Lapism isn't a religion in the usual sense, there's no specific deity to be worshiped, no teachings on the afterlife and no divinely inspired holy book. There is no clergy, no idols or icons, no proselytizing, no tithing and no formal prayers. Rather it's a form of transhumanism, a movement that uses science and technology to improve humanity. Lapists have their bodies genetically transformed into anthropomorphic rabbits. The alteration isn't merely cosmetic, the changes include modifications to the brain to reduce aggression and increase sociability. The rabbit form also acts as social reinforcement; people expect a rabbit to be peaceful and gentle so that stereotype and peer pressure help insure that this remains true. The transformation is quite expensive (the actual price isn't mentioned in the stories, but from various comments I'm guessing it's in the $100,000+ range) and while it is reversible, the process to be returned to human form is substantially more expensive.
Now the question I put to you, dear readers, is would you undergo such a procedure?
You would have a new body, shaped like a humanoid rabbit, with fur and claws and buck teeth, with increased strength, speed and agility, improved senses of smell and hearing and faster reaction times. On the other hand, your brain would be altered, slightly tweaking your fight-or-flight response towards fleeing and increasing your need for physical contact with other Lapists (hugging, snuggling, etc). You would also be strictly limited to a vegetarian diet, the mere thought of eating meat would make you ill. You would also likely be forced into considerable debt to pay for the transition. You would then have to wear this new form for the rest of your life, with people stereotyping you and judging you and your actions based on it. You'd even be expected to take a new name. And it's lapine only, you'd have no other choice in species.
curious