The 27 Theses

Fiction Portal Intergalactic Summit
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Out of belief in God and the horror that this corruption has seeded in New Eden, I find I must put these many grievances to paper, and show the Faithful what the Empire has done to us.

In the name of the Lord, Semper Pax.

  1. It is the will of God that all nonbelievers be shown the Light of God, for Heaven is there’s to inherit.

  2. It is not the will of God that nonbelievers who refuse the light be enslaved and tortured.

  3. Therefore, what authority does the Empire have to force these horrors on those that refuse the light?

  4. It is our holy mission by the Scriptures to see all who remain in the dark to be brought into the Faith and cured of Sin.

  5. It is not our mission to conquer, or enslave.

  6. The Empire has done these acts, and many more, without the backing of the Scriptures, yet the Emperor’s claim that God has willed it.

  7. While some may say that the Emperor is God’s mouthpiece, this too is a lie, as God speaks to no one but the Angels who transmit his message to the Worthy.

  8. The claim that the Emperor is a mouthpiece of God, and the entire coronation process in general, is not in line with the Scriptures, and has no religious backing.

  9. Yet, the Church does not dispute these things, and has instead embraced them.

  10. Once again, the Church’s law has no effect on the Word of God, since once again the Scriptures do not back it.

  11. In fact, the Scriptures lay out this exact type of thing as a sin. “To know the true path, but yet, to never follow it. That is possibly the gravest sin”

  12. Therefore, we now know that both the Church of Amarr and the Imperial Dynasties and Families are committing some of the worst sins described, but passing it off as the will of God.

  13. Let me repeat, this excuse is a lie and is a sin in the eyes of God.

  14. In fact, the entire government system of Amarr is riddled with heresies and sin.

  15. The Scriptures lay out the Faithful are equal among each other, and those who follow the light faithfully will be forgiven for their sins and let into Heaven, for it is theirs to inherit.

  16. This is not in line with the current class system within the Empire. I am not equal to a lord, despite the fact that we are both faithful.

  17. Furthermore, the duty of the Faithful remains unfulfilled. The slaves that the powerful keep are not enlightened, and are by nature inherently distrustful of the Faith for it is what took away their freedom.

  18. In addition, preaching and conversion is a rarity, and the only actual practice of our religion falls to the faithful clergyman and loyal citizen who are promptly ignored and used by Amarrian Lords for their own purposes.

  19. Tell me, has anyone seen Empress Catiz I pray?

  20. What about any of the other High Lords and royalty within the Empire?

  21. Have they ever shown more devotion to their faith then just stating at the end of a speech “Amarr Victor”?

  22. The Code of Demeanor tells us that the Wrath of God is immense and the Mercy of the Emperor is limitless. I feel a need to address these two points.

  23. To begin, the Wrath of God, which has seemed strangely absent from our foes, and in fact seems turned towards us.

  24. Drifters, Triglavians, the Empires, every other entity in existence besides the Caldari seem determined to annihilate us, and the Caldari don’t because we promised them aid against the Federation!

  25. Secondly, the Emperor’s have not shown Mercy of any kind to nonbelievers since Gheinok.

  26. Yet the Scriptures say that that is the purpose of the Emperor, to forgive sins and let the converted be cleansed and join the ranks of the Faith.

  27. From these points, I can only gather one conclusion. The Empire is corrupt and heretical. The ruling class have manipulated and bent the Scriptures to justify their nefarious actions. They have in terrorized, used, and discarded loyal believers for no purpose other than their own. They have brought the Wrath of God down upon us and installed an eternal hierarchy of murder, sin, and horror to benefit themselves and fight a constant, unending war against those who they should be converting, not killing. Ceaseless death, destruction, and terror is not the way of Amarr, is not the way of the faithful. I, Lursan Ayin, Immortal Capsuleer and Preacher of the Word, will not stand for this. I reject the Empire. I reject the lies that it’s rulers have propagated. I reject the sin and heresy that I have taken part in.
    Who shall stand with me?
    WHO SHALL STAND FOR THE FAITH?!

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God forgive me, for I have sinned.

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I would be less worried about God and more about Samira Kernher. She’s been typing for a while now.

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9 minutes plus as of your post.

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20 minutes now, still typing.

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"I give to you the destiny of Faith,
And you will bring its message to every planet of every star in the heavens:
Go forth, conquer in my Name, and reclaim that which I have given."
-Reclaiming 22:13

The manner in which that conquering, and Amarr’s ordained rulership over the worlds of the Heavens (as detailed in the Book of Reclaiming), can have various interpretations, but certainly a command to conquer is not one that can be so easily dismissed as ‘not our mission’. The enemies of the outside have to be defeated, and Reclaimed under the Light of God. How we achieve this may not have to be through war, but defeating - conquering - the enemies within and without and restoring ourselves to holy oneness with God is our Destiny of Faith.

The great Amarr Empire was founded to cultivate the spirit of man.
To do so the enemies of the outside had to be defeated and the enemies of the inside controlled.
-Book I 1:14

Pain (or as stated by you, torture), is part of the process of defeating the enemies of the inside. Cutting out sin so that what rises again is pure is clearly established in Missions. Only through many hardships are we stripped to our foundations and able to rise again pure and closer to God.

As for slavery, it is incorrect to say it is not in Scripture. Slavery, and the rules by which they are taken, managed, and bought and sold, is established in Scripture under the rights of Holders. And our right to rule those that stand below us is established according to the rules of hierarchy detailed in Reclaiming. Whether slavery and the manner in which it is used are the best way to go about that rulership, or the best way to bring the lost into Amarr and the faith, is a question that can and maybe should be asked, but it is inaccurate to say that it has no religious backing.

"The Lord gave our Emperor the power to harness the Good and punish the Evil.
Ever since, the Emperor has lived the lives of his subjects and breathed the air of authority."
-Book I 1:14

By Scripture, God has given the emperor of Amarr the right of authority and the power to harness what is good and punish what is evil. By Scripture, it is the emperor that determines these things. It is incorrect to say that claims of the emperor’s power have no religious backing.

Of course, Scripture establishes that the emperor lost the power of Avetat, the crown of wisdom and justice, and this can perhaps be seen as a sign of the emperor’s fallibility in this dark age.

The Theology Council determines the proper interpretation of Scripture and the alteration or addition to it as necessary. To say that ‘the Church’ (which is rather a misnomer considering that encompasses so many things) has no effect on the Word of God is to say that the Scriptural laws written and added to Scripture by the Theology Council are untrue. Do you stand by such a claim?

It very well may be, but to claim that Scripture does not validate much of the things you state as heresies and sin is to ignore a large body of Scripture.

The Scriptures do not lay out what you are claiming. Only blooder apocrypha declare equality between all things. In Scripture, the First Book and the Book of Reclaiming very clearly establish the importance of hierarchy. God created the world and divided it, giving each piece its own purpose. And every one of those pieces serves one higher, until God on His Throne.

"For all things under Me serve one higher;
So Amarr shall rule the worlds of the Heavens.

As Garrulor rules the skies; as Frisceas rules the sea;
As Emperor rules Holder; as Holder rules Serf;
Yet all under Heaven serve Me;
So shall Amarr rule the worlds of the Heavens."
-Reclaiming 3.20 - 3.21

I cannot speak for the other houses, but there are many recordings demonstrating the piety of the lords Ardishapur.

We, the Amarr, are the wrath of God. For it is our Destiny of Faith to cultivate the spirit of man, to Reclaim the worlds of the heavens, and to serve as His Angels of Vengeance.

Nothing of the sort says that the purpose of the emperor is to forgive sins. His purpose is to harness the Good and punish the Evil. His mercy is limitless, but bestowing it is not his purpose. It is on the emperor and the emperor alone, according to Scripture, to determine who deserves mercy and who deserves retribution.

Dangerous things to claim, but we must always be vigilant about corruption and heresy within our faith. We must always ensure that we are acting morally, as righteous servants of God’s Will, and to seek moral reform when it is needed. There are, perhaps, things to question. But be wary of condemning while also calling Scripture sacrosanct. Scripture confirms and validates many of the things you speak against, and it is molded and even created by those you claim corruption. If there is heresy, God fobid, then it is to be found in Scripture as well, and it too must face deliberation to determine what is truly holy and what is the product of fiends and deceivers.

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True, but we are to reclaim these souls, are we not? To bring them into the light? How are we supposed to achieve this when the Empire actively seeks to enslave all who are not born of the “Amarrian Races”, therefore sabotaging our ability to convert them? By forcefully taking territory and enslaving the inhabitants, we have no ground to bring them into the Light, and many will then actively fight conversion. For example, the Matari.

I’m sorry, we must have different copies of the book, where are these “rights of holders”?
They are not in the core Scriptures, are they perhaps in one of the later additions, which were written in by those who wished their actions justified?

Exactly my point. By Scripture until the an Emperor regains Gods trust, they are fallible and not the mouthpiece of god.

I do. As far as I can see, the later additions serve only to further the ruling class’s goals, and not to serve the Word of God. The additions were written by Men, and not passed down by Prophets of God nor Angels. Therefore in my eyes they are not Scripture.

A. “Lead all children to the light of God, for Heaven is theirs to inherit.” - Reclaiming, 1:12.
Note All children, and not Amarrian children.
B. “So the Lord sent forth the Chosen, to bring forth the light of faith, and those who embrace his love shall be saved by his grace, for we are his shepherds in the darkness” - Reclaiming, 4:45
The Scriptures clearly state that all who embrace his love shall be saved, and that the Amarr are just his shepherds in that duty. We are to convert, and bring more faithful into the fold.

As far as I have seen in my years, many Lords forego their faith to seek glory and to grab power.

No. we are the shepherds of the Faithful. Our duty is to guide the worthy to Heaven and block the unpure, as outlined in the Book of Missions. God’s Wrath is His Angels and His Sword and His Power, which were brought to bear in the ancient times.
“Casting his sight on his realm, the Lord witnessed The cascade of evil, the torrents of war. Burning with wrath, He stepped down from the Heavens To judge the unworthy, To redeem the pure.” - Revelations, 2:12.

“The Mercy of our Emperor is Limitless. His Rule is Benign and Righteous. His Love is Perpetual.” - Code of Demeanor.

As I have proven, the Scripture disputes the claims of the Powerful. I remain vigilant, and I see sin and corruption within the Empire. I see Daemons sent to punish us. Call me a heretic, call me a fool, but I will not rest until the Amarr Empire returns to its sanctity, to its holiness, to its pure form.

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Please, Samira, I do not want to go back and forth on Scripture all day.
Pray with me, that our collective sins may be forgiven, and perhaps the Empire may become Pure, or if you are correct, remain Pure.

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Very well.

I do pray. We live in dark times. The search for God’s truth is a blessed one and we must always seek it, lest the Deceiver lead us down dark paths.

God bless.

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Amarr Vitra.

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Mmmm. I do love me some informed religious debate.

Delicious.

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Yo, 'xcuse me, where’s heaven in space?

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The Emperor Heideran VII showed mercy to nonbelievers several times. Indeed, Emperor Heideran VII, may his soul be at peace, was merciful enough that even the Gallente recognised this, awarding the Aidonis peace prize to His Majesty.

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Now the OP raises many interesting points for those of us ‘non-believers’. This for me highlights the difference between theology and religion.

Most theologies at their core are a group of rules designed to support a healthy society. Most boil down to don’t kill, cheat or steal. Very few people would argue against those points as being healthy, sane behaviours.

Religions on the other hand laminate theology with layer upon layer of decrees and rituals, all designed to instill servitude and control in the masses.

My view is that if an all powerful, all knowing being created and resides in everything, why would it need us to tell it so? Why would specific words need to be spoken in specific places in specif ways? Such a powerful entity would already know your thoughts before even you do.

Theologies make sense as lessons in beneficial social behaviours. Religions make no sense other than as a means to raise those in power into an unassailable position.

If any God or Gods exist, they can judge my life when I finally expire, in the meantime I’ll live as I see fit.

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I admit, this was hyperbole.
But my point still stands, most Emperor’s have not and did not follow their sacred duty.

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It seems like through the Pax Amarria’s influence, Heideran VII’s star remains ascendant, though.

Catiz I sits on the Imperial throne, though her own beliefs and views remain a little obscure. Her predecessor, Jamyl I, ordered release of vast numbers of slaves, and declared that the “time of chains” is ending. Of the Great Houses, only House Sarum still officially wants a Reclaiming of blood and fire. The others have bowed to the signs of history.

I’ll leave the theological argument to Samira; I’m not qualified to engage in it, though I watch with interest. But this is why I all of a sudden found your remarks considerably less worrying, pilot. If you turn apostate against the Empire instead of seeking to bring it into full compliance with what you see as its duties … well, firstly, it’s hard to draw a bright line between you and the Purity of the Throne fanatics (and traitors) whose SKINs have been very gradually disappearing from the market. Secondly, it means that there’s now a very shiny object for even the most paranoid and superstitious Amarr to focus their anger on. Which … may distract them from certain things, but one of the things it’ll distract from is fixing the very problems you pinpoint.

Tearing down what you see as wrong is maybe a necessary step. But. Maybe you could have tried a little more diligently to do that from within (and for all I know you did just that) before turning rebel?

It seems to this particular heathen outsider that there’s already a lot of healthy life to be found here. It just needs to be encouraged. Strong, healthy roots can crumble even stone, given time and nourishment.

I think, pilot, you might have done better for your cause if you’d stayed.

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For now I do stay, and I preach. Unless the Theology Council wishes to sends it’s hounds after me I will spread the word. And if they do I will find safety and continue to write, continue to preach.
This is not a declaration of defection, it is a declaration of the wrongs I have seen committed, that I have committed, that the Scriptures do not justify, and even discourage. The Empire has done wrong in the eyes of God, and I only want for it’s people to be saved from the horrors that wait in Hell.

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You’re a capsuleer, pilot. You’re pretty MIO-proof, as far as that’s possible. Our level of independence and immunity is actually a little absurd. What isn’t safe is your family, if you have one; as you no doubt know, the Empire uplifts-- or demotes-- families more than individuals.

Edit:

Oh. Also people listening to you, potentially.

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My family is being sent to safety as I speak, and I pray for my grandchildren. For any who wish to follow my example and support me as I fight for our return to the purity of the Scriptures, I bid them to join me, to write, to preach, to speak out.

However, I have decided I will not hide. If my life is to be taken, if my implants are to be removed, if I am to be a horrific example of the Empires wrath upon those that would tell the truth, so be it.
I will stand, I will preach. And if I die, perhaps my words will spark a new light, in the darkness.

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Only, pilot … none of those things will happen to you over this, almost certainly. You’re basically ruler of your own personal nation-state. That’s what capsuleers are: free-willed weapons of mass destruction (or construction, followed by destruction somewhat later) with personal sovereign domain over whatever happens to fall into our grasp.

This bizarre situation’s not unique to the Empire. It’s seemingly not even specific to the empires generally; it even seems to apply in places like Curse. (Someone asked where Heaven is? Well, technically….)

Capsuleers do disappear sometimes, but, not with the kind of pattern that suggests we’re being punished for our crimes. The people who will be in danger from your words, will be those who hear them, who maybe act on them-- and who lack your immunity.

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