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

[save_the_souls]

No, you're an arse that's using a feeble loophole.

I haven't heard any of the other religions here trying to shove their beliefs on other people. We've been co-existing, even when we don't agree. You have faith in the Light, that's wonderful. You want convents, I don't care. Go ahead and preach the Light. Build a church, even!

But you don't have to go around insulting people whose beliefs are different from your own. Especially when they aren't hurting anyone with them.

[hymnals]

Pretty defensive. You a fan of the fear-based faith, too?

[save_the_souls]

I don't fear God, no.

[hymnals]

Then why are you upset? If your religion doesn't oppress other people for who they are--and if it doesn't turn on forcing them to fear an unknowable entity--then I'm obviously not talking about you.

[save_the_souls]

You implied that other religions are "bullshit". That my God with a capital G deserves a swift kick in the face. Had I said yes to your question, I'm sure you had a whole justification for what you're doing prepared. You keep using loopholes, but what you're implying is still rude.

[Which hey, sure, admittedly- he does think sometimes God is unfair. Allen doesn't always agree with Him. But you know, it's like family- listening to someone who isn't part of the religion insult it is aggravating.]

I'm not going to pretend my religion is perfect. No religion is. Nor am I going to deny there are people who do fear God, or have used the religion to oppress other people back on Earth. That's certainly happened. As I'm sure it's happened in many of the other religions in this fleet as well.

But that doesn't mean it's alright for you to belittle the beliefs that are different from your own. There's no need to bash other religions to promote your own. You're just pissing people off when they haven't done anything to anyone in this fleet.

[hymnals]

I directly stated that other religions are bullshit. And if they're used as weapons against the populations they're meant to serve, then yes, they are. I have seen a clear need to state that religion does not have to be an oppressive institution.

If you want to keep getting defensive about that, feel free, I guess. Feel free to focus on semantics rather than substance.

[save_the_souls]

[there's a sharp intake of breath, and possibly a muttered "arse". Then a long pause as he tries to calm down.] Fine. I'm sorry for being defensive. We can discuss substance if you like.

[Though he still thinks you're an ass.]

You say the Light isn't oppressive and doesn't judge, but it's part of the role of wielder of Light to judge. What are you judging exactly then?

[hymnals]

[He's definitely an ass. No arguments there.]

Hmm. Like I said, the Light is a universal force. It's energy, essentially. By nature, it's non-judgmental. Answers everyone with faith. But those with faith are called to shape the universe in a positive way. Sometimes that means charity for the downtrodden.

Sometimes that means defending your homeland from an army of the undead.


That kind of thing.

[save_the_souls]

[He considers this for a moment]

That's...not so bad. If judging means charity work and helping the world, and not...smiting heathens.

[He could see some priests doing that in his world if they had the power, even if Christianity said only God had the final judgement of a person. He seems to get a pensive look at mention of the undead. As if he's debating saying something.]

As for the undead...what happens if you use the Light against them? I mean, what happens to the souls of those people put into such a state? Anything?

[hymnals]

To be fair, there was a group that saw 'smiting' as its number one priority. But they were a fringe group. Pretty universally disliked. Dismantled now, too.

The Light is anathema to undead. It will follow the intent of the caster--it can still heal their wounds, but even that is painful. I can't speak to their souls, but ... I know my brother's is intact. Intact and more penitent than ever.

[save_the_souls]

[He makes a slight face at that mention of the fringe group. Guess no religion is free of that.] Wonderful. I'm glad to hear they've been dismantled. Groups like that are terrible enough without powers to help them smite.

[in fact that's probably the only way the Spanish Inquisition could've been made worse.]

Your brother's- [That catches him off guard. Since hey, most people don't casually mention an undead brother] I'm sorry. Does he... [ergh how to ask] Does he have free will?

[hymnals]

All zealots crumble in the end.

[He shrugs.]

Yes, Aurelius has his own will. It was hard won, and he will literally never recover, but at least he can make his own decisions.