Declaration of Rights/Emancipation Proclamation

Highjohn wrote:In regards to a religious declaration, I am referring specifically to Ninian's evidence. With regards to the conflict of religious authority I am refereeing to the creation of the Church of England(Church of Charis). Plus the Church of Corisand which is partially part of the Church of Charis but also partially separate. The CoC is now a new and unprecedented in Safeholdian history, religious structure. It is unprecedented in that it is both new and separate and also isn't necessarily claiming that there will ever be a reunification.

McGuiness wrote:Unfortunately, the sadists who fill the ranks of the Inquisition rather enjoy torturing prisoners - and what sort of sick mind do you have to possess to do that sort of thing to you fellow man, even if you are deluded into believing that you are saving their souls?

The armies on the side of the CoGA are not blameless innocents lead astray by the evil inquisition. You need to consider two things.

One: The soldiers in those armies are actively involved in the butchery. See German are in WWII and the subsequent white washing. The SS most definitely the only people who were part of the genocide.

Two: Those sort of sick minds are common throughout humanity.

Samuel Wylsynn came to the conclusion that the schism would never be healed, and that Mother Church would actually split into multiple schisms. So with that bit of foreshadowing, we can expect the religious wars to multiply and get worse.

I've noticed that quite a lot of the CoGA's soldiers are fanatics, and seem to be every bit as sadistic as the inquisitors they aid in their horrific acts of torture and murder. I suspect that if those soldiers are captured by the allies, (especially Siddarmarkan troops) they will face a firing squad.

The EoC believes in the laws of war and tries to abide by them, even though the other side has put those laws aside because they don't apply in a "Holy War." Of course this doesn't stop Charis from pointing out that tossing out the laws of war works both ways, so the EoC has every right to commit the atrocities allowed in a Holy War by simple reciprocity. (See the surrender terms offered at Iythria by Yairley and Hektor.)

Religious wars are the worst, since they allow men to let loose their inner demons without guilt because "God wills it." I'm sure a loving God would be utterly sickened by that attitude and the actions that result. Unfortunately, not only have we not put those sorts of wars behind us, they seem to be increasing.

A lot of people who have done horrible things in God's name are going to be be surprised when they arrive in Hell, where Clyntahn will be waiting...

Hello, HighJohn,

Your remark about revolutions is valid. However I really didn't blame the Czars at all, except, of course, Nicholas II seems a particularly inept ruler who lacked the ability to deal with the situation from 1905 on.

However I am willing to defend the idea that the creation of a large landless class of people when combined with the brutal losses Russia suffered in WW1 provided the tinder for the fire that ignited in 1917.

Could it have been avoided? Maybe. Without Russia's involvement in the war, there might have been more time for a relatively small middle class to grow, creating a more prosperous country to find jobs for those dislocated serfs.

Dunno.

Don