The Reformation's tenets acknowledge that all human faiths-indeed all humans-are flawed. Theocratic governments, rigid belief systems, and well-defined canon produce nothing more than a docile, weak-minded populace and a wealthy religion. The faith acknowledges a single god, responsible for the creation of the universe. However, worship is irrelevant to the creator- worshipers must help themselves. Blaming one's shortcomings on an omnipotent god is just another failing.
According to Reformer tradition, humans should never expect divine help to overcome problems. Instead, the creator expects sentients to solve problems in themselves, in others, and in society. When a person sees a wrong, he should right it More important, when a Reformer discovers greed, malice, or any other flaw within himself, it is his duty to confront it At the same time, Reformers must help believers overcome their flaws -psychological, physical, or spiritual. To take advantage of another's weakness or, worse, take joy in it is a greater crime than to sin or to have personal failings of one's own. Followers of the Reformation are expected to devote themselves to lives of achievement, giving generously to charity, helping those in need, and opposing injustice.
Opposing injustice often puts the faith's clergymen in conflict with local authorities, other churches, and even stellar nations. According to Reformation doctrine, a member must oppose injustice even when doing so violates local laws. For example, the Reformers actively denounce VoidCorp's ownership of its employees and work hard to help escaped sesheyans. Despite its high-profile troublemaking, the Humanity Reformation is widely accepted throughout the Stellar Ring. The only issue that divides the faithful is nomenclature. The church is open to sentients of any species, but its name implies that only humans are fully welcome. It's an open question whether the next church council will remove human-specific titles and doctrines.
Clergy begin as initiates and are given small tasks to prove their worthiness. Once these tasks are completed, an initiate is given the position of father or mother and is assigned to a specific location. Alternately, the initiate may be ordained a reformer, a wandering priest who searches out wrongs and helps others as part-time counselor and adviser. The reformers are considered the faith's true patriots, and competition is fierce for such assignments. Abbots are the rulers of individual Reform settlements. While a father or mother can become an abbot or abbess, he or she can't rise any higher unless named a reformer at a later date. Finally, the term 'reformer' is also used by those outside the church to describe all its members. Bishops are the next highest rank, made up entirely of prominent reformers who have achieved great successes. A bishop is assigned a region to watch over, which may be as small as a continent or as large as a star system. Bishops appoint reformers, fathers, and mothers and occasionally sponsor initiates into the order. Ultimately, the religion is guided by thirteen cardinals led by the pontifex. Collectively, the cardinals and pontifex make up the Council of Reform. Their annual meetings are held on the planet Desire, in the StarMech Collective. This body is the faith's highest, and it controls all bishop appointments, doctrinal issues, and financial arrangements.