The Light and Darkness

Sisters, brothers, friends and fellow subjects,

I must dispel some flawed logic that I hear being spread around to such an extent that it is being accepted, wrongly, as truth. Remember, just because a lie is repeated often and early, does not make it true.

This concept of "Balance" between Light and Dark is simply a convenient, and tiresome metaphor for a defunct philosophy. I will present my case from the most layman position possible so that all may hopefully understand. If more learned persons wish to discuss the science and faith more deeply, I will gladly do so in person.

Light, in basic terms, is an expression of energy which radiates from powerful things, the sun, the heat in our bodies. Darkness does not radiate from anything, it does not motivate anything, it does not provide or inspire.
The Light gets work done, the darkness just seeks to make that more difficult. Dark gods and intentions might as well call themselves the spiritual equivalent of a nuisance.

Apart from that worn out idea of "Balance" that wickedness has been given permission to use as a cloak, can any of you think of something positive and beneficial that darkness can do on it's own?
Yes, Balance and moderation are good things, but you do not need to invite lies and wickedness into your hearts to achieve balance. It would be like a thief saying to his jury "My victims pockets were lacking balance".

To further help eliminate this concept of Darkness playing any beneficial role , please give me one example of a useful and productive thing an agent of a Dark God could do for this world, that I could not? I would challenge Atrus or any of his ilk to provide me one solitary example of a useful purpose they serve, that I through study or reasoning and practice could not also do without worshiping a dark god.

I will save them and the rest of you the trouble, there is nothing that they can give you, that you can already not give yourselves. Darkness seeks only to impede good people from doing needful things. Yes, yes, you may say "But we all have darkness inside of us" until you are blue in the face. It does not make it true. We have blood and bowels inside of us too, shall we make a church to them? The physicians might be insulted.

We all have moments of weakness, or moments of doubt, or times of sorrow and pain, but that is not darkness.
A man tortured by pain and doubtsis not filled with darkness, the body is still warm to the touch, it still glows with the constant effort of its will to survive. Do not give darkness credit for the things that the energy of good and vibrant things can already do for themselves.

Death does come at the end of life, but we live our lives full of purpose and hope because we are alive not because we fear death. Please speak up now if you would live your lives differently if tomorrow you found out that you would live forever. How many of you would break your bonds of friendship and give up your work and leave your crops untended or your projects unfinished if you knew you would never die?

Now you see, death and darkness and fear do not get credit for any of your efforts. You do what you want because you are a luminous being and effort and energy and love and passion and kindness are what we are driven to embrace.

I look forward to seeing you all when next we meet.

One benefit? No, let’s go further. Let’s all live in a world where the light wins over darkness completely for a moment, shall we?

Well at first glance we notice some things: Days grow longer and longer until night itself is gone, and temperatures grow warmer and warmer until it is always warm everywhere. These things sound good at first thought, but think of how the world would be impacted. Bats, Raccoons, and even cats would no longer be able to live without being able to hunt in darkness, and would eventually all die out. But who cares right? They’re creatures of darkness, and must at least to some point be evil right? Even the shadows the light cast themselves would be gone. I hope you enjoy the bright of day, because you will never find shade from it again.

Without winter no plant life would ever die. Those trails you enjoy walking down would be overgrown with unending life. Without murder animals would be allowed to breed until they could no longer find shelter from the blazing sun. Life would just grow and grow on unchecked. People too would never contract disease, never die unnaturally, and thus there would always be more people than things to do. Have you noticed Travance had an issue recently with more people than jobs? Just think if nobody died before their time. I hope you enjoy the company of absolutely everyone else, because they aren't going anywhere.

Without crime everyone would always keep what they could manage to find, which means nobody would have anything special or better than anyone else. Everyone would eat the same meals as everyone else around them, drawing from what they had rather what they had not. Your clothes would be made the same, from what materials were available in your area. Your houses would all have to be exactly the same, wouldn't want to allow jealousy to fester in this new world of light. You would have exactly what you needed to live, but never anything more.

Without conflict, even Valos would need to give up on his desire for war. All the nations of the world, with all their differences would need to simply shut off their borders or give up their culture and allow it all to blend. That which makes anyone unique would have to die out eventually, the concept of individualism breeds conflict.

Once everyone was wearing the same thing, eating the same thing, doing the same thing you would have your “utopia”. A world without darkness. A world that is…. boring, and a world that is dieing.

The deer would thrive, and the insects would die without rot to feed its young. When nature finally unbalanced enough, the world would burn.

Yes, though it is not a pleasant concept, you need darkness.

-Orophin
Priest of Darkness

You both could have accomplished so much more in the time it takes you two to write down your arguments.
I could have watched you two demonstrate real power in less time.
Knowing both of you, I can tell you, writing your arguments down on parchment is awfully boring for what you two are really capable of.

-Ava

I thank you for your input Orophim.

I was almost promised that you would do better and so I find myself disappointed. As you have done two things which are in congruent with a cogent or proper argument. First, you have dodged the challenge by instead stating what you think are negative repercussions of a -literal- world of endless sunshine, not light.

Quickly I will run down your list of soft rebukes; No, goodness and ethical treatment of others does not mean everyone must have the same things, we all work and we all earn our worthy rewards if we try hard enough.
Nations can exist peacefully and without war in mutual benefit for each other, it is called compromise. Clothes? What are you talking about?

Also, you have decided to erect a "straw-man" to argue against and that no part of your rambling, birds and bees talk did you even attempt to address the ethical dilemma which your cult find themselves in.

I will allow you time to devise a more clever response, one that might at least grasp at the promise of conviction.
Happily would I discuss this with you in person.

I keep you in my prayers Orophim.

Of the five elements one must master on the path of the Tao, or Sensei if one prefers, the four basic elements are known to many. Earth,Water, Air, Fire-these are the order in which they should be taught and the lessons which are to be learned are based upon the principles of the former element. The fifth element is Void. It is the last element and one which I do not even bother discussing with students until they have a solid understanding of the basic four, this can take a lifetime for some to process, although many do not get that far. The nature of Void is a peculiar one, it brings about thoughts of emptiness, of darkness. But, this is not necessarily the case. Void contains the seeds of creation, an emptiness from which all inspiration and expression finds itself manifested. I will not talk more of these lessons, for it is a waste of my time and many of yours.

The moral here, is that yes, balance is necessary, and that those who "worship" the light do not know the lessons of darkness- of Void. Many whom claim to be champions of "goodness" and "valor" have in fact done more damage to this town and the people around them, than most all of Travance's enemies. These bastions of "goodness" and light have done and continue to destroy that which is around them. Your "Church" is too preoccupied with its own self-devourment, and although I hear cries of indignation and the like, and cries for my death, Your Angel Lucien, the one who wished me death, who so commanded you and so many of your ilk to kill me; he fell and is an Angel no more.

Call me evil, vile, dark, corrupted, call me what you will, all these words are small little placeholders for ideals which so many use and do not fully understand. By all means Travance, carry on with what you have been doing, just business as usual here, please don't ever change, your homage to the Gods of Darkness does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

I am always free to talk more in person concerning spiritual matters, any who wish to find me are free to seek me out, it most certainly could be a pleasure.

You ridiculous little men,

I do not attend your services and defecate on your beliefs; kindly, extend the same courtesy to the purview of my fellow scientists and I.

Science is the process through which absolute and universal truths are discovered. It is not a lever used to quantify the claims of one religious group or another.

If you wish to learn about the Scientific Method or the varying laws of the universe as discovered through its utilization, I am happy to instruct or refer you to the expert in the field. If not, do not assert fallacies and call them scientific truth. Its unprofessional and furthermore injures the credibility of science as a whole.

Now, kindly cease these obtuse ramblings or if you must, conduct them in private, and clutter no more these public boards!