Starsaber wrote:DrakBibliophile wrote:
As for removing Books from the Writ, IMO that's a "step too far" for Safeholdians.
It's one thing to de-emphasize the Book of Schueler, but removing it (or other books) would be saying that the Archangels "make a mistake".
The story of Shan-wei establishes right in the Writ that the archangels aren't infalible. I do think this isn't the right time for the grand gesture of tearing the book of Scheuler out of the fancy copy of the writ at the pulpit in Tellesburg Cathedral though. Too inflammatory.
You are right that the timing is important and it is too early for most safeholdians to accept major changes to the writ but at some point these changes must be made and the transition must begin now. While the armies of the EOC are transforming the political structure the religious structure must be radically changed. Questioning the infallibility of the "Archangels" is a necessary first step but only a first step. If the Archangels are fallible in their words and actions then why can't they be in their writings as well? The horrible and gross book of Schuler must be removed as it gives permission, indeed gods approval for people to commit atrocities against their fellow humans. At the very least, it must be re-interpreted as Schuler was only describing what would happen to people in hell and never intended these evil acts to be carried out on Safehold.
The proscriptions can be allowed to wither away and just become irrelevant, interpreted as that was good advice for that time but now with technological advancements it no longer applies.
The return could be used to project holo images of Schuler and Jwo-Jeng in the temple to give these interpretations.
At some point the real truth needs to be told and the "Archangels" exposed as human and some of them as frauds and liars. Transitioning to that reveal by small steps or even further lies and half-truths may be a political expedient that is necessary to avoid an even worse bloodbath than is occurring now but the truth must be revealed if Safehold is ever to make the technological advancement necessary to confront the gbaba.
As for the propaganda war, even more important than what the Church of Charis is called is what the Zion Church is called. The church of Zion cannot be called the true church or anything that implies that it is the traditional or rightful church of Safehold. The ultimate goal in to completely destroy Langhornes church, not simply to replace its leaders with less corrupt leaders and perpetuate the lie. At the point when the EOC and its allies have won a military victory or it is clear that they will win, and that God is therefore clearly on their side, the next steps to change the religious culture of Safehold must be taken.
A new holy book or books based on the religious texts of old Earth is essential as part of that change. The strongly religious people of Safehold will need a new religion or religions to put their faith in, whether this is done quickly and violently by revealing the truth and establishing a new church based on a new religious text or as a slow transitional process.