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

[noctiphile]

Nothing. I'm simply satisfied.

[hymnals]

Oh, brilliant. So, given the line of insults you've just fed me about my tone etc, you're the idiot now. By your own logic.

[noctiphile]

[He laughs. Was it because that was so lame or because he agrees? ~*It's a mystery*~]

Well, I never claimed otherwise. And you did invite the insults, albeit through challenge.

[hymnals]

Challenge gets people talking. I've already helped a few people by doing this. I don't have any regrets.

[noctiphile]

Of course you don't. Whatever would your convictions do then?

[hymnals]

Not much. I'm old. Set in my idiot ways.

[noctiphile]

Oh, now that's just falling into stereotype.

[hymnals]

[He holds up his hands.]

I am what I am. Getting to this particular stereotype was a long road.

[noctiphile]

One full of condemned religions, no doubt.

[hymnals]

On Azeroth? Just the ones involving cannibalism and blood sacrifice, mostly.

[noctiphile]

[well, there goes the levity]

And are there many of those?

[hymnals]

[right out the window.]

Plenty. That's what I meant. Many-mouthed monsters. I've never met a god who wasn't hungry for blood.

[noctiphile]

... That certainly puts things into perspective. I see why you'd lean towards the Light. Such cruelty should not be associated with something like belief. It's unfortunate that it often is. In comparison, the Light seems like an ideal change. I won't argue you on that.

[hymnals]

Ultimately, my point was simply this: religion doesn't have to be a blunt weapon. The particulars of it, whether someone believes in a God or the grass under their feet or whatever else--they're not as important as how a given society uses those beliefs to shape the hearts of their people.

I've seen a lot of broken hearts.