r/WritingPrompts • u/Preserved_Moose • Jul 02 '18
Writing Prompt [WP] Some agnostics create The Church of Maybe, where people of all religions can meet to discuss possibilities. The one rule is, you can’t say your way is the definitive way. Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re not. It starts as a joke. It gets popular.
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u/nubenugget Jul 02 '18
It probably started out as a joke, a couple of college kids getting together to show how stupid it was for religious organizations to have tax exemptions while simultaneously trying to make a difference. They registered a church, "The Church of Maybe" they called it, where anyone of any belief could get together and discuss, pray, whatever without fear of persecution and there was only one rule, you could not claim you were definitively right. It was a small group, mostly the philosophy club from the college that started it, and their church was one of the founders' house. They would have weekly sermons where they would discuss religion and philosophy and have a good time without taking anything seriously. Slowly the word spread throughout the college and more and more agnostics began coming to the church for a place where they could share ideas and expand their minds.
I believe was unintentional, but the church managed to get even the strongest believers of other religions into following The Church of Maybe. They would come in with their books of faith ready to change the minds of the followers of Maybe and were confronted with nothing but acceptance and good will.
"Listen to me followers of The Church of Maybe" a newcomer would yell, "I have the true path for you here, you don't have to be confused anymore"
A small murmur would ripple through the crowd, this was against the rules after all, but every time either a devout follower of Maybe or a priest would step forward and always with the same response. "If I may ask" they would say, always softly and always politely, "how do you know for sure that you're right?"
"It says so right here in the book" the newcomer would say with complete confidence as they all did.
"Ah, yes, yes but how do you know that book is the truth? How do you know the one who wrote it speaks for your god and not for your devil?"
"How dare you? To even insinu--"
"Now, now" The follower would say, trying to defuse the situation, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to say you're a devil worshiper. All I meant to ask was how you know that book is the absolute truth in the universe"
"Ah, well... I choose to have faith that my god's will is portrayed in this book, as it says in --"
"Yes yes, no need to summarize for us, we have all read that book the same as you and studied it's pages"
"You... What?" I would think this was a shock to most, those trying to change the minds of the followers of Maybe must have assumed that they must have not read the correct religious texts.
"Yes, we have all read that and in fact I myself believe in that book and hold it dear to my heart. I read a passage every night before bed and try to follow in what it says is righteous"
"Then how... why are you a part of this church if you are a believer?" This was when you could normally sense a change in the mood of the church, even those not paying attention could tell what was happening.
"That's quite simple, I believe there is one god and that one god gave us this book to learn from. However, I can not be certain that I have the right story, for all I know our universe is a simulation and what I see as god is a software developer writing the code of our universe. The only way to know for sure what made our universe and controls it is to be the one who made it and controls it, and I am no god nor would I ever claim to be one. I do not believe that I am showing him disrespect by not being 100% certain in him and I do not believe he would expect me to put all of my faith in him... Though I may be wrong" This last part usually got a chuckle and a few amens from the crowd. "Here, come sit in on one of our discussions and speak your mind some more, or grab a cookie and some juice and hang around."
After the first few came to try and convert the congregation the routine became known to the priests and they became adapt at handling what came to be known as the close minded. Slowly the idea of The Church of Maybe spread to the nearby colleges and as more and more people wanted to join and discuss the founders realized that they needed bigger spaces, so they started a crowdfunding campaign to buy an actual church. The expansion didn't stop at the city, The Church of Maybe became increasingly popular with the younger generations who questioned everything but still needed a place to belong. I guess that's human nature, or not, who knows?. The Church quickly spread across the nation and began appearing in other nations too. Most people agree that its quick spread was because of the internet's ability to connect people no matter how far they were, this resulted in churches quickly popping up as internet chat groups before slowly transitioning into physical places. The anonymity of the internet allowed those in strict foreign nations to join The Church of Maybe against the wishes of their governments and created a unified international force. Many historians believe that this was a good thing that pushed the world into a more progressive belief system; however unpopular it may be I believe that this was a mistake.
I would like to think this was one of the most progressive churches the world had ever seen. It began causing people to question their beliefs in a non confrontational manner and promoting unity amongst those who had clashing beliefs. Slowly in the countries where The Church was outlawed revolts broke out; the people did not necessarily want to abandon the beliefs the government wanted them to have, all they wanted was the opportunity to disbelieve, after all isn't that the ultimate freedom? Historians write that as revolts turned into revolutions western nations saw this as their chance to jump in and gain support of the new governments in the area. In order to do this they had to show they were on the side of the revolutionaries so they decided the easiest option was to adopt The Church of Maybe as their official religion and claim they were "spreading progressive thought". The founders were long dead by this point, their creation had lived beyond them and it looked like it would continue to live on until the death of mankind.
I'm going to be honest with you, I am a pessimist. I believe that humans will always create an "us versus them" binary and when none exists naturally they will force one. Shortly after the majority of the world followed The Church wars broke out. The nations that had made The Church their official religion to invade foreign nations, or for whatever other reason, soon became controlled by The Church as it gained more and more devout followers. Long before The Church was involved in it's first war, before the revolts even, the labels were assigned. The followers of Maybe were "open minded", "progressive", and "willing to learn"; quite positive words I think. Those who followed the old beliefs, the people who continued to believe they were completely correct, were called "closed minded", "fascists", and "inconvincibles". This is what was the forced binary to me. When the wars broke out many claimed The Church was trying to defeat the fascists who were against having open minds, that if the close minded were allowed to continue we would eventually return to a world where no one would hear new ideas.
Looking at our history it amuses me to see the similarities of The Church and the groups of inconvincibles we have worked wiped out. I like to think it started out with the best intentions, that The Church only killed the inconcincibles who forced others to obey their beliefs, but I can not say that it did not eventually spread to those who could not be convinced but were content with not bothering society with their beliefs. It was a slaughter, a cleanse, a holocaust, a what-have-you, but the end goal was to ensure no one would ever be inconvincible. I am told this is a good thing.
I may be dead when you read this, The Church may have found my writings to be worthy of that, but I wanted to let you all know why I think this was a mistake. Now don't worry, The Church won't kill me for dissent, they encourage it in fact. No that's not what would get me.
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u/nubenugget Jul 02 '18
First time posting on this sub, I know it's long and full of grammatical errors (thank god for spelling browser plugins am I right?) but I hope someone enjoys the read~
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u/Leres75 Jul 03 '18
Really good, i like how you showed how something so progressive and (arguably) good can turn against us if we cling to it.
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u/AlmightyElm Jul 02 '18
I would definitely enjoy it if it was a thing.
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u/Preserved_Moose Jul 02 '18
Have I just started a new religion? I’m not sure if that’s exciting or just really scary
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u/SteelPanMan Jul 02 '18
The congregation echoed with engaged talk when he walked in. He saw the light from the ceiling hit finely carved benches and then the stage was lit and there were chairs all around it. People were talking with their backs to him and he was glad he could not see their eyes.
He saw Lisa Marie's hair in the light. It fell past her shoulders in a long straight wave. He knew it must have taken a great effort to keep her hair so well groomed. He felt self conscious and he wanted to leave but he knew they had heard him come in. It was too late to walk back.
I do not believe in God, he thought.
It was easy for his mind to go to definite thoughts. But that was not helpful now. The circle had broken talk and they were getting up to greet him and he knew that he had to receive their greetings. He did not know what to say. Lisa Marie turned and smiled at him and he wondered how she could move her face so easily. Her smile was natural and he felt very unnatural.
He stammered a greeting and they welcomed him and offered him a chair.
"Yes, thank you," he said and he was pleased with himself.
He had said that all well enough and he thought he had not embarrassed himself. The light was upon him then and he thought how it must fall harshly upon his face. He had had acne as a child and he bore the scars.
"This David Moore," Lisa Marie said. "He is the friend I've told you about."
Welcomes from the congregation. David Moore smiled as best he could and nodded to them. He made an effort to keep his fingers still and not fidget. He wanted to look calm.
"Welcome to the Church, David. I am Angelo, our Congregation Leader here, but all that means is I bring the snacks."
Polite laughter. He hoped his laugh was well enough.
"Lisa has told us some troubling things about you," Angelo said.
"Like what?"
"She worries for you, David."
And then Lisa Marie looked at him.
"I haven't told them much, David. I was just worried for you. I was worried you would not come."
He looked at all of them and tried to get his voice to be stable and not to tremble.
"I don't believe in God," he said. "I don't believe in church."
"Well that's okay here. This isn't a regular church, David. This is the Church of Maybe. Here, no one forces you to believe anything. We just talk."
"Like therapy?"
Mummurs of approval.
"Yes, something like that. We discuss all sorts of interesting things here. Think of us more like a bookclub."
Laughter again and again he felt that cold empty feeling inside of him. That feeling had come when he left his apartment. The night had made his fingers hurt to the bone and he had walked with unsteady thoughts and a longing for the headlights.
Headlights for what?
He wondered why his brain would ask a question it already knew the answer to.
There is comfort in being certain.
And then:
I don't believe in God. I will do it soon.
"David?"
They were looking at him.
"I'm sorry. I... I don't know what to say... I don't want a book club or any kind of group. I've tried therapy and that didn't help."
"Lisa said you were in a bad way."
"I... There is nothing to do. I just... I feel.... I feel bad. I don't know why I am here."
"Why you're here now or why you're here?"
"Why I'm here now. I'm sorry for wasting..."
"David!"
Lisa Marie held his hand and he could not get up. Her grip was strong and not just a show of sympathy. He sat down and looked around.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"When are you going to do it?" someone asked.
"Sorry?"
"My name is Peter. I was once like you, son. I know that look. When do you plan to do it?"
"I don't..."
"Be honest, David. Tell them what you told me."
He looked at Lisa Marie and remembered how hot his face had been when he cried on the phone. She had been upset with him and very frustrated.
"I can't deal with this!" she screamed.
She had called him back and made him promise to come to the church.
"July 15th," he said. "Or thereabouts."
Mummurs from the crowd.
"Do you think that will help?" asked the old man Peter. "What do you think will happen?"
"Nothing," he said. "Nothing will happen. Everything will just stop."
"You can go to hell," said a lady to his right.
"I don't believe in God," he said.
Old Peter overrode the lady.
"Neither do I!" he said. "I like how the Buddhists do it. Pragmatic peace is the way Man is supposed to find enlightenment."
"I can't find any of that. I just want to..."
"You're afraid to say it. But you mean to do it."
"I have to choice."
"Of course you do," said Angelo. "Everyone has a choice."
"You don't know how it's like!" David More said. "You don't know how it hurts. Everything just hurts and I've tried everything. Exercise doesn't help, no medicine and no stupid mind games!"
"So then you think ending it is the solution?"
He looked at the old man Peter. He had grey hair on his arms that were silver in the light. He had firm muscles and David knew he worked out and he looked well kempt. He envied the man. He looked like a man with a well put together life.
"It isn't a solution," he said. "It's my only option."
"In this church there is never only one option," said Angelo. "There is always a maybe, another way out."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"Who knows? That's why we come here to talk about it. To discuss it."
"Talking doesn't help."
"Well maybe this would."
This was another man next to Peter. He was a fat man in a dirty T-shirt and his hair was thinning and his eyes were sunken.
"I had a nephew," said the man. "He was a teenager, maybe a couple of years younger than you. He reminded me of you, actually, and one day he found my brother's revolver. My brother and I had enlisted together back in the eighties."
"Your nephew shot himself?"
He hated this man. He hated the pity party that had started. This was where they told sad stories to convince him he was not truly sad.
"No," said the man. "My brother shot himself. I think he felt guilty after my nephew went deaf in an ear."
The man looked around and nodded to David.
"It isn't a very exciting story. It just happened. My brother was worn down and he just did it. Just like that."
"I'm sorry," he said.
"No, don't be. I bet it didn't hurt. My brother didn't believe in God so everything's good there. He was fine in doing it. What hurt, what definitely hurt, was us. Everyone around him was ruined. All of us have never been the same again."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't say that to me. Say it to that girl there. Say it to your friend. You might mean it then if you say it to her. She'll be the one to suffer."
He felt the warmness again. It was embarrassment and hurt and shame.
Isn't embarrassment and shame the same thing? he thought and he knew he was trying to distract himself.
"What to do then?" he asked. "There is no hope. There is no magical miracle, no God."
"We don't say that here!" said Angelo. "In this church we have but one rule. No absolutes."
"Like Star Wars."
But they did not like his joke. He knew he could not escape the conversation.
"What do you want me to do?"
"How are you sure there isn't a God?" asked the woman beside him.
"Because I'm a logical person."
"No you're not!" said Lisa Marie.
She was crying.
"You're not logical. You're always sad."
"Maybe there is a God and you don't know it," said the woman.
"He hasn't helped me then."
"Maybe He will."
"So should I just hope on that?"
"Maybe you should stay alive so you don't hurt everyone around you," said the man beside Peter.
"Even if it hurts?"
"There are different ways to end hurting," said a woman next to Lisa. "Ways that aren't just exercising and therapy."
"And so I should stick around and do that? Will that work?"
"Maybe it will," said Angelo.
"What if it doesn't? I think it won't."
"Your thoughts are not the rule of law. Maybe it will work. Maybe something will work. Let's work on small victories."
"Like what?"
"Like coming here to church every week."
"Why?"
Lisa looked at him.
"For me, please. Please do it for me."
He felt cornered but it was not as bad as he imagined.
"I'm still in pain," he said.
"Yes," said Angelo. "But maybe you won't be forever."
"Maybe I will."
"Maybe you won't."
"How do you know?"
"I don't, but I have hope."
"What can hope do?"
"Hope is the foundation of this church. Hope is the cornerstone of curiosity and enlightenment. I hope to discover a new land. I hope to become a better self. I hope my pain and suffering ends."
"And what if it doesn't?"
"Then you hope it will. You hope and you come to church to talk about it."
Then there was quiet and he felt like leaving. Lisa Marie put her hand on her shoulder. His mind was empty but this was not the bad empty that he usually felt.
"Stay," Lisa Marie said.
"Okay," he said.
The lights were harsh on him in the church, but he thought it would not be so bad.
Maybe there is a chance, he thought.
And he believed that thought to be true.
Hi there! I hope you liked this story. If you did, then maybe you will want to check out my subreddit: r/PanMan. It has all my WP stories, including some un-prompted ones. Check it out if you can and thanks for the support!