word of Great Nephrops
We do not recognise the authority of written word in regards to either the Great Nephrops or Giant Star Lobster. Instead we hold that when the Great Nephrops wishes to bring instruction to his people, he speaks to his prophets ("chefs") in dreams and visions, and reveals Himself thus.

[Ironically, this doctrine was recorded in writing and every Star Lobsterist acknowledges its authority.]

7) The Creation
The Universe is said to have come into being when the Giant Star Lobster summoned it, due to being hungry and wanting a decent meal. He then proceeded to eat the universe and its newly-created inhabitants. However the Great Nephrops intervened, and banished the Giant Star Lobster to the ends of the universe.

8) The Judgement
We believe that as the Great Nephrops grows older and his power wanes, the Giant Star Lobster has been steadily approaching the world again, and one day will be so much stronger than the Great Nephrops that he will be able to eat the whole universe. The Great Nephrops will send his prawns and krill to rescue the souls of his believers, and the Star Lobster will refuse to eat the souls of those who gave him a good feed in life, but everyone else will be devoured.

Main differences between it and true Homarism

 * Although Homarists believe that the Great Nephrops is neither good nor evil, Star Lobsterists believe that He represents Ultimate Good.
 * Homarism does not accept the existence of the Giant Star Lobster, nor any of the theological points added in relation to it.
 * Homarism believes in the existence of other gods (lobsters, langoustines or crabs); Star Lobsterism rejects this, claiming that although angels and demons exist, the only ultimately powerful beings are the Great Nephrops and the Giant Star Lobster.
 * Homarism is mainly focused on serving the Great Nephrops, whereas nearly all service in Star Lobsterism is to pacify the Giant Star Lobster.
 * Star Lobsterism rejects the authority of canonical books.
 * Star Lobsterism has drastically different views on the beginning and end times.