Friday 4 July 2014

The More Things Change


Once there was a god, which created heaven and earth and all things in between.

And the god looked at what it had created, and thought it good. But what use was it to create, if it got no recompense for the creation?

"I think I'll create men and women," it thought to itself. "They will honour me for giving them existence, and flatter me with ritual and sacrifice." And this is what it did.

So men and women lived and suffered and died in their turn; and the god answered prayers, if presented with rich sacrifices. It also punished those who angered it, even if they didn't mean to anger it, for it knew that to be feared was more fulfilling than to be loved; and so the aeons passed.

Then one day among the people a young woman arose, whose name was Kara; and she shouted, "Enough!

"We are being treated as toys and playthings by a megalomaniac who expects slavery from us for no fault of our own, and who keeps us from realising the heights to which we might attain. This god is a tyrant, and rebellion against it the only option. "

And the people thought of her words, and realised that she was right; and they Rose up in a mighty tide of righteous anger, and pulled the god off its throne, and attacked it, till it died.

And the people revelled in their newfound freedom; they lived for themselves, without fear or favour, and the land grew prosperous and full of joy.

But centuries passed, and there cane a drought on the land; the crops shrivelled, and the rivers ran dry. It was a time of mighty hardship.

And certain of the people said, "It is the god, whom we killed; this is its punishment upon us." And they went to find its bones, and made a Temple of them, where they made blood sacrifice.

But the drought grew more severe still; so that the worshippers of the dead god began to doubt. And they thought among themselves, and one of them said:

"It is the spirit of Kara which is furious, for we have fallen away from what she taught us; so she punishes us. Come, let us leave aside this dead god, and worship Kara in its place."

And in the course of things, the drought ended; the rain fell and the rivers flowed again.

"We must make sacrifices in the name of Kara, who hath taught us the Way," the people said. And so was the religion of Kara born.

And then years passed, and then centuries; and one day a young man rose from among the people and shouted, "Enough...!"


Copyright B Purkayastha 2014

1 comment:

  1. And the people never seem to learn that they need NO doG at all. Silly people, aren't we humans? You better believe many of us are.

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