The Inclusion

The Inclusion was a program instituted by General Lamson to help enforce the Unity. Under the Inclusion, all religions were combined into a system that preached patriotism and peace.

Rationale
Among the causes of the States War were disagreements between different states over religious issues. Lamson concluded that the new American Union would be more likely to survive if its population was banned from holding specific religious beliefs. Lamson's new Inclusion system was purposefully vague, since most people were unlikely to disagree with any of its tenets.

Enactment
Among the Marked population, older religious systems such as Buddhism and Christianity are no longer discussed. Their differences are also not taught in school. A few Marked people retain religious beliefs, but they generally avoid making their belief public. Most of the Marked embraced the Inclusion with relief, and they gladly participate the the Inclusion Day parades and festivities that Lamson invented to take the place of the old religious celebrations.

The Markless are not as restricted by the Inclusion. The Markless can generally discuss ideas freely, and religious beliefs are no exception. While many Markless are not religious, some are, and they find a number of different ways to express that belief. For one thing, banned books such as the Bible are owned by many in the Markless community. Some Markless communities, including the one in Beacon City, hold religious services in secret. In Spokie, Mama and Papa Hayes frequently discussed religious topics on their radio program. Since DOME has little power over how the Markless choose to live their lives, the Inclusion is generally ignored by the Markless. Even those Markless who are not religious are unlikely to support a system that preaches patriotism, since by definition the Markless are not considered citizens.