A Religion of Fear--Yu Yevon and the World of Final Fantasy X

One might think it foolish to discuss the made-up religion of a video game world; but as games are becoming more mainstream, designers are using games as a medium for social commentary. Since our object in this class is to study religion as it affects and influences cultures and people, I think a discussion about Yevon, the religion of Spira, might be interesting.

The premise of Yevon is this: the people of Spira have sinned, and they must atone for that sin by following the teachings of Yevon. Meanwhile, the physical embodiment of that sin (a being of monstrous proportions, and bent on destroying Spira) terrorizes the landscape, indiscriminately killing both guilty and the innocent alike. There are two ways to pacify this monster, "Sin": to either repent completely, or to offer a summoner and his guardian as human sacrifices in an attempt to appease the beast. This summoner and guardian go willingly to their deaths, and believe that in dying they have saved the people of Spira. If the summoner and guardian successfully make their pilgrimage to the end of the world, they are accepted as the sacrifice, and a ten-year peace known as "the Calm" begins. During this period Sin does not appear. But as soon as this period has ended, another summoner must give himself up for the people. Since complete and global repentance is unrealistic, people rely on the summoners to buy them time. They are afraid of "Sin" and death, and need the hope of the Calm to sustain them through life.

The entire religion is built upon fear of death. People need a way to escape death, so they bring themselves to believe that in sacrificing or repenting, they will live. The religion, the player later finds out, is actually a hoax--Sin can never be defeated, even through repentance. Life is meaningless and therefore hopeless. But the people continue believing blindly in the power of repentance, because life without hope is not worth living. Is it possible that all religions are designed to give meaning to a meaningless existence?