Sunday, October 16, 2016

how to build a religion

first, imagine yourself as how you want to be remembered.
think of: if you were to write yourself into history.
you must amplify all the righteous acts you or you may
not have done. you must sell the most fantastic ones
as divine and miraculous. you must erase from existence
all the times when you were cast inferior to your new image.
but, you may keep most of your pettiness, as they will come
in handy as a weapon later, particularly among the blindest
of your followers. then, set that image of you apart
from yourself and
call it God

second, find and cast a foe as everything you are not.
where you were the victim he was the tormentor.
where you were and will be the just and victorious,
he was and will be the unrighteous and conquered.
pin on him all attributes of evil and pettiness, except,
of course, the special ones you kept for yourself
- like your homophobia - then ensure that he
is powerful and terrible but less so than you, and
call him the Devil

third, you must take advantage of the faith of many.
drive them to have the human-based, human-like god,
caged god, as the center of their lives, that they shall
have no other way to live. you must threaten them
with promises of eternal burning and pain should they
deviate from your prescription of life. also, as important:
have them work and pay your bills, build your cathedrals
and finance your other luxuries. daydream until you
believe you can do this eternally, then tell others it is
something they can aspire to as well, and
call it Heaven

fourth, be vigilant for there will be those who will not
buy what you have to sell. they may see through the holes
in your story, or their faith might be inclined towards
something else. never mind if they are kind and humane,
even if they are more so than you or your followers.
you may and it’s allowed to mistake your treatment of
them as kindness: that you are doing these lower humans
a favor. but keep in mind that you are superior, and
call them Heathens

and lastly, you must be aggressive, be firm as it is for
the righteous good. shame them. ostracize them.
demonize them. run an inquisition. burn them at the stake.
crucify them all. then,
call it their Salvation


2016.0ct.16