PureNES: Epoch of Glory

Thoughts on Alamya

As the group walked quickly along the streets of Al-Ashar, Hakim turned towards Azim and began to speak in his native tongue.

"So, is it good to be back in the old country again?"

"I beg your pardon?" responded Azim in the same tongue, albeit spoken in a somewhat slow and unsure manner.

"Here. Suzira."

"I am not of Suzira."

"Where then? Are you-"

"I was born in the Alqazar Caliphate, not- here."

"Why that tone? Are you another one of those, filled up to the brim with the Caliphate's propaganda. Besides, from what I hear, Alqazar has been overthrown."

"You misunderstand me. I... I left the Caliphate years ago."

Hakim caught the hesitation.

"You left? Willingly or... otherwise?"

"My beliefs were not in line with those of the Caliph."

"You were exiled then. But what beliefs are these?"

"It is not quite as honourable as that. I fled before the inquisitors could get me."

"Why did they want you though?"

"I put other tenets before the love of God. And for that, I have not been in a country of my religious bretheren since that dark day so many years ago."

There was a long pause in their conversation, filled in by the Metti and Athurian discussion taking place between the other members of the group.

"The ways of the holy land are harsh." stated Hakim flatly, "I am glad that I am Hafsist."

"Hafsism... I remember hearing it being called 'The Heresy of the South' when I was young."

Hakim laughed.

"Heresy or not, it is the basis of this nation's success. Under the bonds of the Caliph, we would have never created such industrial and agricultural wonders, never have drawn such a wide variety of minds."

"Perhaps. But I can't help but think that this technology is corrupting the soul of Alamya."

"You work in a steamship. Besides, if we do not do this, we will be destroyed. The colonization of the north has shown that much. God does not- or at least, I think God does not want us to never advance beyond the technologies of the Prophet. To spread his word, we must first survive."

"I am not sure if I can agree. And it troubles me to serve on Zruyk's ship, though I owe the man a life-debt. The ship harnesses and enslaves the flame, to power a man's personal ambitions and goals. The weapons of the day are powered by fire and powder. What was once a thing of holiness is now bound to man's flawed desires."

"Hmm, you still have much of the Caliphate's conservative philosophies. I can see how you are troubled Azim, but this is the way of the world."

"I understand." Azim gave his compatriot a strange, tired expression, then lapsed back into silence as the group approached Carnelian's estate.
 
Yo NK is another hit from that update stuff ready? Cause I'm jonesin' man.
 
Out of sheer curiosity, have guillotines been invented yet? ;)
 
It's only delayed considerably, nothing bad (well, except from eager readers' perspectives, I guess). School has sucked up the weekdays, and last weekend was updating hell (people dragged me everywhere, I barely got one hour straight on the computer, which isn't enough to do anything). :p
 
So, predictions.....this week? Next? The one after that? :/
 
Given a choice between NK and Thy, I'll gladly prefer waiting on NK. I'm sure he'll come through by the weekend (even quicker if those annoying people didn't start so many wars ;)
 
On the Divine Being, Against the Heretics

Teach the ignorant when they are willing to learn

I do now kneel in supplication to that Most Exalted Being, who is Being itself, the Seraph, to whom I direct my thoughts, prayers, and actions, that in refuting you varied heretics against the Truth of the Almighty, as your error may be simply out of intellectual complacency and ignorance, rather than intentional rebellion against the Being of the Almighty, I may proceed with cool thoughts and truthful words, that I may keep in mind your eternal souls, and that my words may be directed at your correction and not your humiliation. For it would not befitting the Lord of Glory that my words should bring glory to me, a lowly servant, when all goodness and glory and honor is rightfully due Him who is Above and Apart from all things, and instead seek only your penitent return to a Right and True understanding of the features of the Divine, for as the Lord forgives and has mercy on the ignorant so long as they earnestly seek to know, so to must his servants work to edify those who have gone astray. Neither should orthodoxy be enforced against the one who strays by force, for this is no fount of true belief, but rather should the doctrines of the Church of the Almighty Seraph be fully and freely revealed and explained to those who misunderstand them, that may be made aware of their error and so come to know more fully the life of orthodox worship. For such a task, it must first be displayed how and why the heretics have erred, and then what the true teaching of the Church, informed and inspired by the divine, is on the matter, that the heretic may first be brought to an understanding of his own insufficiency and then to membership in that most insufficient brotherhood of servitude, nevertheless seeking after what Truth has been revealed, the Holy Church. In such a manner and with such a spirit do I intend to proceed, and may Seraph aid me in doing so, and may those merciful masters, possessed of far greater intellect than one such as I, chastise me humbly and lovingly when I go astray.

Understanding the Heretic Position

For no man better than I can know the position held by the majority of heretics, having been once a heretic myself and believing in so many lies and half-truths expounded by those who have lost the virtue of knowledge, teaching instead to glorify themselves and not That Which is Beyond. Indeed, these people have done no less than appropriate for themselves that office most rightfully and divinely ordained as the burden of the Church, that of maintaining and explaining the sacred texts and inspiring the masses with the knowledge of the Seraph. In doing so, they have failed not just in their devotion to the Seraph, but also in fulfilling that secondary purpose of the rational creature, that of properly directing his rational faculties. Indeed, that which can be known by natural philosophy, uninformed by the divine revelation entrusted to the Church of the Holy Seraph, yes, even this they have misunderstood. Mistakes an be forgiven, but when the way of things is plainly laid out in the scriptures, no man should go astray. For it is written, "The Seraph is maker and sustainer of all things" (III Meditations IV.vii) and "The Seraph is a most holy spirit" (II Meditations X.i). These texts shall be returned to, but they are to be considered and turned over in the mind. Thought is to be given them, and prayers said that the Seraph might reveal to the wayward the message contained therein.

For the position of the heretic is this, that the divine is truly and really divided into two, as the holy moons are not one and the same, but two, and as the Seraph chose to reveal himself through the twin moons, surely the secret of His essence is hidden within the moons. For as the Heresiarch[1] himself says, "The moons are not one, but two; so too the Gods must be."

Yet he goes to admit that, "Even so, the Divine Unity of the Will results in the Seraphic Union, for it is said that the Divine cannot be in conflict with the Divine."

The Orthodox Belief and the Truth of the Church

The idolatry of the ancients haunts believers to this very day, for the heretic is afflicted by such a belief. It is said in the writings of the Prophet Timotheos that "The images of God are not God; but the fool confuseth the two." (I Tim. III.xxvi) So it is that the that the natural reason of the heretic has failed him. What a man is is that will say 'Look! Hear! The moon madeth me in its image and did breath life into my lifeless body!" For, surely, the heavenly[2] cannot be confused with the divine, nor can the other images by which come to understand what pittance we know about Our Creator, for the Seraph your God is infinite and even the briefest of glances towards the nightly sky betrays the finite nature of the moons. Further, we are made for the glory of the Seraph, and yet it is evident by the works of the wise that the rounded earth moveth around the Sun, and, worse yet, that the moons doth revolve around the earth! What God depends in such a way upon His creation, while His Creation is so dependent on a foreign being?

Indeed, it must be understood that the heretics have confused the signs of the Divine with the Being of the Divine, and have pridefully sought to know what cannot be known - the very being of the Divine. They have sought to divide that which is of necessity simple, for any complexity in the Divine demands there be parts to construct complexity, parts which must come from some other source than the constructed, indicating a being higher than the constructed, namely the Constructor. Therefore, the person of the Seraph cannot be two, but must of necessity be one and only one in His essence. This is not to speak against the Facetist heresy, which has more weight in that aspects of the Divine can be recognized insofar as they have relation to Creation, but in His Essence, He must be Unified.

In this way is the Seraph "the maker and sustainer," for He is above and beyond all things, the creator of all and created by none, but necessarily existing, and indeed that He is a "spirit," which cannot be divided, but must be one, not many.

On the Meaning of the Two Moons

This is addressed in other treatises, namely, On the Interpretation of the Heavenly Signs. Therefore, let us conclude here with our refutation of the heretical position of the divisionists and abide in the Seraph, patiently awaiting those who come with questions that they may be answered according to His will and put to His good works.

OOC:
[1] I don't know... whoever founded the Dianist heresy
[2] As in, outerspace/the sky, not spiritual heavens.

So it begins. I don't have much to work of off, and I'm rampantly inventing doctrine, scripture, and philosophical history. I certainly intend to write the treatise addressed at the end and if I were a real theologian, I'd include it here, but I'm lazy so this is it for now. :p

Also, this is written by a low level member of a monastic order, but since I don't have much access to information on the structure of the Church, I can't say exactly where he's from or what his name is. I also don't really care, but I would prefer his ethnicity be Princepii or some other place where the Dianist heresy exists, as he was a Dianist before his conversion to Orthodoxy and now probably lives in the Empire somewhere.
 
Err who are thou playing?
 
I was playing Taenevix, but I never really followed through on that. Now I'm more like what I think Iggy is, simply a player character in the world, not a nation. Maybe eventually he will rise to leader of a Church or sect, but right now, he's just a theologian because I am interested in expanding the religion.

Also, Thy and NK, if I step on any creative toes, let me know and I'll alter it as needed (for instance, if you have a real canon of scriptures, or a real orthodox position I'm not adequately representing). And the sooner I get information on the Church structure/beliefs, the better :p
 
Thanks! I've decided the guy will be named Fr. Timotheus of [some Princeps city] of [someone help me with a name for an Order... any good saint names? Not Stephanus :p].
 
Damn you NK, I'm off to buy A Clash of Kings since I need to score and there is no update. I hope you are happy.
 
Well, I commend you on doing something useful while you wait. :p It is coming, though I'll be the first to admit that I'm way out of line here.
 
OOC: I find my AP Bio work to be quite interesting and taking up my time. :p You know, this sounds creepy but I get a brief "high" after I finish some portions of my homework...
 
Well, AFTER, finishing it I suppose. Completing homework is fun if you understand it and it's not too hard or easy.
 
The lack of update has driven me to cheap alcohol and easy women. Cant you see what are you doing to me?
 
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