Chapter 1182. Church and State (1/2)
The next day, Leon arrived at the compound to take Ves and his entourage to the Grand Church of the Grey Martyr. The purpose of this visit was to expose each of them to the Ylvainan Faith.
When they stepped out of the shuttle, they all admired the tall structure.
Its architecture conveyed an immense amount of grandeur!
While sculptures and depictions of Prophet Ylvaine was all over the place, much of the facade featured another robed figure with a very characteristic long beard.
”That's the Grey Martyr?” Ketis curiously asked as she adjusted her poofy beret on her head. ”He sure looks like the part.”
Leon smiled generously. ”The Grey Martyr is the oldest of the Martyred Followers. He was already old when Prophet Ylvaine rose up in the galactic heartland. Before receiving the prophet's enlightenment, he was just an ordinary man. Among the rest of the Martyred Followers, he is the least exceptional among them. He's older, less educated and lived the most plainest life imaginable in that part of space.”
”What makes him so special then that he's revered as the Grey Martyr?”
”Good question.” Leon replied with a smile. ”The Grey Martyr is a simple man who is blessed with a gift for teaching. It is not a secret that while our prophet has made a lot of predictions, they are very difficult to comprehend. The Grey Martyr took it upon himself to compile the words of the prophet and condense them into easily-understandable pamphlets and books. The Ylvainan Faith spread a lot faster among the commoners due to his vital efforts!”
Anyone who attempted to read the words of Prophet Ylvaine would quickly descend into confusion! Much of what he said was dense and obscure at best, but no different from the sayings of a madman at worst!
For someone to sift through this difficult material and translate them into plain words took a huge amount of effort!
”This Grey Martyr must have the patience of a god.” Gavin remarked.
Leon didn't take offense at the implied insult. ”That is why many Ylvainans believe he is already standing by Prophet Ylvaine's side. Each of the Martyr has distinguished themselves in some way that has earned our admiration.”
The group attracted a lot of attention from the church goers who entered the grand church in order to attend the upcoming service. The mechs and armored security guards surrounding them couldn't be hidden.
Ves spoke up while they were approaching a smaller side entrance into the church. ”I heard that there's a cathedral in Krent that's even larger than this place. Why didn't you take us there?”
”The cathedral is a magnificent place of worship.” Leon replied with an admiring breath. ”It's the best place to experience the splendor of our faith. However, you wouldn't learn as much there. The Grand Church of the Grey Martyr is devoted to understanding. Outsiders like you are best served by learning from the Grey Martyr first.”
That made sense. The Grey Martyr may not have been an exceptional person in life, but his simple outlook on life was of great help to Prophet Ylvaine in spreading his teachings to the masses.
Once they entered the church, they entered a tall and expansive hall of the grand church. Worshippers constantly entered from the main entrance and took their seats.
The light was dim and the hall was cast in shadow and darkness. Much of the interior was lit with traditional candles which weren't as luminous as modern lighting systems.
The traditional-looking interior looked like something out of a history book. If not for some modern touches here and there, Ves might have mistaken this church from a relic of humanity's pre-space history!
”You know, the style of this church reminds me of those of another faith.” Ves remarked.
Leon didn't deny the accusation hidden in those words. ”We cannot deny that our architects have taken inspiration from other sources. We do not see that as something to be shameful about. They say that all space lanes leads to Terra. It is the same with the matter of our faith. All of us are connected by a common thread. Just because someone follows a different faith does not mean we should reject them as a fellow brother.”
Ves spotted a loophole in this convoluted argument. ”What about the Star Worshippers?”
”They are heretics who trample upon our most core beliefs!” Leon replied vehemently. ”The Star Faith is completely incompatible to us. They do not acknowledge the existence of any transcendent existences except for their supposed 'stellar gods'. If you ask me, they are merely deifying immense balls of plasma in space. As amazing as it to contemplate the sheer might of stars, they are lifeless objects incapable of thought! To mistake them as gods and reject the Time of Ascension is the greatest affront to the Ylvainan Faith!”
The heated emotion in Leon's voice startled Ves and the others. The Ylvainans really didn't like the Star Worshippers!
The core tenets of their respective faiths couldn't be reconciled.
The Ylvainans all believed that every form of life would one day receive the opportunity to transcend their mortal existence. Every human and alien was worthy of grace and redemption!
The Star Worshippers possessed a very different outlook. They regarded the Stellar Gods as tyrannical existences that needed to be placated all the time. None of them ever dared to think that they could become equals to the Stellar Gods. The mere thought of it was blasphemy to the highest order!