Glorious
Recently, an Atlantean sect proposed to build a most glorious temple with built-in eateries and other entertainments, for the goodly harvest of about 300 million Atlantean thalers. Not to be outdone was another sect, which purposed in their hearts to set up a project costing about 1,000 million Atlantean thalers in total.
Across the world came a horrendous earthquake. 200,000 people died. The Atlantean priesthood sent 50,000 thalers in aid. Some people protested at what they saw was a petty response.
I didn't think it was petty at all. For decades, the priesthood of Atlantis has said that aid is partly from the people and partly from the priesthood. If the people can afford to spend 1,300,000,000 thalers on temples, they can surely spend a few thalers on the disaster-stricken on the other side of the world.
I did some calculations. Even in rich Atlantis, it costs 20,000 thalers to build a classroom in a school. In an expensive school, it can cost 60,000 thalers — I should know, since my family overpaid for one and were never acknowledged for it. But this madness is even greater, because public housing costs about 2-300,000 thalers if you're looking for a reasonable size.
On the other side of the world, a few thalers will buy medicine, security, survival, life. The priesthood has saved at least a thousand lives, while the faithful have built temples. Glorious temples. Great temples. Money-spinning temples designed to entrap more faithful while creaming off their sinful gold. To build more temples. More glorious temples. Greater temples. (And over the years, many, many temples of all kinds, all over the face of the world.)
Temples that will wink from their golden eyes in their titanium faces, while the poor across the world lie dead in a muddy ditch. And one day, the Judge will walk the hallways of history, and He will see this, and He will strike the temples and their memory from the minds of men as He once promised — "I never knew you," He will say.
And the dead will rise. Glorious.
Across the world came a horrendous earthquake. 200,000 people died. The Atlantean priesthood sent 50,000 thalers in aid. Some people protested at what they saw was a petty response.
I didn't think it was petty at all. For decades, the priesthood of Atlantis has said that aid is partly from the people and partly from the priesthood. If the people can afford to spend 1,300,000,000 thalers on temples, they can surely spend a few thalers on the disaster-stricken on the other side of the world.
I did some calculations. Even in rich Atlantis, it costs 20,000 thalers to build a classroom in a school. In an expensive school, it can cost 60,000 thalers — I should know, since my family overpaid for one and were never acknowledged for it. But this madness is even greater, because public housing costs about 2-300,000 thalers if you're looking for a reasonable size.
On the other side of the world, a few thalers will buy medicine, security, survival, life. The priesthood has saved at least a thousand lives, while the faithful have built temples. Glorious temples. Great temples. Money-spinning temples designed to entrap more faithful while creaming off their sinful gold. To build more temples. More glorious temples. Greater temples. (And over the years, many, many temples of all kinds, all over the face of the world.)
Temples that will wink from their golden eyes in their titanium faces, while the poor across the world lie dead in a muddy ditch. And one day, the Judge will walk the hallways of history, and He will see this, and He will strike the temples and their memory from the minds of men as He once promised — "I never knew you," He will say.
And the dead will rise. Glorious.
etched with acid at 11:36:00 am
4 Comments:
At least the priesthood's response is better in monetary terms than that of say, the descendants of the Knights Hospitaller, where the apostle Paul has been washed ashore in days of old. Their response was limited to a collection drive. And this despite their affiliation to the Holy See and their state's reputation as a finance centre.
But then again, it's the thought that counts, no? And in their defence, their population is less than a tenth of Atlantis'.
I think it's better in per capita terms than that of the Middle Kingdom, but I could be wrong. It's hard to find equivalence between humanitarian services, humanitarian aid, general aid, and all kinds of stuff in cash and in kind.
Fortunately, Wikipedia does that all for you. ;-)
As much as this may be a sweeping statement / generalization, surely money doesn't solve everything.
I find it rather... odd that some people think that money is an effective way to solve most matters. Throwing money at something doesn't always provide a solution.
Perhaps I have am prejudiced due to my own beliefs, though of course different situations call for different responses, be it actual action or a less active response. Walking with God has taught me that much. After all, sometimes all you can do is just pray, pray, pray. And listen.
Then again, perhaps it has something to do with the oh so bountiful amounts of energy one has as a youth, that demands to be used up somehow, through action of some kind. Of course, this is always a potential stumbling block, in one way or another. Or maybe I inherited the "action" mentality from my name-giver in the Bible, who famously said that faith without works is dead. Heh.
/Sorrows
That makes me feel quite bad.
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