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Intergalactic Summit

 
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Dear God...
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Ava Starfire
Khushakor Clan
#121 - 2012-09-05 14:41:07 UTC
Azdan Amith wrote:
You are right, we don't. Your cultural identity is of no value in the eternal time scale and clinging to cultural identity above and beyond your spiritual well-being is exactly what the Amarr seek to dissuade. Our interest isn't in destroying your culture nor in eradicating your racial identity, our interest is in cutting away all that would keep you separated from righteousness and God. This unfortunately requires that certain things you consider fundamental to your culture will be undermined and even destroyed by the Amarr without giving you a choice in the matter, yes.

I understand why this breeds hatred, anger and malice toward us but I still hold my belief that it is an acceptable price to pay in order to help as many of you find your way to God as possible. I can and do apologize for the immoral and inhumane atrocities that have been committed within the folds of slavery, I can and do apologize for the hatred and malice you've been shown by many Amarr who claim to be doing God's work and I grieve at the loss of life on both sides of the ongoing conflict between our people.

Yet I will still try and be both honest and sincere in my dealings with you and all others, even if this means I am misunderstood and even despised. Perhaps one day the grievances between us will be rectified, until then we can continue to pursue understanding.


Mr. Amith, the differences between our people are more than simply "Slavery bad!" "Heathen bad!". Contrary to popular belief amongst much of the cluster, we are a deeply spiritual people, and our spirituality is a component of all aspects of life, from childbirth, to tattooing, to eating a meal. A core part of our belief is "the Path" which is ours to walk; spirits guide, but they do not dictate. They merely offer hints. The journey, that Path, is the destination, not some goal we hope to eventually arrive at. This is very different from the Amarrian perspective of "arrival" at concepts like righteousness (Who decides what is rightous, by the way?) and eventually to your heaven. Death for us is another part of our journey, it is not an end, merely another turn on our path.

So, yes, by desiring that we (or any other people) change our religious views, you are demanding that we change our culture. Minmatar reeeally dislike having that journey interrupted or interfered with, for obvious reasons. This is likely why after so many centuries, we still rebelled; your ways are simply too different from ours.

We find our way on our Path in our own way. The fact anyone believes that we require an external source to direct us on a "proper" path is pretty upsetting and belittling to us in the extreme. I am not attacking you; i am trying to simply explain something that not many take time to consider.

"There is no strength in numbers; have no such misconception." -Jayka Vofur, "Warfare in the North"
Azdan Amith
Doomheim
#122 - 2012-09-05 15:08:41 UTC
Ava Starfire wrote:

Mr. Amith, the differences between our people are more than simply "Slavery bad!" "Heathen bad!". Contrary to popular belief amongst much of the cluster, we are a deeply spiritual people, and our spirituality is a component of all aspects of life, from childbirth, to tattooing, to eating a meal. A core part of our belief is "the Path" which is ours to walk; spirits guide, but they do not dictate. They merely offer hints. The journey, that Path, is the destination, not some goal we hope to eventually arrive at. This is very different from the Amarrian perspective of "arrival" at concepts like righteousness (Who decides what is rightous, by the way?) and eventually to your heaven. Death for us is another part of our journey, it is not an end, merely another turn on our path.


I understand this and have never accused you of being anything less than spiritual.

However, I will touch upon a few points. First, there is a path to righteousness not just an "arrival," the path is called penance and it is the walking of this path that is important, one does not simply just arrive at righteousness. As for who decides what is righteous, God does. Righteousness is depicted in God's character and God's commands through His Word, the Scriptures.

Likewise, death for us is simply a part of the journey, it is the beginning of our eternal existence in Paradise with God. You may consider these "arrivals," but they are merely destinations. Whereas you view the journey as the destination, we view the journey as the necessary path leading to that destination.

Ava Starfire wrote:
We find our way on our Path in our own way. The fact anyone believes that we require an external source to direct us on a "proper" path is pretty upsetting and belittling to us in the extreme. I am not attacking you; i am trying to simply explain something that not many take time to consider.


It isn't demeaning or belittling, we all require external guidance, even the Amarr. I believe you are expressing that you see it as demeaning and belittling, but I am expressing that it is not meant to be so.

You are right in that our views are simply incompatible, which I believe is a point I have made to you on more than one occasion already. This also is not meant as an attack on you but merely a clarification of our mutual understandings.

~Archon Azdan Amith,  Order of Light's Retribution
Kalrasha Cryton
Absolute Order XVIII
Absolute Will
#123 - 2012-09-06 09:15:00 UTC
Dear god, I wish my corporation history was not so long and that my nubness is not as bad as everyone know's I are
Lady Hanguko
Koho Exploitation Corporation
#124 - 2012-09-10 08:32:43 UTC
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" Exodus 20:7