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Malachi Drake · 15th February 2010, 01:27

The fourteenth of October,
Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius,
Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church,
In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei;

Of Conscience and the Inner Spark,

Of all the creations of our Heavenly Lord to walk on Nave, only man has an understanding of morality while lesser creatures behave according to their natural characteristics and instincts. Every person is aware that his or her actions are either good or bad, kind or evil, moral or immoral. What allows man an understanding of morality is the gift of conscience. Conscience is born from the Inner Spark that resides in each of the Children of Soldeus.

Soldeus created each of his Children from a part of his radiant light, an Inner Spark, and as we are a part of him, he is a part of us and the voice of conscience is the very voice of our most Holy God.

The Nature of Sin

A person who does not listen to his conscience but stifles it, suppresses its voice with falseness and the darkness of stubborn sin, is called "unconscionable." His spiritual condition is extremely dangerous and ruinous for the Inner Spark. Sin is a leprosy, an illness and an ulcer which strikes all three of the basic abilities and powers of the Inner Spark of those who deny their Conscience: The Mind, the Heart and the Will.

Man's mind becomes darkened and inclined toward error. What is even more harmed by sin is man's heart - the centre of his experience of good and evil, as well as feelings of sorrow and joy. We see that when a heart has been bound in the mire of sin it has lost the ability to be pure, spiritual and to possess truly elevated feelings. Instead, it has become inclined toward pleasures of sensuality and earthly attachments. It is tainted with vainglory and often startles one with a complete absence of love. What is harmed most of all, however, is the capability of our will to effect our intentions. Man, in a state of sin, proves to be without strength of will particularly when it is necessary for him to practice true good.

The main and root source of sin is, of course, Umbra. In struggling with his brother, Umbra struggles with the Children of Soldeus, striving to corrupt and destroy each of them. He does so through the enticements of the world and the flesh, making them stronger and more deceptive, and also by tempting us with sinful suggestions of all kinds. Defiled and corrupted sparks are forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he longs to inflict.

The Path of Virtue

The complete opposite of sin is virtue. Its rudiments are found in every person, as remnants of that natural good which comes with the Inner Spark that was placed into the nature of man by his Creator. When one listens to the voice of one's conscience, one sees that this conscience speaks first of all as a judge - strict and incorruptible, evaluating all one's actions and experiences.

By walking the path of Virtue a man steels himself against the temptation of sin and nurtures the Inner Spark within him. Therefore, throughout life, one must work at virtue if one does not wish to corrupt one's Inner Spark. In order to be virtuous, however, one must not only do good for others, but work on oneself, struggling with one's insufficiencies and the temptation of sin and following the voice of one's conscience. There can be no pause on this path as a man who stops working on himself will not remain the same as he was, but will inevitably become worse - as a stone which is thrown upwards and stops rising will not remain suspended in the air, but will instead fall downward.

Since sin is the main enemy and obstacle of virtue, it is evident that one who is striving towards virtue must struggle against Umbra. The struggle with sinful temptations is possible only for one who is vigilant, who listens to the voice of his conscience and who prays to Soldeus for guidance and strength.

Freedom of Will

Man is morally free and is the guide of his own personal will and actions and he alone is responsible for them. His Inner Spark is in his own keeping and every day, through his actions, he will either nurture his Inner Spark and become illuminated, or succumb to temptation and corruption and delve his Inner Spark into eternal darkness.

A man who is conscionable and lives a life of Virtue will rejoin Soldieus in His Splendour and Content in Heaven when his mortal bodies fails and his substance returns to the body of Nave. Those who are unconscionable and succumb to the corruption and temptation of sin will be forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he loves to inflict, or to fall in cinders and ruin.

15th February 2010, 01:27	#8 (permalink)
Malachi Drake Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009	The fourteenth of October, Four hundred and seven years since the resurrection of Lucius, Three hundred and forty-nine years since the founding of our Holy Church, In the ninth year of the reign of His Majesty, King Manus Dei; Of Conscience and the Inner Spark, Of all the creations of our Heavenly Lord to walk on Nave, only man has an understanding of morality while lesser creatures behave according to their natural characteristics and instincts. Every person is aware that his or her actions are either good or bad, kind or evil, moral or immoral. What allows man an understanding of morality is the gift of conscience. Conscience is born from the Inner Spark that resides in each of the Children of Soldeus. Soldeus created each of his Children from a part of his radiant light, an Inner Spark, and as we are a part of him, he is a part of us and the voice of conscience is the very voice of our most Holy God. The Nature of Sin A person who does not listen to his conscience but stifles it, suppresses its voice with falseness and the darkness of stubborn sin, is called "unconscionable." His spiritual condition is extremely dangerous and ruinous for the Inner Spark. Sin is a leprosy, an illness and an ulcer which strikes all three of the basic abilities and powers of the Inner Spark of those who deny their Conscience: The Mind, the Heart and the Will. Man's mind becomes darkened and inclined toward error. What is even more harmed by sin is man's heart - the centre of his experience of good and evil, as well as feelings of sorrow and joy. We see that when a heart has been bound in the mire of sin it has lost the ability to be pure, spiritual and to possess truly elevated feelings. Instead, it has become inclined toward pleasures of sensuality and earthly attachments. It is tainted with vainglory and often startles one with a complete absence of love. What is harmed most of all, however, is the capability of our will to effect our intentions. Man, in a state of sin, proves to be without strength of will particularly when it is necessary for him to practice true good. The main and root source of sin is, of course, Umbra. In struggling with his brother, Umbra struggles with the Children of Soldeus, striving to corrupt and destroy each of them. He does so through the enticements of the world and the flesh, making them stronger and more deceptive, and also by tempting us with sinful suggestions of all kinds. Defiled and corrupted sparks are forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he longs to inflict. The Path of Virtue The complete opposite of sin is virtue. Its rudiments are found in every person, as remnants of that natural good which comes with the Inner Spark that was placed into the nature of man by his Creator. When one listens to the voice of one's conscience, one sees that this conscience speaks first of all as a judge - strict and incorruptible, evaluating all one's actions and experiences. By walking the path of Virtue a man steels himself against the temptation of sin and nurtures the Inner Spark within him. Therefore, throughout life, one must work at virtue if one does not wish to corrupt one's Inner Spark. In order to be virtuous, however, one must not only do good for others, but work on oneself, struggling with one's insufficiencies and the temptation of sin and following the voice of one's conscience. There can be no pause on this path as a man who stops working on himself will not remain the same as he was, but will inevitably become worse - as a stone which is thrown upwards and stops rising will not remain suspended in the air, but will instead fall downward. Since sin is the main enemy and obstacle of virtue, it is evident that one who is striving towards virtue must struggle against Umbra. The struggle with sinful temptations is possible only for one who is vigilant, who listens to the voice of his conscience and who prays to Soldeus for guidance and strength. Freedom of Will Man is morally free and is the guide of his own personal will and actions and he alone is responsible for them. His Inner Spark is in his own keeping and every day, through his actions, he will either nurture his Inner Spark and become illuminated, or succumb to temptation and corruption and delve his Inner Spark into eternal darkness. A man who is conscionable and lives a life of Virtue will rejoin Soldieus in His Splendour and Content in Heaven when his mortal bodies fails and his substance returns to the body of Nave. Those who are unconscionable and succumb to the corruption and temptation of sin will be forced to wander the Shadow of the Abyss alongside Umbra, to endure the unending terror he loves to inflict, or to fall in cinders and ruin. __________________