O_N's recent post on the Church got my creative juices flowing. I've had the following 'speech' knocking about my head for a while now, and it needed to get out. Enjoy!
[BEGIN: Profit Leviticus 3; Speech before the Fidelis Council Minoras. 1900-23-12-231-M42]
There are some who say that we, as a Church, and as an Empire, are repressive. That we crush humanity's freedom to speak its mind. That we stifle the creativity of our citizens, and deprive ourselves of the innovations that they have never been allowed to produce. That we are poorer, and dirtier, and more base, as a result.
They point with envy, and acquired sentimentalities, to the great human empires of the past; particularly those of old Terra, as evidence of kingdoms richer and more tolerant than our own. Where even average citizens lived lives of splendor, with riches that our own masses can barely comprehend. That instead of measuring progress in terms of many lifetimes, humanity once marveled at the sweeping changes that it could accomplish in but a single generation.
My friends... I tell you now, freely, that they speak the truth. We ARE poorer because of The Way. We DO suffer. Our culture is the most advanced humanity has ever known, but it isn't the brightest, happiest, or the most free. We ARE tyrannical, and unyielding, and ignorant. This I will admit, here, right now, before you all. Freely. Even before the many eyes and ears of those who watch us always but do not comprehend.
But my friends... I also tell you, and our watchers, this... We are free! We are pure! We are united! For we have not been consumed by the greed, the vices, the schisms, and the grandiose self-deceptions of the Colser. Unlike them, we know exactly who and what we are. In every grisly and uncomfortable detail. Again and again we look them straight in the eye and stare... them... down! Both as individuals, and as a people!
For unlike our enemy, we are united as one in common purpose. Shunning all of the riches and splendor they hold dear; so that we might have the one thing they cannot. The one thing they yearn for, and lust for, above all else. Because they do not, and cannot, understand the purity of self-denial and the simple ideal of sacrifice for the sake of others. It is anathema to their very existence. Even now, though they watch and record these words, though they study them in detail in a thousand different ways, they cannot comprehend the simple truths I speak of. Truths that I know each of you understands.
Yet still, they are drawn to the light of our unity. Like moths to a candle, they cannot turn away. They cannot ignore us. Instead they orbit around us. Teasing us... cursing us... they call us barbarians again and again. They mock us in pointless battles for nothing more than sport, 'art', and their own sick entertainment. Yet... yet my friends, it is our world and our ideals that define them. Not theirs. They flit about and burn their bodies upon the flame of OUR candle. Not us around theirs.
For despite their riches, their machine slaves, and their high, vain, 'ideals', they are nothing without us. We act, and they REACT. What's more... deep down every single one of them knows it my friends. Without we 'stinking barbarians' to curse and scheme against, they would have nothing... absolutely nothing, with which to fill the emptiness of their own souls. Without us, they would turn on, and destroy one another in a single generation of bloodshed.
And that is our prison my friends. THAT is why we cannot live as we would wish. THAT is why we cannot be generous, or tolerant, or forgiving. THAT is why our skin cannot be smooth and unblemished by holy scars. THAT is why we can only dream of glorious freedoms long forgotten. Because we do not have the luxury of choice. Of being different. Of riches. Of beauty. Or of self-expression. Because in the face of our great enemy, any such longing becomes our downfall. Any such hope becomes perverted to their wasteful multiplicity of vain purposes.
Many have turned from The Way out of horror at what we are, and it IS horrible my friends. I still do not deny it. But where did their flight from The Way lead them? Nowhere... but into the gilded emptiness and unquenchable longing of the great enemy. For there is no other path. No choice. No option open to us that does not lead straight to what they are now. Even were we to try and walk a new path between what they are and what we are now, they would snatch us from it before we had trod a dozen steps. The Way is the only path we can trod.
And so all we have, and are, must be give over to Purpose and Purpose alone. That we might burn bright in it's light and outlast the soulless Colserans. To one day see the end of their glittering darkness. That one day The Way might lead us to the New Beginning. When we can be kind, understanding, and tolerant of one another. When we can regain our proper humanity and pursue our birthright along many different paths, and not just one.
Because one day the hated enemy will no longer be there to make this bitter oppression... this subjugation of our humanity... the only viable alternative to our assimilation. To our utter destruction as a unique people in the galaxy. To our fall into the empty pursuit of a thousand lusts and desires.
And their end will come my friends. I have seen it. As have all of my brethren who have walked among them. The Colser are wasteful beyond measure. Though their machines are efficient at collection, and though the galaxy provides a near-endless bounty, their resources ARE limited... and shrinking day by day. One day, whether it be a thousand or ten thousand years hence, we will see their end my friends. It is a mathematical certainty. On that day we will have our New Beginning!
We cannot beat them. We know this. But we can outlast them. If we follow The Way. If we follow The Way.
They point with envy, and acquired sentimentalities, to the great human empires of the past; particularly those of old Terra, as evidence of kingdoms richer and more tolerant than our own. Where even average citizens lived lives of splendor, with riches that our own masses can barely comprehend. That instead of measuring progress in terms of many lifetimes, humanity once marveled at the sweeping changes that it could accomplish in but a single generation.
My friends... I tell you now, freely, that they speak the truth. We ARE poorer because of The Way. We DO suffer. Our culture is the most advanced humanity has ever known, but it isn't the brightest, happiest, or the most free. We ARE tyrannical, and unyielding, and ignorant. This I will admit, here, right now, before you all. Freely. Even before the many eyes and ears of those who watch us always but do not comprehend.
But my friends... I also tell you, and our watchers, this... We are free! We are pure! We are united! For we have not been consumed by the greed, the vices, the schisms, and the grandiose self-deceptions of the Colser. Unlike them, we know exactly who and what we are. In every grisly and uncomfortable detail. Again and again we look them straight in the eye and stare... them... down! Both as individuals, and as a people!
For unlike our enemy, we are united as one in common purpose. Shunning all of the riches and splendor they hold dear; so that we might have the one thing they cannot. The one thing they yearn for, and lust for, above all else. Because they do not, and cannot, understand the purity of self-denial and the simple ideal of sacrifice for the sake of others. It is anathema to their very existence. Even now, though they watch and record these words, though they study them in detail in a thousand different ways, they cannot comprehend the simple truths I speak of. Truths that I know each of you understands.
Yet still, they are drawn to the light of our unity. Like moths to a candle, they cannot turn away. They cannot ignore us. Instead they orbit around us. Teasing us... cursing us... they call us barbarians again and again. They mock us in pointless battles for nothing more than sport, 'art', and their own sick entertainment. Yet... yet my friends, it is our world and our ideals that define them. Not theirs. They flit about and burn their bodies upon the flame of OUR candle. Not us around theirs.
For despite their riches, their machine slaves, and their high, vain, 'ideals', they are nothing without us. We act, and they REACT. What's more... deep down every single one of them knows it my friends. Without we 'stinking barbarians' to curse and scheme against, they would have nothing... absolutely nothing, with which to fill the emptiness of their own souls. Without us, they would turn on, and destroy one another in a single generation of bloodshed.
And that is our prison my friends. THAT is why we cannot live as we would wish. THAT is why we cannot be generous, or tolerant, or forgiving. THAT is why our skin cannot be smooth and unblemished by holy scars. THAT is why we can only dream of glorious freedoms long forgotten. Because we do not have the luxury of choice. Of being different. Of riches. Of beauty. Or of self-expression. Because in the face of our great enemy, any such longing becomes our downfall. Any such hope becomes perverted to their wasteful multiplicity of vain purposes.
Many have turned from The Way out of horror at what we are, and it IS horrible my friends. I still do not deny it. But where did their flight from The Way lead them? Nowhere... but into the gilded emptiness and unquenchable longing of the great enemy. For there is no other path. No choice. No option open to us that does not lead straight to what they are now. Even were we to try and walk a new path between what they are and what we are now, they would snatch us from it before we had trod a dozen steps. The Way is the only path we can trod.
And so all we have, and are, must be give over to Purpose and Purpose alone. That we might burn bright in it's light and outlast the soulless Colserans. To one day see the end of their glittering darkness. That one day The Way might lead us to the New Beginning. When we can be kind, understanding, and tolerant of one another. When we can regain our proper humanity and pursue our birthright along many different paths, and not just one.
Because one day the hated enemy will no longer be there to make this bitter oppression... this subjugation of our humanity... the only viable alternative to our assimilation. To our utter destruction as a unique people in the galaxy. To our fall into the empty pursuit of a thousand lusts and desires.
And their end will come my friends. I have seen it. As have all of my brethren who have walked among them. The Colser are wasteful beyond measure. Though their machines are efficient at collection, and though the galaxy provides a near-endless bounty, their resources ARE limited... and shrinking day by day. One day, whether it be a thousand or ten thousand years hence, we will see their end my friends. It is a mathematical certainty. On that day we will have our New Beginning!
We cannot beat them. We know this. But we can outlast them. If we follow The Way. If we follow The Way.
[END: Profit Leviticus 3; Speech before the Fidelis Council Minoras. 1900-23-12-231-M42]
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