On that stagnation thing; I believe that was the true danger of Spira, not Sin. Sin caused the stagnation by having people too afraid to act and making people react to it, rather than taking the offensive. Notice it's only when people who haven't known fear of Sin show up that the spiral finally ends.
If memory serves from a history of Spira post/document I have, Yunalesca created Yevon-ism after Zanarkand was destroyed and Sin arrived. As a bargain to keep Bevelle safe and to show how to defeat Sin temporarily, Yunalesca had them worshipping Yu Yevon, the being who ultimately controls Sin (I have my own theories on Sin and Tidus's Zanarkand, but I don't know if that's relevant here). Things about atonement and the pilgrimage are ways to give people hope through an impossible future, but perhaps also a way to keep them obedient.
While I doubt the "I am a maester of Yevon and I said so" would fly, I do think the Yevonites believed deeply enough in Yevon's authority that even a flimsy excuse would be accepted. There's more to power than just reason. I'm sure a person would want to laugh out of the courtroom, but could you do that with a gun at your back ready to shoot point blank if you defy them. This, I hope, is different than a parent, who cannot really shoot you point blank if you leave the room laughing at their authority.
Yevon's strategy for authority is to destroy anything that threatens their power, and to assimilate what they can't destroy. That's how the Crusaders became part of the church and how the hymn of the fayth became popular. As for the people already under their authority, it seems to be rule them, keep them ignorant of the churches use and abuse of power, but don't rile them enough they they'll risk underminding them and find their own way to beat Sin.
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If memory serves from a history of Spira post/document I have, Yunalesca created Yevon-ism after Zanarkand was destroyed and Sin arrived. As a bargain to keep Bevelle safe and to show how to defeat Sin temporarily, Yunalesca had them worshipping Yu Yevon, the being who ultimately controls Sin (I have my own theories on Sin and Tidus's Zanarkand, but I don't know if that's relevant here). Things about atonement and the pilgrimage are ways to give people hope through an impossible future, but perhaps also a way to keep them obedient.
While I doubt the "I am a maester of Yevon and I said so" would fly, I do think the Yevonites believed deeply enough in Yevon's authority that even a flimsy excuse would be accepted. There's more to power than just reason. I'm sure a person would want to laugh out of the courtroom, but could you do that with a gun at your back ready to shoot point blank if you defy them. This, I hope, is different than a parent, who cannot really shoot you point blank if you leave the room laughing at their authority.
Yevon's strategy for authority is to destroy anything that threatens their power, and to assimilate what they can't destroy. That's how the Crusaders became part of the church and how the hymn of the fayth became popular. As for the people already under their authority, it seems to be rule them, keep them ignorant of the churches use and abuse of power, but don't rile them enough they they'll risk underminding them and find their own way to beat Sin.