video / action

[hymnals]

Who: Adrasteius; perhaps you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Bishop; kitchens
When: N to the O W

[Adra's in the ship's kitchen, seated at the table. A shimmering, golden aura limns his entire body, concentrated particularly at the crown of his blonde head. The faint impression of angelic wings blinks in and out of corporeality on his back as he speaks, sometimes seeming almost solid.]

I'm here today to speak to you about the Light. No, I don't mean that thing in the ceiling, or the sun, or any physical, mechanical sources of illumination, so let's nip that idiot question right in the bud. I'm talking religion, people, which some of you desperately need. A religion that isn't bullshit.

[He leans forward; steeples his hands.]

First of all: no gods. No capital G 'God' or 'Maker' or 'Creator' or what-have-you. No offense if that's part of the dogma, I guess, but it doesn't strike me right. Most of the gods I've met needed a swift kick to their many-mouthed faces, personally.

Second of all: no judgment. Of course, those who wield the Light can and must judge, but the Light itself brooks no discrimination. Whatever you've done, and for whatever reason you've done it, the Light forgives. The Light is grace: by definition, ever present, albeit never deserved. A gift of the universe.

Because, you see, the Light is an omnipresent, divine force. It is the name we give to every person's individual connection the universe. Under its teaching, we recognize our place in the great span of space and time--and our responsibility to influence the universe positively, to bring comfort, to soothe pain, to offer hope.

[Adra gestures with his hands, and as he does so, Light sparks from his fingers. The energy darts around the room, looking for all the world like a cascade of shooting stars. He might be trying to show off a little--or, at least, just trying to demonstrate that what he's talking about can be empirically observed.]

Practitioners follow a path of three virtues: respect, tenacity, and compassion, taught in that order. Don't worry: I won't go into it. Not today.

[But another day. Sooner rather than later.

The glow around his body fades. He smiles, a beatific, genuine expression.]

The point is--religion doesn't have to be damaging. It doesn't have to be oppressive. There are philosophies, churches, that work for good. Mine is one of them. It's here for you. I'm here for you.

Just letting you know.

Comments

[justamobster]

Hey, just tellin' you what I seen with this "repent and all's good" deal. Never said I was that kinda fella, just known a lot who are. You wanna forgive everyone who goes signin' on with your Light bushwa, fine. S'your choice. Accept who you want into your flock, preacherman, ain't my call.

[hymnals]

You haven't seen clearly--or listened well, either. Keep putting words in my mouth, though, I guess. Whatever helps bolster your ridiculous argument.

[justamobster]

Ridiculous, says the fella who's been callin' other religions worthless and bullshit and gettin' touchy when folks question it. Y'know, if you wanna sell your brand of baloney, might go tryin' another approach. Flies and honey, not vinegar. All that.

[hymnals]

I'm not here to gather flies. I'm here to tell the truth. By the way--you haven't actually questioned anything I've said. You've mostly just projected the anxieties of your own world.

You do realize that you're defending a fear-based philosophy as a guiding principle for life, right? And--I'm the bad guy?

[justamobster]

Well, you're offerin' a religion to folks from other worlds. They're gonna bring the stuff practiced back home into the mix. Maybe you weren't expectin' that, but you shoulda been.

I questioned how religion'd work without a God or judgment. You said it was worthless. But y'know, nevermind. You ain't here for a discussion and I ain't here for what you're sellin'. Good luck with the convertin' and knightin' and baptizin' or whatever you do.

[hymnals]

You didn't 'question' it. So long as we're paraphrasing each other, you essentially said 'it won't and does not work'. How is that a question, or a discussion?

If your religion is based on inspiring fear and trembling, then yes. To my view, it's worthless. There'd be no need for the defensiveness, and no disagreement on my end, otherwise.

[justamobster]

Whatever you say, pal, whatever you say.

Bet the converts are beatin' down your door, better get to 'em.

[hymnals]

Conversion is not my goal. Someone of faith to speak to that won't judge them for who they are, or try to harm them based on religious principle--that's all I've put forth.

[justamobster]

Uh huh. Sure.

[hymnals]

So, tell me something, before you go. What did you hope to get out of this? Did you hope to say, 'oh, people only respond to spiked clubs' and I'd say, 'yeah, definitely', and that'd be grand? What was your plan here? Besides devolving into an unresponsive sulk.

[justamobster]

Dunno. Guess I wanted to see how this Light business is different from the religions from back home. Only difference I've seen's that the priests back home don't go callin' other faiths bullshit. And y'know, like to go talkin' 'bout doctrines and loopholes, 'specially when they got a pint in 'em.

So... Curiosity. Got no use for acceptance or forgiveness. Don't deserve it, don't want it. Sure got a helluva lot of judgment, though. Thanks for that.

Hope you find some folks who go along with everythin' you say so you can be "here" for 'em, like you said.

[hymnals]

No one has to go along with anything I say. No one has to do anything. Another great difference between my viewpoint and yours! I do mean 'great' very literally.

Yes, I judged you--well, not you personally, I don't know you--I judged what you told me. If you'll notice, I said that followers of the Light can and must judge. The Light itself does not. It's a force. Energy. It can't judge. Further, no one deserves forgiveness. That's not the point of being forgiven.

[Probably should just close the feed, Ladon. He's too obnoxious to let things go.]

[justamobster]

Dunno. Gettin' called hateful for pointin' out a problem sounds like you want folks to put up and shut up. But hey, what do I know? You're the preacher.

Great, so havin' people wieldin' this Light shit judge instead... Sounds like buncha souped-up coppers on some kinda holy mission. [ The idea makes him shudder. Talk about combining two very corrupt and very terrible groups into one. ] Think I'll stick with God, even if we ain't on the best terms.

[hymnals]

It is absolutely, objectively hateful to advocate for a way of life that rules through fear. Fear puts negative energy into other people, and into the universe at large. Fear is the path of shadows. I will rail against it.

I'm not certain how that ties into your notion of a ... 'copper' ... or whatever, but. My only mission is what I described above: comfort the hurt etc. Charity and soup. Without the threats.

[justamobster]

If you're gonna judge people, you're gonna scare 'em. Don't see how renderin' judgment's any different from scarin' folks into line. Especially if you got some kinda magic on your side that they don't.

Uh huh. I'll believe that when the Hell you prob'ly don't believe in freezes over.

[hymnals]

Am I? No one here seems particularly afraid. Everyone I'm speaking to is either needlessly defensive--like yourself--or in need of the reassurance I mentioned.

[justamobster]

Because you're a single fella surrounded by folks from other worlds with other beliefs and powers. If we were outnumbered by people proclaimin' divine judgment from some power only they can use to judge others, fear'd be the first thing people'd feel, insteada resentment.

One wasp's annoying. A whole nest is dangerous.

[hymnals]

Wait, wait. First you disagree with what I've said because you interpreted it as a no judgment, now you disagree because you're interpreting it as ALL judgment?

There's a middle ground, here. Faith is not a dichotomy.

[justamobster]

I'm sayin', if there's gonna be someone decidin' if my soul's worthy or not, I'd it be one God who sees and knows all and ain't got any conflict of interest, yeah? People with power to make that kinda decision are a fuckin' nightmare even when somethin' like your soul ain't on the line. Cops, judges, the whole system. Put some sorta divine right in their hands and fuck. No.

Priests say some real terrible shit, yeah? I get that. But they ain't got the last say. Havin' a vengeful God's good for some folks, considerin' others take havin' a forgivin' God for granted. If I want someone sayin' yeah, put him back in the cycle or no, throw him into the pit, I want it to be someone who knows me and everythin' I've done and why I've done it. If I'm damned, s'fine, so long as God decides and not some fella who thinks he can just 'cuz he's got glowy hands.

[hymnals]

[He rubs his chin.]

Interesting. I mean, there's no pit for any of us to throw any souls into, and we couldn't if even if there was--but. I see what you're saying.

[justamobster]

I ain't no saint and I ain't missin' no services bein' here. Pretty sure there ain't a church in Nieve that'd go outta their way to get me in the pews. But in the end, what the folks runnin' them think of me or my kind... That don't matter. Don't mean it don't hurt. But that's part of livin'. People go hurtin' one another 'cuz we ain't perfect. Hell, ain't so sure God is, either, but I'll take my chances on Him.

[hymnals]

[This is starting to get oddly personal and specific, again. Hmm.]

--your 'kind'?

[justamobster]

Yeah.

[ Dragons, for one. But for the other... ]

Toldja I knew fellas that would do terrible things, then go repentin' for it so their soul'd be safe. Don't meet those kinda people workin' in a shoe shop or a bakery.

[hymnals]

[The Light accepts dragons.]

The hell you don't. I knew a death cult that worked out of a bakery. Helped distribute plague-infected grain to a whole city. Banality of evil and all that.

[justamobster]

Well, that's them followin' what their God told 'em. Or at least, their religious leaders.

I'm talkin' less "evil for evil's sake" and more "hurry up buryin' the body, Donnie, my wife'll cast kittens if I'm late for church again."