Bjorn looked up from his PC and reached for his ham sandwich. He felt agitated by Maria's words, and frustrated with the fact that he could not find a good counter argument. He had initially thought of Hitler and the Holocaust as the perfect proof of Maria's error. But he could not use it without either sounding silly or insinuating that the foreign minister was somehow comparable to Hitler.
Bjorn took a bite of his sandwich. "Surely, Hitler was responsible for the Holocaust," he thought. "Yet, Maria is right too. The executioners were the ones doing the killing, not Hitler himself, and there would have been no Holocaust without them."
But on the other hand, Hitler knew he wielded the power of authority, and he used it to kill. Surely, that was a crime. He held a magic spell, as it were, over his followers, and he ordered them to kill. However, this argument would only hold in a system where authority is a legal entity. It also assumes that Hitler's followers were indeed under some sort of spell and unable to think for themselves. To hold Hitler responsible for the Holocaust, it is necessary to appeal to the authority argument and assume his followers to be some sort of automates, unable to think or feel. In Maria's system, authority is not a legal entity and everybody is assumed to have free will. Maria, it turns out, has no way to blame Hitler for the Holocaust because she is denying herself the key assumptions necessary to argue in that direction.
Bjorn felt pleased with himself for having identified the source of Maria's standpoint. He took another bite of his ham sandwich. And while munching it, he could not help giving Maria credit for having at least applied her principles consistently. She had not treated Ane in any way different from the foreign minister. In Maria's world it was the fighter pilots that were responsible for the death's in Libya, and it was Ane's workers that were responsible for polluting the waters around her factory.
"But that's fascism," Bjorn thought to himself. "To blame the little guy for just doing his job while letting the big fish off the hook is no way to run a legal system." Bjorn could not quite believe that Maria was sincere in what she was saying. Going after the little guy, the way she did, could not possibly be out of any sense of justice. This woman was motivated by something far less honorable than justice, and considering her relationship to the local drug lord, it seemed quite obvious that she was really just out to protect her husband. She was sucking up to the foreign minister as a return favor for protecting David. "And why not consistently argue on behalf of the rich and the powerful?" Bjorn thought. "If you already sold your soul to the devil, you might as well get as much out of it as you possibly can."
Then the full scope of Maria's sinister plot suddenly dawned on Bjorn, and it was clear why he had reacted with such anger on reading her comments. Maria was going to hold Bjorn fully responsible for any and all actions committed in the line of duty. Bjorn was the little guy, and he would be held personally responsible for any damage or loss he might cause while merely doing his job. If he shot anybody, and it was not self defense, Maria would charge him with murder. If he confiscated anyone's property, he would be charged with theft.
Bjorn was not angry with Maria due to her apparent defense of Hitler. Bjorn was angry and frustrated with her because she was going to argue against him if he ever was to break the golden rule. Bjorn would not be allowed to use the argument that he was just following orders.
Showing posts with label golden rule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golden rule. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
177
Bjorn read through Maria's comment once more. "That's just stupid," he thought. "Who do these guys think they are?" He chuckled at the very idea of bringing the foreign minister to trail in Lundby. But then, remembering that the foreign minister owned one of the luxury apartments down by the fjord, he realized that he could indeed become somewhat inconvenienced if he had a feud with the locals. Such a feud might make it difficult or impossible to use his apartment.
Bjorn clicked on the link to the case Maria was referencing, curious to know what the minister was charged with, and why Maria was defending the man. "It might all be nonsense, of course," Bjorn thought. "But even if it was, it would surely reveal something interesting about the village, and the sort of things they might one day be up to."
Bjorn half expected some local issue being presented to him, but was not surprised when he saw that the case against the foreign minister was related to the war in Libya, and had nothing to do with Lundby. A large number of Libyan individuals had signed up as plaintiffs against the minister, charging him of mass murder. The plaintiffs sought retribution for the death of their loved ones, all killed during the Libyan war.
The list of names of victims was long. More than two hundred names to be exact, all documented with names, dates of birth, pictures and a description of how and when they met their untimely end. Bjorn clicked on a few links, and some of the images coming up were truly horrific. Some of the victims had been burned alive in the firestorm caused by the bombs dropped on them. And many of the victims were clearly civilians. Children and babies were listed among them.
The case against the foreign minister was not some quick hack. It was detailed and extensive. And with so many civilians among the victims, the call for retribution seemed entirely reasonable, all be it a little far fetched. Political figures are generally immune against this kind of charges, after all. Certainly if the victims can be described as collateral damage, unintended deaths in the heat of battle.
But, reading through Maria's comments, Bjorn was surprised to find that Maria's defense of the minister was not based on the idea that the deaths were simply regrettable consequences of war. Not a single place did Maria argue that the fact that these victims died during a war, made the case invalid. Rather, she argued that the foreign minister was innocent because he had not in fact killed anyone. He had given an order to kill, but he had not killed anyone himself.
Bjorn was baffled by the argument, but it made perfect sense. Maria pointed out that the law of the Fifth Empire does not include the concept of authority. Following orders is no defense. And the flip side of this is that giving orders is not a crime. "Any psychopath can order the execution of people," Maria argued. "But the crime lies not in the order. It lies in its execution. Bring us the executioners, and we will judge them according to their crime."
Maria closed the case by asking the plaintiffs to list the names of the pilots, and bring the charges against them rather than the foreign minister, because they were in fact the murderers. Only when the correct defendants were identified would she consider opening the case again.
"But how do we know who killed whom?" asked one of the plaintiffs, as he objected to Maria's position. "That is entirely unimportant," she answered. "All we need to know is whether or not they flew to Libya with the intent to drop their deadly cargo. If they did, then clearly some sort of retribution is warranted, even if we never get to know the exact link between the victims and the executioners."
There were several objections to Maria's position on the legal status of authority, but she met every objection with the argument that the Fifth Empire is based on the fact that each man is equal, and that no godly authority exist between men. "Authority can take no responsibility off of the backs of the perpetrators, and the authority figure is therefore innocent," Maria argued. "Being evil and saying evil is not a crime. Only doing evil is a crime. To say that certain people have more responsibility than others due to their social standing is to assume the existence of authority as a legal entity. No such entity exists, and hence this rule applies to all, no matter their social standing."
The argument that all other legal systems known to man consider authority to be a legal entity was met by a short rebuttal to the effect that this merely shows that those systems are not valid in the empire. "We all live directly under God, whether we like it or not," Maria noted. "No man is above any other in any matter whatsoever. The fact that some men are wiser than others, do not change this. Men do not form legal hierarchies among themselves, even if one is wise and the other is a fool. We must all take full responsibility for our own actions. We must all adhere to the Golden Rule, the one and only law of the empire. And that implies that there is no such thing as authority in the legal sense of the word."
Bjorn clicked on the link to the case Maria was referencing, curious to know what the minister was charged with, and why Maria was defending the man. "It might all be nonsense, of course," Bjorn thought. "But even if it was, it would surely reveal something interesting about the village, and the sort of things they might one day be up to."
Bjorn half expected some local issue being presented to him, but was not surprised when he saw that the case against the foreign minister was related to the war in Libya, and had nothing to do with Lundby. A large number of Libyan individuals had signed up as plaintiffs against the minister, charging him of mass murder. The plaintiffs sought retribution for the death of their loved ones, all killed during the Libyan war.
The list of names of victims was long. More than two hundred names to be exact, all documented with names, dates of birth, pictures and a description of how and when they met their untimely end. Bjorn clicked on a few links, and some of the images coming up were truly horrific. Some of the victims had been burned alive in the firestorm caused by the bombs dropped on them. And many of the victims were clearly civilians. Children and babies were listed among them.
The case against the foreign minister was not some quick hack. It was detailed and extensive. And with so many civilians among the victims, the call for retribution seemed entirely reasonable, all be it a little far fetched. Political figures are generally immune against this kind of charges, after all. Certainly if the victims can be described as collateral damage, unintended deaths in the heat of battle.
But, reading through Maria's comments, Bjorn was surprised to find that Maria's defense of the minister was not based on the idea that the deaths were simply regrettable consequences of war. Not a single place did Maria argue that the fact that these victims died during a war, made the case invalid. Rather, she argued that the foreign minister was innocent because he had not in fact killed anyone. He had given an order to kill, but he had not killed anyone himself.
Bjorn was baffled by the argument, but it made perfect sense. Maria pointed out that the law of the Fifth Empire does not include the concept of authority. Following orders is no defense. And the flip side of this is that giving orders is not a crime. "Any psychopath can order the execution of people," Maria argued. "But the crime lies not in the order. It lies in its execution. Bring us the executioners, and we will judge them according to their crime."
Maria closed the case by asking the plaintiffs to list the names of the pilots, and bring the charges against them rather than the foreign minister, because they were in fact the murderers. Only when the correct defendants were identified would she consider opening the case again.
"But how do we know who killed whom?" asked one of the plaintiffs, as he objected to Maria's position. "That is entirely unimportant," she answered. "All we need to know is whether or not they flew to Libya with the intent to drop their deadly cargo. If they did, then clearly some sort of retribution is warranted, even if we never get to know the exact link between the victims and the executioners."
There were several objections to Maria's position on the legal status of authority, but she met every objection with the argument that the Fifth Empire is based on the fact that each man is equal, and that no godly authority exist between men. "Authority can take no responsibility off of the backs of the perpetrators, and the authority figure is therefore innocent," Maria argued. "Being evil and saying evil is not a crime. Only doing evil is a crime. To say that certain people have more responsibility than others due to their social standing is to assume the existence of authority as a legal entity. No such entity exists, and hence this rule applies to all, no matter their social standing."
The argument that all other legal systems known to man consider authority to be a legal entity was met by a short rebuttal to the effect that this merely shows that those systems are not valid in the empire. "We all live directly under God, whether we like it or not," Maria noted. "No man is above any other in any matter whatsoever. The fact that some men are wiser than others, do not change this. Men do not form legal hierarchies among themselves, even if one is wise and the other is a fool. We must all take full responsibility for our own actions. We must all adhere to the Golden Rule, the one and only law of the empire. And that implies that there is no such thing as authority in the legal sense of the word."
Thursday, November 20, 2014
153
Now that Ante had described the rock behind the church as Jesus' two fingers pointing to the heavens, Bjorn could not free himself from seeing it again as they passed the church on the way back to the car.
"He's quite a character, that Frederico, isn't he?" Bjorn commented.
"Yeah," Ante replied idly.
"That whole Golden Rule thing... It's a nice thought, don't you think?"
Ante did not answer.
"You know," Bjorn continued. "I think I'll try that citizen thing one day. I mean... its not like anything bad will happen if I do, right?"
"No, of course not. But it's a silly idea."
"You think so? Why? You think the Golden Rule is a silly idea?"
"No, no... the Golden Rule is a cute idea."
"Cute?"
"Yeah. Quaint... Nice... I like it. But it's silly to pretend we're actually following it."
"We're not?"
Ante looked at Bjorn with a skeptical frown.
"You're a border guard. How is that compatible with the golden rule?"
"But I'm not hurting anyone," Bjorn protested.
"Sure... But the whole point of your job is to impose certain rules on people."
"Well... yeah."
"Against their will."
"Yeah... but... It's our country, they have no right to go there if we don't allow it."
"No? Why not?"
"Because it is our country."
"But what if someone in Neiden or Kirkenes wants to invite someone from Lundby over to work for them, or even just visit. Would you let them?"
"No... but that's a silly example. No one is inviting anyone over from Lundby."
"And why is that, you think?"
"Well... they don't know each other for starters."
"Because they can't, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Because people like you and me are keeping them segregated."
"Well..."
"It's a kind of apartheid, isn't it? That's what we're involved in."
Bjorn shook his head in mild disbelief.
"You're clearly talking too much with Thomas."
"Yeah," Ante admitted with a sheepish smile. "But I think he has a point, though."
"Thomas?"
"Yeah... I think he's right. We're actually the bad guys."
"He said that?"
"Yeah."
"So what is he doing at the checkpoint? If he believes that, why is he still working for us? I mean... have you told Frank about this?"
"No, of course not."
Bjorn was shocked. The idea that they had a rebel in their ranks, someone who openly despised the system, was worrying.
"He's selling his soul for a decent salary, he says," Ante continued.
"He really is a grumpy old man, isn't he?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Having reached the base of the hill, the two men headed directly for the knoll with the parked cars.
"Well, anyway," Bjorn continued. "I'm declaring myself a citizen right now. I'm hereby a citizen of the Fifth Empire."
"And who exactly are you saying this to?"
"To the world."
"But you know... The world doesn't care. No one out here cares one bit about what you say. It's not what you say, but what you do that defines you in the end. And the moment you go out to that glass box tomorrow you're no longer a citizen, no matter what you say."
"No?"
"No. That's why it's such a silly idea for you to declare yourself a citizen, because you'll only be a citizen when it doesn't really matter, and the moment it actually makes a difference you're back to being... well... a border guard."
"But I'll be nice to my colleagues," Bjorn protested, putting on a humorous grin to soften his protest.
"Sure... as if you weren't a nice guy already."
Bjorn nodded, content with Ante's flattery, and fully prepared to drop the topic.
"You know, you can't fake this," Ante continued, concluding his own thoughts on the subject. "Because it is a promise only to yourself, not to the world. It´s not like you have to convince anyone else that you're a true citizen. There's no bureaucrat you have to apply to."
"It's not a typical application for a citizenship, is it?" Bjorn agreed.
"No. And what's the point in being a citizen if you have to call it off every time you go to work?"
"Well... If I wasn't such a nice guy," Bjorn said with a cheerful smile. "Then it might make sense."
"Yeah. But the idea must be to be a nice guy all the time, and to everybody, not only to your colleagues."
The men reached Ante's car where they stopped and took a quick look a the village square before entering the vehicle.
"It's a nice thought, though," Bjorn concluded.
"Sure. But we're not a part of it. And it's silly to think otherwise."
"He's quite a character, that Frederico, isn't he?" Bjorn commented.
"Yeah," Ante replied idly.
"That whole Golden Rule thing... It's a nice thought, don't you think?"
Ante did not answer.
"You know," Bjorn continued. "I think I'll try that citizen thing one day. I mean... its not like anything bad will happen if I do, right?"
"No, of course not. But it's a silly idea."
"You think so? Why? You think the Golden Rule is a silly idea?"
"No, no... the Golden Rule is a cute idea."
"Cute?"
"Yeah. Quaint... Nice... I like it. But it's silly to pretend we're actually following it."
"We're not?"
Ante looked at Bjorn with a skeptical frown.
"You're a border guard. How is that compatible with the golden rule?"
"But I'm not hurting anyone," Bjorn protested.
"Sure... But the whole point of your job is to impose certain rules on people."
"Well... yeah."
"Against their will."
"Yeah... but... It's our country, they have no right to go there if we don't allow it."
"No? Why not?"
"Because it is our country."
"But what if someone in Neiden or Kirkenes wants to invite someone from Lundby over to work for them, or even just visit. Would you let them?"
"No... but that's a silly example. No one is inviting anyone over from Lundby."
"And why is that, you think?"
"Well... they don't know each other for starters."
"Because they can't, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Because people like you and me are keeping them segregated."
"Well..."
"It's a kind of apartheid, isn't it? That's what we're involved in."
Bjorn shook his head in mild disbelief.
"You're clearly talking too much with Thomas."
"Yeah," Ante admitted with a sheepish smile. "But I think he has a point, though."
"Thomas?"
"Yeah... I think he's right. We're actually the bad guys."
"He said that?"
"Yeah."
"So what is he doing at the checkpoint? If he believes that, why is he still working for us? I mean... have you told Frank about this?"
"No, of course not."
Bjorn was shocked. The idea that they had a rebel in their ranks, someone who openly despised the system, was worrying.
"He's selling his soul for a decent salary, he says," Ante continued.
"He really is a grumpy old man, isn't he?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Having reached the base of the hill, the two men headed directly for the knoll with the parked cars.
"Well, anyway," Bjorn continued. "I'm declaring myself a citizen right now. I'm hereby a citizen of the Fifth Empire."
"And who exactly are you saying this to?"
"To the world."
"But you know... The world doesn't care. No one out here cares one bit about what you say. It's not what you say, but what you do that defines you in the end. And the moment you go out to that glass box tomorrow you're no longer a citizen, no matter what you say."
"No?"
"No. That's why it's such a silly idea for you to declare yourself a citizen, because you'll only be a citizen when it doesn't really matter, and the moment it actually makes a difference you're back to being... well... a border guard."
"But I'll be nice to my colleagues," Bjorn protested, putting on a humorous grin to soften his protest.
"Sure... as if you weren't a nice guy already."
Bjorn nodded, content with Ante's flattery, and fully prepared to drop the topic.
"You know, you can't fake this," Ante continued, concluding his own thoughts on the subject. "Because it is a promise only to yourself, not to the world. It´s not like you have to convince anyone else that you're a true citizen. There's no bureaucrat you have to apply to."
"It's not a typical application for a citizenship, is it?" Bjorn agreed.
"No. And what's the point in being a citizen if you have to call it off every time you go to work?"
"Well... If I wasn't such a nice guy," Bjorn said with a cheerful smile. "Then it might make sense."
"Yeah. But the idea must be to be a nice guy all the time, and to everybody, not only to your colleagues."
The men reached Ante's car where they stopped and took a quick look a the village square before entering the vehicle.
"It's a nice thought, though," Bjorn concluded.
"Sure. But we're not a part of it. And it's silly to think otherwise."
Friday, September 26, 2014
128
Having confirmed that they will not bow to any authority but that which comes from the Golden Rule, the whole congregation started singing and dancing, with Aung and Elisabeth once again leading by example. But this time, the two women encouraged people to join them up by the altar, and pretty soon there was a whole little choir up in front of Frederico, singing and praising the Lord.
This went on for some time before Frederico once again took centre stage, quoting a few passages from the Bibel. Then he reminded everyone that the first step in entering the Kingdom of God is to embrace the Golden Rule, and declare oneself a citizen of the empire.
"Remember that the empire is a place you can enter and leave as you please," Frederico reiterated. "However, as most of us already know, being a citizen of the empire is such a joy that once the citizenship has been fully embraced, we never feel compelled to leave the empire. Rather, we seek to take the next step towards Him and His Kingdom."
And to this, everyone responded with a great big "hallelujah". The music started again, and there was more singing and swinging, praising the Lord and general merriment.
Bjorn felt it all a bit over the top, but he joined in as best as he could, not wanting to spoil the fun, or stand out as the odd one in the crowd. Igor and Olga were happily taking part, swinging from side to side next to Bjorn, and Ante too appeared to fully embrace the happy go lucky swing of things.
Bjorn sang as best as he could, swinging from side to side, when he noticed Peter up by the altar, apparently sharing some amusing observation with Frederico. And seeing the two men right next to each other like that, Bjorn remembered in a flash where he had seen Frederico before.
Frederico was the tall blond guy who stood behind Bjorn in line for one of Peter's sandwiches, that first day he had been to the village. And Bjorn felt strangely satisfied to realize this, as if remembering a detail like that confirmed something important about him. Bjorn felt himself quite uplifted by it, and this little push made him for a moment join wholeheartedly in the singing.
For a moment, Bjorn had no qualms about the ecstatic enthusiasm around him, and to his surprise, he quite enjoyed it. It was all a wonderful celebration of life and love. And even he, a convinced atheist, found real joy in celebrating life by praising the Lord and honouring His name.
This went on for some time before Frederico once again took centre stage, quoting a few passages from the Bibel. Then he reminded everyone that the first step in entering the Kingdom of God is to embrace the Golden Rule, and declare oneself a citizen of the empire.
"Remember that the empire is a place you can enter and leave as you please," Frederico reiterated. "However, as most of us already know, being a citizen of the empire is such a joy that once the citizenship has been fully embraced, we never feel compelled to leave the empire. Rather, we seek to take the next step towards Him and His Kingdom."
And to this, everyone responded with a great big "hallelujah". The music started again, and there was more singing and swinging, praising the Lord and general merriment.
Bjorn felt it all a bit over the top, but he joined in as best as he could, not wanting to spoil the fun, or stand out as the odd one in the crowd. Igor and Olga were happily taking part, swinging from side to side next to Bjorn, and Ante too appeared to fully embrace the happy go lucky swing of things.
Bjorn sang as best as he could, swinging from side to side, when he noticed Peter up by the altar, apparently sharing some amusing observation with Frederico. And seeing the two men right next to each other like that, Bjorn remembered in a flash where he had seen Frederico before.
Frederico was the tall blond guy who stood behind Bjorn in line for one of Peter's sandwiches, that first day he had been to the village. And Bjorn felt strangely satisfied to realize this, as if remembering a detail like that confirmed something important about him. Bjorn felt himself quite uplifted by it, and this little push made him for a moment join wholeheartedly in the singing.
For a moment, Bjorn had no qualms about the ecstatic enthusiasm around him, and to his surprise, he quite enjoyed it. It was all a wonderful celebration of life and love. And even he, a convinced atheist, found real joy in celebrating life by praising the Lord and honouring His name.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
127
There was suddenly a high pitched noise from a microphone, and this had the effect of drawing everybody's attention to the head of the church, where Frederico was about to start the sermon.
Then, having caught everybody's attention, Frederico greeted everybody, clearly pleased to see his church full of people.
"Welcome to my little church," he said, with a great big smile. "Welcome to the empire. Welcome to the Kingdom of God."
"And to all you new folks out there, let me briefly explain about my church and my teaching."
"First of all, keep in mind that this is the Church of the Golden Rule. That means that anyone can come and go as they please. There is no prerequisite criterion to enter my church. However, everyone here is expected to honour the Golden Rule as this is my property. Anyone breaking that rule, and not immediately repenting, must leave, by force if necessary."
"The use of force is in other words not prohibited under the Golden Rule. It is quite legitimate when used in defence of one's life or property. We do not wish for people to be defenceless in the face of evil. We wish for everyone to be able to defend themselves. That is what love is all about, to wish for everyone to feel safe in the presence of others, even the evil ones."
"So let us first take a moment to feel the joy and the love that comes with a clear and honest belief in this beautiful law that says that we must not do anything to anyone unless we would like that same thing done onto us."
"Let us pray!"
And with this, Frederico signalled to all to raise up and stand.
"And remember that we are not going begging for stuff from our Father. We are not crawling in the dust for His favours. We are made in His image, and we behave towards Him as we would towards our own parents. With respect, but as equals."
"Feel free to bring up issues that you struggle with. Dwell on these for a moment, and do this with the Golden Rule as your guiding light! For in the light of His law lies the key to the solution. Whatever you struggle with, make it clear to yourself that the solution can only be love. Only love has the power to solve conflicts, be they inter-personal or internal."
And with this, Frederico let his congregation stand in silence, contemplating their issues, big or small, for a while long enough to feel refreshing.
"And be sure now, to act on the love that you have let into your heart with this little prayer," Frederico concluded. Then he signalled for music to be played, and everybody joined in the singing.
Aung and Elisabeth, in their robes, lead the singing from up by the altar, and Bjorn could not help feeling quite uplifted by the whole thing. The two women, so different, and yet so similar in their firmly held believes and enthusiasm, were practically glowing up at the little podium. And Frederico looked very proud and pleased with the women who did such a wonderful job of spreading a sense of joy to everyone.
When the singing came to an end, Frederico stepped again forward, continuing his lecture.
"It seems to me," he said with a smile. "That we are now all in the empire. That we are all full of love for each other, and that we wish only the best for everyone around us. So I ask you: are we all citizens of the empire, guided solely by the Golden Rule?"
And to this, the congregation answered, "yes we are!"
"What are we?" Frederico asked enthusiastically.
"We are the citizens," was the loud reply of the audience.
"Citizens of what?"
"Of the empire!"
"Of what empire?"
"The Fifth Empire. We are the citizens of the Fifth Empire."
The enthusiasm was genuine, and a little unnerving, Bjorn thought. Especially since the replies were well coordinated with Elisabeth holding up big cards with the replies written clearly on them. The audience was simply responding blindly with what was written on Elisabeth's cards.
Frederico signalled to everyone that they could sit down again. Then he made a thoughtful gesture before continuing on his lecture.
"We have received quite a lot of attention lately," he said. "Our message is getting out there, and people seem to like what they hear. And why shouldn't they. Our message is a message of love. What is there not to like about that, you may ask."
"Well, quite a lot, it appears. There are quite a few people calling us heathens and atheists, and a danger to ourselves and our surroundings. Which I find quite strange considering the occult and dangerous nature of what my critics themselves believe."
"They are all worshippers of the Social Contract it appears, and most of them believe in the occult powers of Democracy to make crooked things straight by a magic of share numbers."
"But the notion that a non-existent contract or a majority of people can somehow invalidate the Golden Rule is clearly nonsense. Democracy can be used to choose a leader of a company or a similar voluntary association of men, but democracy cannot endow such leaders with powers that conflict with the Golden Rule. Such an idea is not only nonsensical. It is extremely dangerous, as it serves to legitimize evil by way of magic."
"And others say that we are simply replacing one coercive system with another, and that the state is not abolished with our philosophy, but simply transferred to me and my friends. They claim that the Fifth Empire is a theocracy, similar to what exists in places like Iran and Saudi-Arabia."
"But they are wrong, of course. I am not your superior. I am simply your priest, and I do not pretend to hold any special powers over any of you. As I have already said. You are all free to leave. No one will come after you if you choose to leave the empire. No one will dig a hole in the ground and have you stoned to death for leaving, and no one will follow you around, claiming tribute in the form of taxes."
"There is no state in the empire. There is no coercion. And no one is born a citizen of the empire. The empire is a place you enter or leave as you please. You need no permission from anyone to do so. You need no passport to enter. You need no passport to leave. The empire is the very opposite of the state."
"Others claim that having a boss is no different to being a subject of a state. But such a claim is absurd, of course. No one forces you to work for a particular boss. And everyone is free to be self employed if they wish. Where is the similarity? What is the equivalent of being self employed? The state claims ownership of us from the moment we are born, and we have no right to become independent. Our only right in the eyes of the state is to choose subjugation to another state, and even that has to be done according to rules set out by the state itself."
"Well, I say enough of that!"
"We are born free. And we are forever free to be whatever we like. Let no one tell you otherwise! Do not be blinded by the false belief that is the Social Contract, or in the magical power of democracy to turn what is evil into that which is right."
"Jesus is our only guide, and even he is not our superior, but our equal."
"Let us stand up again and tell Jesus that we will not subjugate ourselves to anyone, not even Him. We will not subject ourselves to the false religion of authority. There is no other authority than the Golden Rule, articulated by Jesus himself. To break that rule is a crime, no matter who tells you to do so. King Solomon cannot make what is crooked right by simply declaring it to be so. And no president, no king, no priest, no ruler has any such power."
"We are all responsible for our own actions. No authority can change that. If you kill someone, it is you who did that. If you take somebody's property, it is you who did that. If you lock somebody up, it is you who did that. Claiming that you only followed orders, or that it was the law, is no defence, because there is only one law. And that law is the Golden Rule. Everything else is simply regulations, and regulations that break the Golden Rule are evil, and of the Devil."
"Let us tell Jesus that we swear to uphold His law, and reject any rule contradicting this as the evil that it is."
Frederico gestured to the empty throne next to the altar, and everybody looked towards it as if Jesus was indeed sitting there. Bjorn found this creepy. But there was no evil intent in anything he had heard, and he did not feel threatened. He felt safe.
Then, having caught everybody's attention, Frederico greeted everybody, clearly pleased to see his church full of people.
"Welcome to my little church," he said, with a great big smile. "Welcome to the empire. Welcome to the Kingdom of God."
"And to all you new folks out there, let me briefly explain about my church and my teaching."
"First of all, keep in mind that this is the Church of the Golden Rule. That means that anyone can come and go as they please. There is no prerequisite criterion to enter my church. However, everyone here is expected to honour the Golden Rule as this is my property. Anyone breaking that rule, and not immediately repenting, must leave, by force if necessary."
"The use of force is in other words not prohibited under the Golden Rule. It is quite legitimate when used in defence of one's life or property. We do not wish for people to be defenceless in the face of evil. We wish for everyone to be able to defend themselves. That is what love is all about, to wish for everyone to feel safe in the presence of others, even the evil ones."
"So let us first take a moment to feel the joy and the love that comes with a clear and honest belief in this beautiful law that says that we must not do anything to anyone unless we would like that same thing done onto us."
"Let us pray!"
And with this, Frederico signalled to all to raise up and stand.
"And remember that we are not going begging for stuff from our Father. We are not crawling in the dust for His favours. We are made in His image, and we behave towards Him as we would towards our own parents. With respect, but as equals."
"Feel free to bring up issues that you struggle with. Dwell on these for a moment, and do this with the Golden Rule as your guiding light! For in the light of His law lies the key to the solution. Whatever you struggle with, make it clear to yourself that the solution can only be love. Only love has the power to solve conflicts, be they inter-personal or internal."
And with this, Frederico let his congregation stand in silence, contemplating their issues, big or small, for a while long enough to feel refreshing.
"And be sure now, to act on the love that you have let into your heart with this little prayer," Frederico concluded. Then he signalled for music to be played, and everybody joined in the singing.
Aung and Elisabeth, in their robes, lead the singing from up by the altar, and Bjorn could not help feeling quite uplifted by the whole thing. The two women, so different, and yet so similar in their firmly held believes and enthusiasm, were practically glowing up at the little podium. And Frederico looked very proud and pleased with the women who did such a wonderful job of spreading a sense of joy to everyone.
When the singing came to an end, Frederico stepped again forward, continuing his lecture.
"It seems to me," he said with a smile. "That we are now all in the empire. That we are all full of love for each other, and that we wish only the best for everyone around us. So I ask you: are we all citizens of the empire, guided solely by the Golden Rule?"
And to this, the congregation answered, "yes we are!"
"What are we?" Frederico asked enthusiastically.
"We are the citizens," was the loud reply of the audience.
"Citizens of what?"
"Of the empire!"
"Of what empire?"
"The Fifth Empire. We are the citizens of the Fifth Empire."
The enthusiasm was genuine, and a little unnerving, Bjorn thought. Especially since the replies were well coordinated with Elisabeth holding up big cards with the replies written clearly on them. The audience was simply responding blindly with what was written on Elisabeth's cards.
Frederico signalled to everyone that they could sit down again. Then he made a thoughtful gesture before continuing on his lecture.
"We have received quite a lot of attention lately," he said. "Our message is getting out there, and people seem to like what they hear. And why shouldn't they. Our message is a message of love. What is there not to like about that, you may ask."
"Well, quite a lot, it appears. There are quite a few people calling us heathens and atheists, and a danger to ourselves and our surroundings. Which I find quite strange considering the occult and dangerous nature of what my critics themselves believe."
"They are all worshippers of the Social Contract it appears, and most of them believe in the occult powers of Democracy to make crooked things straight by a magic of share numbers."
"But the notion that a non-existent contract or a majority of people can somehow invalidate the Golden Rule is clearly nonsense. Democracy can be used to choose a leader of a company or a similar voluntary association of men, but democracy cannot endow such leaders with powers that conflict with the Golden Rule. Such an idea is not only nonsensical. It is extremely dangerous, as it serves to legitimize evil by way of magic."
"And others say that we are simply replacing one coercive system with another, and that the state is not abolished with our philosophy, but simply transferred to me and my friends. They claim that the Fifth Empire is a theocracy, similar to what exists in places like Iran and Saudi-Arabia."
"But they are wrong, of course. I am not your superior. I am simply your priest, and I do not pretend to hold any special powers over any of you. As I have already said. You are all free to leave. No one will come after you if you choose to leave the empire. No one will dig a hole in the ground and have you stoned to death for leaving, and no one will follow you around, claiming tribute in the form of taxes."
"There is no state in the empire. There is no coercion. And no one is born a citizen of the empire. The empire is a place you enter or leave as you please. You need no permission from anyone to do so. You need no passport to enter. You need no passport to leave. The empire is the very opposite of the state."
"Others claim that having a boss is no different to being a subject of a state. But such a claim is absurd, of course. No one forces you to work for a particular boss. And everyone is free to be self employed if they wish. Where is the similarity? What is the equivalent of being self employed? The state claims ownership of us from the moment we are born, and we have no right to become independent. Our only right in the eyes of the state is to choose subjugation to another state, and even that has to be done according to rules set out by the state itself."
"Well, I say enough of that!"
"We are born free. And we are forever free to be whatever we like. Let no one tell you otherwise! Do not be blinded by the false belief that is the Social Contract, or in the magical power of democracy to turn what is evil into that which is right."
"Jesus is our only guide, and even he is not our superior, but our equal."
"Let us stand up again and tell Jesus that we will not subjugate ourselves to anyone, not even Him. We will not subject ourselves to the false religion of authority. There is no other authority than the Golden Rule, articulated by Jesus himself. To break that rule is a crime, no matter who tells you to do so. King Solomon cannot make what is crooked right by simply declaring it to be so. And no president, no king, no priest, no ruler has any such power."
"We are all responsible for our own actions. No authority can change that. If you kill someone, it is you who did that. If you take somebody's property, it is you who did that. If you lock somebody up, it is you who did that. Claiming that you only followed orders, or that it was the law, is no defence, because there is only one law. And that law is the Golden Rule. Everything else is simply regulations, and regulations that break the Golden Rule are evil, and of the Devil."
"Let us tell Jesus that we swear to uphold His law, and reject any rule contradicting this as the evil that it is."
Frederico gestured to the empty throne next to the altar, and everybody looked towards it as if Jesus was indeed sitting there. Bjorn found this creepy. But there was no evil intent in anything he had heard, and he did not feel threatened. He felt safe.
Monday, September 22, 2014
125
Bjorn quite enjoyed his conversation with Frederico. There was nothing pushy or pretentious about the way Frederico explained his theology, and Bjorn found it quite refreshing to be able to ask straight forward questions without feeling a need to watch his language or defend his secular views.
Frederico did not seem the least bit anxious to convert anybody. He was obviously convinced that he had it all figured out, and that people would see things his way once it had been explained properly to them, making it quite counter productive to be pushy in any way.
But the conversation was broken off just as Bjorn was starting to warm up to the idea of the empire and the kingdom. A tall black woman entered the church from the side, shortly followed by an Asian woman who Bjorn immediately recognized as Aung.
"Isn't that just typical?" the black woman said. "You go off ahead of us, saying you will get things ready, and then you just hang around talking to strangers... You haven't done a thing, have you?"
Frederico did not answer, but told Bjorn and Ante that this was his wife, Elisabeth. Then he turned to Aung, introducing her too to Ante and Bjorn. And for a moment they all did their little polite routine, shaking hands while telling Elisabeth and Frederico how they knew Aung from Nora's place, and that Bjorn had even met Aung at Ane's factory on Wednesday.
"It's a small place, this village," Elisabeth commented. "Not exactly São Paulo."
"No, you're right about that," Frederico said with a nod and a smile.
"So you're from São Paulo?" Bjorn asked.
"Yep. That's where we met."
"And you're from Burma, aren't you?" Bjorn asked, turning to Aung.
"Well, how did you know?" Aung asked.
"Didn't you tell me that yourself?"
"Did I? I don't know."
"Well, anyway, with a name like Aung..."
Aung nodded, clearly pleased with Bjorn's attention to details. Then, Elisabeth called off the small talk, noting that people would be coming to the church any moment, and that there was no time to waste.
The two women disappeared into a small room to the side, emerging a little later, each wearing a robe, covering their semi-formal attire.
However, Frederico did not let his wife's playful nagging distract him from continuing his conversation with Bjorn. Frederico lit two candles, one on each side of the alter, and proceeded to turn on some lights in the ceiling, while continuing on his little lecture.
"Any entity trying to interfere in our direct communication with Him is by its very nature evil," Frederico explained. "And the greatest and fiercest entity of this kind today is the state."
"The state tries to deceive us into thinking that there is somehow a need for authority above and beyond Jesus and His law. And the state makes the claim that our belief in God and the Golden Rule is somehow occult and irrational, while in fact, it is the state that is based on an irrational and deeply occult presumption."
"The state assumes authority where no authority has been given, and the state enforces its authority by systematically breaking the Golden Rule."
"The state is in fact a false religion, demanding everyone's loyalty from the moment they are born, claiming a contract exists between it and every person born within it's realm."
"It is perverse to the extreme. Imagine the insanity of such a claim!"
Bjorn looked blankly at Frederico, not quite getting what he was driving at. But once again, Frederico did not mind Bjorn's reluctance or inability to make sense of what he was saying.
"You are Norwegian, I take it," Frederico asked.
"Yes I am," Bjorn confirmed.
"So you have to pay taxes to the Norwegian state, right?"
"Yes, like everyone else in Norway."
"And why exactly do you have to pay these taxes."
"Well... It's the law."
"And you will be put in jail if you try to avoid this, right?"
"Yes."
"Which violates the Golden Rule, does it not?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Frederico took a short break to let this last point sink in. Then he continued.
"The state claims the right to your hard earned money based on a fiction called the Social Contract. And to believe in this fiction requires such a leap of faith that the resurrection dims in comparison."
"How can anyone really believe that a newly born baby has signed a contract, and that this contract requires it to live a life in bondage to the state?"
"Only the most evil of religions deny a person the right to leave."
"But that's not true," Bjorn protested. "Anyone is free to leave, if they wish."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I can change my citizenship if I please."
"But then you're still the property of some state. Change of citizenship does not free you from the state. It merely moves you from one jurisdiction to another."
Bjorn nodded.
"Okay. So what?"
"Well, don't you see? The state insists we must believe in the so called Social Contract, and that we are tied to it from birth. Yet, no such contract exists. It is as occult as it gets. Believing in it makes you an idol worshipper, and makes you accept laws that are in direct violation with the Golden Rule."
"The state drives a wedge between people and God, obscuring the eternal truth, while seeking to replace it with its own phoney theology."
"The state is also dangerous in other ways," Frederico continued. "By its claim that it holds authority over us, and that its laws are valid despite of being in direct violation with the Golden Rule, it inspires blind obedience in its worshippers, an obedience towards evil, no less. And countless are the people murdered and slaughtered and imprisoned by the followers of the state."
"The state is of Satan, no less. It is pure evil, even in its most moderate form."
"Well, that's a bit rich isn't it?" Bjorn said, a little amused with Frederico's hyperbole.
"You think so?"
"Yes. I think you'd be more convincing if you did not exaggerate so much."
"So why don't you give me an example of a moderate state, and I'll show you how evil it actually is."
Bjorn shook his head.
"How about Norway?" he said.
"Well, that's easy," Frederico said with a smile. "Even I have heard about Odd and how he's being tortured for not paying his taxes."
"But tax evasion is a crime," Bjorn protested.
"Says who?"
"Well, the state."
"Exactly."
Bjorn, seeing how he was trapped in Frederico's logic, gave his defence of the state a final go.
"So, what are you suggesting?" Bjorn asked. "That we stop paying taxes? How will that work out?"
"It will work out just fine," Frederico replied. "I know, because that is what Jesus would have wanted."
"Chaos?"
"No. Order. It is the state that throws innocent people in jail. Jesus never suggested anything like that."
"So we should just abandon the state? Is that what you suggest?"
"That is indeed what I suggest."
"So that is what this whole Fifth Empire thing is about?" Bjorn asked. "You suggest we all join this empire as an alternative to the state. Isn't that the same as just joining nothing, becoming a recluse as it were."
"No. There is a big difference between becoming a recluse and being a citizen of the empire. A citizen is not merely against the state, a citizen is for the Fifth Empire, the community of people living together according to the Golden Rule."
Frederico did not seem the least bit anxious to convert anybody. He was obviously convinced that he had it all figured out, and that people would see things his way once it had been explained properly to them, making it quite counter productive to be pushy in any way.
But the conversation was broken off just as Bjorn was starting to warm up to the idea of the empire and the kingdom. A tall black woman entered the church from the side, shortly followed by an Asian woman who Bjorn immediately recognized as Aung.
"Isn't that just typical?" the black woman said. "You go off ahead of us, saying you will get things ready, and then you just hang around talking to strangers... You haven't done a thing, have you?"
Frederico did not answer, but told Bjorn and Ante that this was his wife, Elisabeth. Then he turned to Aung, introducing her too to Ante and Bjorn. And for a moment they all did their little polite routine, shaking hands while telling Elisabeth and Frederico how they knew Aung from Nora's place, and that Bjorn had even met Aung at Ane's factory on Wednesday.
"It's a small place, this village," Elisabeth commented. "Not exactly São Paulo."
"No, you're right about that," Frederico said with a nod and a smile.
"So you're from São Paulo?" Bjorn asked.
"Yep. That's where we met."
"And you're from Burma, aren't you?" Bjorn asked, turning to Aung.
"Well, how did you know?" Aung asked.
"Didn't you tell me that yourself?"
"Did I? I don't know."
"Well, anyway, with a name like Aung..."
Aung nodded, clearly pleased with Bjorn's attention to details. Then, Elisabeth called off the small talk, noting that people would be coming to the church any moment, and that there was no time to waste.
The two women disappeared into a small room to the side, emerging a little later, each wearing a robe, covering their semi-formal attire.
However, Frederico did not let his wife's playful nagging distract him from continuing his conversation with Bjorn. Frederico lit two candles, one on each side of the alter, and proceeded to turn on some lights in the ceiling, while continuing on his little lecture.
"Any entity trying to interfere in our direct communication with Him is by its very nature evil," Frederico explained. "And the greatest and fiercest entity of this kind today is the state."
"The state tries to deceive us into thinking that there is somehow a need for authority above and beyond Jesus and His law. And the state makes the claim that our belief in God and the Golden Rule is somehow occult and irrational, while in fact, it is the state that is based on an irrational and deeply occult presumption."
"The state assumes authority where no authority has been given, and the state enforces its authority by systematically breaking the Golden Rule."
"The state is in fact a false religion, demanding everyone's loyalty from the moment they are born, claiming a contract exists between it and every person born within it's realm."
"It is perverse to the extreme. Imagine the insanity of such a claim!"
Bjorn looked blankly at Frederico, not quite getting what he was driving at. But once again, Frederico did not mind Bjorn's reluctance or inability to make sense of what he was saying.
"You are Norwegian, I take it," Frederico asked.
"Yes I am," Bjorn confirmed.
"So you have to pay taxes to the Norwegian state, right?"
"Yes, like everyone else in Norway."
"And why exactly do you have to pay these taxes."
"Well... It's the law."
"And you will be put in jail if you try to avoid this, right?"
"Yes."
"Which violates the Golden Rule, does it not?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Frederico took a short break to let this last point sink in. Then he continued.
"The state claims the right to your hard earned money based on a fiction called the Social Contract. And to believe in this fiction requires such a leap of faith that the resurrection dims in comparison."
"How can anyone really believe that a newly born baby has signed a contract, and that this contract requires it to live a life in bondage to the state?"
"Only the most evil of religions deny a person the right to leave."
"But that's not true," Bjorn protested. "Anyone is free to leave, if they wish."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I can change my citizenship if I please."
"But then you're still the property of some state. Change of citizenship does not free you from the state. It merely moves you from one jurisdiction to another."
Bjorn nodded.
"Okay. So what?"
"Well, don't you see? The state insists we must believe in the so called Social Contract, and that we are tied to it from birth. Yet, no such contract exists. It is as occult as it gets. Believing in it makes you an idol worshipper, and makes you accept laws that are in direct violation with the Golden Rule."
"The state drives a wedge between people and God, obscuring the eternal truth, while seeking to replace it with its own phoney theology."
"The state is also dangerous in other ways," Frederico continued. "By its claim that it holds authority over us, and that its laws are valid despite of being in direct violation with the Golden Rule, it inspires blind obedience in its worshippers, an obedience towards evil, no less. And countless are the people murdered and slaughtered and imprisoned by the followers of the state."
"The state is of Satan, no less. It is pure evil, even in its most moderate form."
"Well, that's a bit rich isn't it?" Bjorn said, a little amused with Frederico's hyperbole.
"You think so?"
"Yes. I think you'd be more convincing if you did not exaggerate so much."
"So why don't you give me an example of a moderate state, and I'll show you how evil it actually is."
Bjorn shook his head.
"How about Norway?" he said.
"Well, that's easy," Frederico said with a smile. "Even I have heard about Odd and how he's being tortured for not paying his taxes."
"But tax evasion is a crime," Bjorn protested.
"Says who?"
"Well, the state."
"Exactly."
Bjorn, seeing how he was trapped in Frederico's logic, gave his defence of the state a final go.
"So, what are you suggesting?" Bjorn asked. "That we stop paying taxes? How will that work out?"
"It will work out just fine," Frederico replied. "I know, because that is what Jesus would have wanted."
"Chaos?"
"No. Order. It is the state that throws innocent people in jail. Jesus never suggested anything like that."
"So we should just abandon the state? Is that what you suggest?"
"That is indeed what I suggest."
"So that is what this whole Fifth Empire thing is about?" Bjorn asked. "You suggest we all join this empire as an alternative to the state. Isn't that the same as just joining nothing, becoming a recluse as it were."
"No. There is a big difference between becoming a recluse and being a citizen of the empire. A citizen is not merely against the state, a citizen is for the Fifth Empire, the community of people living together according to the Golden Rule."
Friday, September 19, 2014
124
"So, would you two be interested in having a look inside while I prepare for mass?" Frederico asked.
Bjorn nodded eagerly. "I'd love to have a look."
"And how about you?" Frederico asked, looking at Ante.
"Well, why not? It's not like we are in any rush or anything."
"So what are two uniformed men up to here in Lundby on a Sunday morning?" Frederico asked as the three headed up to the church.
"We're actually off duty," Ante explained. "We're only in uniform because we did not bother to change into civilian."
"Is that so? Well, the uniform looks nice and warm."
"And so does your suit," Ante replied politely.
"Thanks. It is a wool suit, as you can see. Just the thing for the kind of weather we get up here."
Frederico opened the heavy oak door to the church, letting Bjorn and Ante in before him.
"It's a nice little church, you got here," Bjorn said as they stepped into the aisle. "And there's your throne up there, I see."
"His throne, you mean," Frederico corrected. "It symbolizes the fact that no one can legally sit on a throne, except for Jesus."
"And are you expecting his arrival any time soon?" Ante asked playfully.
"Not physically, no," Frederico answered in earnest. "But in spirit, he never left. And in that respect, he's sitting there right now."
They walked up to the throne which was placed to the right of the altar, elaborately decorated with gold paint, flower patterns, and a red velvet cushion.
"The return of Jesus is not a physical return of Him in flesh and blood as many believe," Frederico explained. "Such a return is of course impossible, and will never happen. But the return of His spirit is not only possible, but happening everywhere as we speak. Every day, we see people turning away from the false prophets and returning to Jesus, and as they do so, they see clearly all the evils that are around them, and they stand up to it, and they refuse to take part in it."
Bjorn nodded, not fully understanding what Frederico was trying to say. But it sounded good, even quite convincing.
"And what exactly are these people seeing?" Bjorn asked, curious to hear if Frederico could explain the evils that he claimed to be everywhere.
"They see the false laws and the false prophets for what they are," Frederico explained.
"The laws that violate the Golden Rule?" Bjorn asked.
"Exactly! And the agents enforcing this evil, the false prophets. It's all in the Bible. Mattheu 7:12 to be exact."
"It is?"
"It is indeed," Frederico said with a smile. Then, quoting the passage in the Bible, he added "Therefore all things whatever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
"And?"
"Well, there you are," Frederico concluded confidently. "We either adhere to the Golden Rule, or we don't. If we do, we embrace the law and the prophets. And if we don't we are obeying false laws and false prophets. It's either or. You can't have it both ways."
"And that is basically what you preach in this church?" Bjorn asked.
"It is indeed. That is why this church is called the Church of the Golden Rule. We embrace the golden rule completely, and we invite people to join us. First by bringing them into the empire. And then, once His law has been fully embraced, we proceed to His kingdom where we can find eternal piece and forgiveness."
Bjorn nodded impressed. "It makes perfect sense," he noted. "So are you going to push a Bible on us now, or do you have other plans?"
"No, no. That's not how we do things here. It is entirely up to you to embrace this or not. I'm just telling you how to proceed."
Bjorn nodded eagerly. "I'd love to have a look."
"And how about you?" Frederico asked, looking at Ante.
"Well, why not? It's not like we are in any rush or anything."
"So what are two uniformed men up to here in Lundby on a Sunday morning?" Frederico asked as the three headed up to the church.
"We're actually off duty," Ante explained. "We're only in uniform because we did not bother to change into civilian."
"Is that so? Well, the uniform looks nice and warm."
"And so does your suit," Ante replied politely.
"Thanks. It is a wool suit, as you can see. Just the thing for the kind of weather we get up here."
Frederico opened the heavy oak door to the church, letting Bjorn and Ante in before him.
"It's a nice little church, you got here," Bjorn said as they stepped into the aisle. "And there's your throne up there, I see."
"His throne, you mean," Frederico corrected. "It symbolizes the fact that no one can legally sit on a throne, except for Jesus."
"And are you expecting his arrival any time soon?" Ante asked playfully.
"Not physically, no," Frederico answered in earnest. "But in spirit, he never left. And in that respect, he's sitting there right now."
They walked up to the throne which was placed to the right of the altar, elaborately decorated with gold paint, flower patterns, and a red velvet cushion.
"The return of Jesus is not a physical return of Him in flesh and blood as many believe," Frederico explained. "Such a return is of course impossible, and will never happen. But the return of His spirit is not only possible, but happening everywhere as we speak. Every day, we see people turning away from the false prophets and returning to Jesus, and as they do so, they see clearly all the evils that are around them, and they stand up to it, and they refuse to take part in it."
Bjorn nodded, not fully understanding what Frederico was trying to say. But it sounded good, even quite convincing.
"And what exactly are these people seeing?" Bjorn asked, curious to hear if Frederico could explain the evils that he claimed to be everywhere.
"They see the false laws and the false prophets for what they are," Frederico explained.
"The laws that violate the Golden Rule?" Bjorn asked.
"Exactly! And the agents enforcing this evil, the false prophets. It's all in the Bible. Mattheu 7:12 to be exact."
"It is?"
"It is indeed," Frederico said with a smile. Then, quoting the passage in the Bible, he added "Therefore all things whatever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
"And?"
"Well, there you are," Frederico concluded confidently. "We either adhere to the Golden Rule, or we don't. If we do, we embrace the law and the prophets. And if we don't we are obeying false laws and false prophets. It's either or. You can't have it both ways."
"And that is basically what you preach in this church?" Bjorn asked.
"It is indeed. That is why this church is called the Church of the Golden Rule. We embrace the golden rule completely, and we invite people to join us. First by bringing them into the empire. And then, once His law has been fully embraced, we proceed to His kingdom where we can find eternal piece and forgiveness."
Bjorn nodded impressed. "It makes perfect sense," he noted. "So are you going to push a Bible on us now, or do you have other plans?"
"No, no. That's not how we do things here. It is entirely up to you to embrace this or not. I'm just telling you how to proceed."
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
123
There was something familiar with the well dressed man approaching Ante and Bjorn. Bjorn knew he had seen him before somewhere, but could not remember where. He was not surprised, though, when the man put out his hand for a handshake, introducing himself as Frederico.
He did indeed look very German, yet he spoke with a Brazilian accent. The man was probably, as Thomas had said, a third generation descendant of Nazi war criminals. But there was nothing immediately unpleasant or sinister about him. Quite the contrary, he seemed like a very nice guy. And when Bjorn asked about the symbolic significance of the armillary sphere, he was eager to explain.
"You are quite right," the man said with genuine enthusiasm. "It is indeed an old symbol of empire. You will find it quite commonplace in countries like Portugal and Spain, but I like to read a little more into this symbol than the merely superficial."
The man went up closer to the sphere to illustrate how the ball in the middle was the earth and the various bands represented the stars and the heavenly order associated with it.
"And as you know," Frederico concluded. "Heavenly order is guaranteed by God Himself. This is in other words not merely a symbol of any old empire, but the symbol of God's own empire, the Fifth Empire which I am sure you've already heard about."
"The Kingdom of God, in other words?" Bjorn suggested, curious to hear Frederico confirm this himself.
"Well... Not really. The Kingdom of God will eventually fill this empire completely, but the empire and the kingdom is not one and the same. Anyone can become a citizen of the empire. But to enter the Kingdom of God, you have to be a Christian as well."
"Yeah?"
"Or put another way. The Fifth Empire is the secular framework of the kingdom. In order to get to the kingdom, you first have to enter the empire."
Bjorn looked confused, and Ante looked like he felt a little embarrassed on Frederico's behalf. But Frederico was not the least bit deterred by this.
"You know the Golden Rule, right?" Frederico asked.
"Sure!" both Ante and Bjorn replied, with a nod.
"Well, the empire is where you go if you embrace this rule fully and wholeheartedly."
"Okay?"
"And you do not have to be a Christian to agree with the Golden Rule, do you?"
"No, you don't."
"But you have to embrace this rule fully in order to be a Christian."
"Yeah?"
"It says so in scripture. The Golden Rule is the law. Everything else is just regulations, and any regulation that conflict with the Golden Rule is plain and pure evil. The so called laws out there that conflict with the Golden Rule are of the Devil. They are evil constructs that will ultimately be the end of civilization as we know it."
"That is a little rich, isn't it?"
"Not at all. How could doing something to a person that you would not want done to yourself ever be anything but evil?"
"Yeah, but the end of civilization?" Bjorn protested. "I mean..."
"So anyway," Frederico continued, breaking Bjorn off in mid speech. "The empire is the first step towards the kingdom. No one can get to the kingdom without entering the empire first. It is quite impossible, and that is what makes the empire so important to us. Not only is the empire a secular framework on which everyone can agree, it is the first steppingstone on our way to the His kingdom."
He did indeed look very German, yet he spoke with a Brazilian accent. The man was probably, as Thomas had said, a third generation descendant of Nazi war criminals. But there was nothing immediately unpleasant or sinister about him. Quite the contrary, he seemed like a very nice guy. And when Bjorn asked about the symbolic significance of the armillary sphere, he was eager to explain.
"You are quite right," the man said with genuine enthusiasm. "It is indeed an old symbol of empire. You will find it quite commonplace in countries like Portugal and Spain, but I like to read a little more into this symbol than the merely superficial."
The man went up closer to the sphere to illustrate how the ball in the middle was the earth and the various bands represented the stars and the heavenly order associated with it.
"And as you know," Frederico concluded. "Heavenly order is guaranteed by God Himself. This is in other words not merely a symbol of any old empire, but the symbol of God's own empire, the Fifth Empire which I am sure you've already heard about."
"The Kingdom of God, in other words?" Bjorn suggested, curious to hear Frederico confirm this himself.
"Well... Not really. The Kingdom of God will eventually fill this empire completely, but the empire and the kingdom is not one and the same. Anyone can become a citizen of the empire. But to enter the Kingdom of God, you have to be a Christian as well."
"Yeah?"
"Or put another way. The Fifth Empire is the secular framework of the kingdom. In order to get to the kingdom, you first have to enter the empire."
Bjorn looked confused, and Ante looked like he felt a little embarrassed on Frederico's behalf. But Frederico was not the least bit deterred by this.
"You know the Golden Rule, right?" Frederico asked.
"Sure!" both Ante and Bjorn replied, with a nod.
"Well, the empire is where you go if you embrace this rule fully and wholeheartedly."
"Okay?"
"And you do not have to be a Christian to agree with the Golden Rule, do you?"
"No, you don't."
"But you have to embrace this rule fully in order to be a Christian."
"Yeah?"
"It says so in scripture. The Golden Rule is the law. Everything else is just regulations, and any regulation that conflict with the Golden Rule is plain and pure evil. The so called laws out there that conflict with the Golden Rule are of the Devil. They are evil constructs that will ultimately be the end of civilization as we know it."
"That is a little rich, isn't it?"
"Not at all. How could doing something to a person that you would not want done to yourself ever be anything but evil?"
"Yeah, but the end of civilization?" Bjorn protested. "I mean..."
"So anyway," Frederico continued, breaking Bjorn off in mid speech. "The empire is the first step towards the kingdom. No one can get to the kingdom without entering the empire first. It is quite impossible, and that is what makes the empire so important to us. Not only is the empire a secular framework on which everyone can agree, it is the first steppingstone on our way to the His kingdom."
Friday, July 18, 2014
102
"So it is basically a community of anarchists?" Bjorn asked, looking out of the kitchen window where the snow was falling heavily. Then turning back to Thomas he continued. "I mean... the good kind. The kind that doesn't blow things up."
"Yeah, that's right. It's a community of gentle anarchists," Thomas said with a nod. "Like the Portuguese. They're not prone to blowing things up. They leave people alone... You know... Live by the Golden Rule."
"So then, if I bumped into a bunch of these guys, I would in fact find myself in the Fifth Empire without knowing it?"
"No, you would not be in the empire, you would only be among the citizens of the empire. You're not in the empire before you declare yourself a citizen, and consistently live by the Golden Rule."
"And that's where it gets a bit too cultish for my taste," Bjorn concluded.
"Me too," Thomas said with a nod. "I wouldn't mind living among them, though."
"No... Sounds like a nice bunch... Unless they constantly try to convince you, like the evangelist... you know."
"Ah... but that's the beauty of it. Constantly nagging people isn't very nice, so they don't do that. And Frederico keeps stressing this in his sermons."
"So how do they spread the word?"
"Well, by mentioning it every now and again, and by making all their material available on the web. And Frederico holds some very interesting and entertaining sermons. People simply get drawn into this, and they end up declaring themselves citizens... I mean... this could really take off in a big way."
"You think so?"
"It is certainly doing very well in Lundby. Even Jan mentioned the empire when he got up and basically asked us to leave... Ten minutes before they closed... You know."
"He's a citizen?" Bjorn asked in amazement. "Jan, the Mafioso, is a citizen?"
"I think so," Thomas said, apparently without seeing the contradiction. "At least, he gave me that impression."
"But he's a thug," Bjorn protested. "He kills people. At least, that's what Ante hinted at."
"I think Ante may have been exaggerating," Thomas commented dryly.
But just as the two men started talking about Ante, the man himself appeared in the doorway, looking terribly hung over, and this stopped the conversation dead in its track.
"So you two are talking about me behind my back, are you?" Ante asked. "Well, isn't that just typical, you Sami-hating southerners."
"What?" Thomas asked, looking in disbelief at Ante as he shuffled over to the cupboard where he grabbed a glass and filled it with water, swearing and cursing as he went.
"I'm just kidding," Ante said, looking over at his colleagues from the kitchen sink. "You never get it, do you? It's a joke. I don't hate you. I like you. I like you all... Well...except for Geir maybe..."
Then, as Bjorn and Thomas started to chuckle, Ante added "Nah... he's a nice guy too I guess. It's just a little less obvious with him."
Then, sitting down at the table, next to his colleagues, Ante continued with a smile, "so how are we all feeling today?"
"Yeah, that's right. It's a community of gentle anarchists," Thomas said with a nod. "Like the Portuguese. They're not prone to blowing things up. They leave people alone... You know... Live by the Golden Rule."
"So then, if I bumped into a bunch of these guys, I would in fact find myself in the Fifth Empire without knowing it?"
"No, you would not be in the empire, you would only be among the citizens of the empire. You're not in the empire before you declare yourself a citizen, and consistently live by the Golden Rule."
"And that's where it gets a bit too cultish for my taste," Bjorn concluded.
"Me too," Thomas said with a nod. "I wouldn't mind living among them, though."
"No... Sounds like a nice bunch... Unless they constantly try to convince you, like the evangelist... you know."
"Ah... but that's the beauty of it. Constantly nagging people isn't very nice, so they don't do that. And Frederico keeps stressing this in his sermons."
"So how do they spread the word?"
"Well, by mentioning it every now and again, and by making all their material available on the web. And Frederico holds some very interesting and entertaining sermons. People simply get drawn into this, and they end up declaring themselves citizens... I mean... this could really take off in a big way."
"You think so?"
"It is certainly doing very well in Lundby. Even Jan mentioned the empire when he got up and basically asked us to leave... Ten minutes before they closed... You know."
"He's a citizen?" Bjorn asked in amazement. "Jan, the Mafioso, is a citizen?"
"I think so," Thomas said, apparently without seeing the contradiction. "At least, he gave me that impression."
"But he's a thug," Bjorn protested. "He kills people. At least, that's what Ante hinted at."
"I think Ante may have been exaggerating," Thomas commented dryly.
But just as the two men started talking about Ante, the man himself appeared in the doorway, looking terribly hung over, and this stopped the conversation dead in its track.
"So you two are talking about me behind my back, are you?" Ante asked. "Well, isn't that just typical, you Sami-hating southerners."
"What?" Thomas asked, looking in disbelief at Ante as he shuffled over to the cupboard where he grabbed a glass and filled it with water, swearing and cursing as he went.
"I'm just kidding," Ante said, looking over at his colleagues from the kitchen sink. "You never get it, do you? It's a joke. I don't hate you. I like you. I like you all... Well...except for Geir maybe..."
Then, as Bjorn and Thomas started to chuckle, Ante added "Nah... he's a nice guy too I guess. It's just a little less obvious with him."
Then, sitting down at the table, next to his colleagues, Ante continued with a smile, "so how are we all feeling today?"
Thursday, July 17, 2014
101
Bjorn looked at Thomas with sudden distrust. Why would he bring up the Fifth Empire, he wondered. It had to be some kind of joke.
"You're kidding, right?" Bjorn asked. "You're not one of them, are you?"
"No I'm not," Thomas said, with a smile while shaking his head. "And besides, the empire is not something you accidentally step into. It is not like you wake up one day and suddenly find yourself in the empire."
"No, because it does not exist, right? There is no such thing as a Fifth Empire."
"Well... I'm not sure about that. If enough people believe in it, it actually does exist."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like Norway. Norway exists, right?"
"Sure... Of course."
"But if nobody ever heard of it, and nobody believed it existed, then it wouldn't exist anymore, would it?"
"No, but now you're being silly... Then we would be part of Sweden... Or Denmark... Or whatever."
"But all those countries also only exist because people believe they exist. All countries are just imaginary entities. And the same is true about the empire. The empire is an idea. But no less real for that reason."
"Oh yeah? So point to the empire. Where is it?"
"Well, wherever there are citizens of the empire, the empire exists."
"So you can't actually point to it on a map?"
"No."
"Well, does that not make it less real than a country like Norway, with borders and territory, and all that comes with being a country?"
"But you are making the wrong comparison. The Fifth Empire is a political system. It is a way of life. It is like Socialism, or Christianity, or Islam."
"It is a cult in other words?"
"Yeah... If you like... But a pretty benign one."
Bjorn took a sip of his coffee. Then after some thinking he asked Thomas how it was that he knew so much about the empire.
"I found out about it by looking it up on the web," Thomas explained. "The whole thing is based on an old Portuguese myth, which holds that there will be a fifth and final empire, completely different from all other empires, and that it will be marked by the spirit of the Portuguese."
"That sounds pretty colonial to me," Bjorn remarked. "Does not ring well in my ear. Not a very novel idea either, is it?"
"Sure! And that is why no one took it very seriously until this Frederico came along with his Church of the Golden Rule... He's Brazilian and he pointed out that there is a big difference between being ruled by the Portuguese and to be marked by the spirit of the Portuguese."
"Okay, so now there's some holy spirit mixed up in this thing too... Come on... Explain this to me."
Thomas leant back in his chair, looking for a moment unsure of himself.
"Look!" he said. "I only discovered this thing like a week ago, so I'm no expert. Most of what I know, I've picked up from YouTube. The Church of the Golden Rule has its own channel... If you're curious, you're probably better off listening to Frederico than to have me explain this stuff."
"Okay," Bjorn said, a little disappointed. "But can't you give it a try at least?"
Thomas took a thoughtful sip of his coffee, as if searching for a short concise explanation of what the empire was all about.
"It is a secular religion if you will," Thomas said, carefully choosing his words. "It is open to all, regardless of whether you believe in God or not... That's the beauty of it."
"But I heard somebody tell me it was nothing less than the Kingdom of God on Earth."
"And it is. But only to the Christians among us. The Fifth Empire is a place where everything is done according to the Golden Rule. And such a place is, by Frederico's definition, God's Kingdom on Earth. However, you do not have to be a Christian to accept the Golden Rule as your guiding principle, and hence, the Fifth Empire is open to everybody... I have to admit I find the idea kind of neat... very Christian... Inclusive... I think Jesus would have approved."
"You're Christian?" Bjorn asked, just to be sure of Thomas' position on the matter.
"No... And neither are you, are you?"
"No," Bjorn admitted. "Too much mumbo jumbo. Too much intolerance and narrow mindedness."
"Exactly... But Jesus did make a lot of sense, didn't he? With the Golden Rule and all that, I mean?"
"Sure. But the resurrection and the second coming and... You know... It makes no sense."
"No it doesn't. You're right."
"So, who is he casting in the role as Jesus in his Kingdom of God? Not himself by any chance?" Bjorn asked, suddenly remembering the connection between the second coming and the Kingdom of God.
"No, no. The guy claims that the second coming is a purely spiritual one... He actually has a throne in his church, and it is empty... And no one is allowed to sit in it... Not because it is reserved for Jesus when he comes in as if only away for a short visit to his father, but because the spirit of Jesus is already sitting on it."
"Well, that's kind of weird, isn't it?" Bjorn asked. "Isn't that a bit cultish, if you like?"
"Not as cultish as if Fredreico was sitting on the throne himself."
"No... That's true."
"And Frederico keeps stressing that the throne is purely symbolic. The idea is that a true Christian bows to no rules but those that conform with the Golden Rule. And it follows that anyone pretending to be a ruler over others is a fraud and an evil one to be avoided."
"Does it?"
"Sure! Remember, these are citizens of the empire. They do not want to be ruled over by others. They want to take full responsibility for their own lives. Anyone claiming authority over a citizen of the empire is by that very claim breaking the Golden Rule."
Bjorn nodded, not sure if Thomas' argument made sense or not. It had a circular feel to it. And the connection between the empire and God's Kingdom seemed suspect.
"So where does the spirit of the Portuguese come into all this?" Bjorn asked, not seeing a place for that part of the story now that the throne was occupied by another ghost.
"The Portuguese are Europe's gentle anarchists."
"They are?"
"According to Frederico, they are."
"Okay... And?"
"Well, that's a great way to describe a citizen of the empire, isn't it?"
"As a gentle anarchist?"
"Yes! A citizen bows to no one, and honours no rule that does not conform to the Golden Rule. Isn't that pretty much the definition of a gentle anarchist? "
"You're kidding, right?" Bjorn asked. "You're not one of them, are you?"
"No I'm not," Thomas said, with a smile while shaking his head. "And besides, the empire is not something you accidentally step into. It is not like you wake up one day and suddenly find yourself in the empire."
"No, because it does not exist, right? There is no such thing as a Fifth Empire."
"Well... I'm not sure about that. If enough people believe in it, it actually does exist."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like Norway. Norway exists, right?"
"Sure... Of course."
"But if nobody ever heard of it, and nobody believed it existed, then it wouldn't exist anymore, would it?"
"No, but now you're being silly... Then we would be part of Sweden... Or Denmark... Or whatever."
"But all those countries also only exist because people believe they exist. All countries are just imaginary entities. And the same is true about the empire. The empire is an idea. But no less real for that reason."
"Oh yeah? So point to the empire. Where is it?"
"Well, wherever there are citizens of the empire, the empire exists."
"So you can't actually point to it on a map?"
"No."
"Well, does that not make it less real than a country like Norway, with borders and territory, and all that comes with being a country?"
"But you are making the wrong comparison. The Fifth Empire is a political system. It is a way of life. It is like Socialism, or Christianity, or Islam."
"It is a cult in other words?"
"Yeah... If you like... But a pretty benign one."
Bjorn took a sip of his coffee. Then after some thinking he asked Thomas how it was that he knew so much about the empire.
"I found out about it by looking it up on the web," Thomas explained. "The whole thing is based on an old Portuguese myth, which holds that there will be a fifth and final empire, completely different from all other empires, and that it will be marked by the spirit of the Portuguese."
"That sounds pretty colonial to me," Bjorn remarked. "Does not ring well in my ear. Not a very novel idea either, is it?"
"Sure! And that is why no one took it very seriously until this Frederico came along with his Church of the Golden Rule... He's Brazilian and he pointed out that there is a big difference between being ruled by the Portuguese and to be marked by the spirit of the Portuguese."
"Okay, so now there's some holy spirit mixed up in this thing too... Come on... Explain this to me."
Thomas leant back in his chair, looking for a moment unsure of himself.
"Look!" he said. "I only discovered this thing like a week ago, so I'm no expert. Most of what I know, I've picked up from YouTube. The Church of the Golden Rule has its own channel... If you're curious, you're probably better off listening to Frederico than to have me explain this stuff."
"Okay," Bjorn said, a little disappointed. "But can't you give it a try at least?"
Thomas took a thoughtful sip of his coffee, as if searching for a short concise explanation of what the empire was all about.
"It is a secular religion if you will," Thomas said, carefully choosing his words. "It is open to all, regardless of whether you believe in God or not... That's the beauty of it."
"But I heard somebody tell me it was nothing less than the Kingdom of God on Earth."
"And it is. But only to the Christians among us. The Fifth Empire is a place where everything is done according to the Golden Rule. And such a place is, by Frederico's definition, God's Kingdom on Earth. However, you do not have to be a Christian to accept the Golden Rule as your guiding principle, and hence, the Fifth Empire is open to everybody... I have to admit I find the idea kind of neat... very Christian... Inclusive... I think Jesus would have approved."
"You're Christian?" Bjorn asked, just to be sure of Thomas' position on the matter.
"No... And neither are you, are you?"
"No," Bjorn admitted. "Too much mumbo jumbo. Too much intolerance and narrow mindedness."
"Exactly... But Jesus did make a lot of sense, didn't he? With the Golden Rule and all that, I mean?"
"Sure. But the resurrection and the second coming and... You know... It makes no sense."
"No it doesn't. You're right."
"So, who is he casting in the role as Jesus in his Kingdom of God? Not himself by any chance?" Bjorn asked, suddenly remembering the connection between the second coming and the Kingdom of God.
"No, no. The guy claims that the second coming is a purely spiritual one... He actually has a throne in his church, and it is empty... And no one is allowed to sit in it... Not because it is reserved for Jesus when he comes in as if only away for a short visit to his father, but because the spirit of Jesus is already sitting on it."
"Well, that's kind of weird, isn't it?" Bjorn asked. "Isn't that a bit cultish, if you like?"
"Not as cultish as if Fredreico was sitting on the throne himself."
"No... That's true."
"And Frederico keeps stressing that the throne is purely symbolic. The idea is that a true Christian bows to no rules but those that conform with the Golden Rule. And it follows that anyone pretending to be a ruler over others is a fraud and an evil one to be avoided."
"Does it?"
"Sure! Remember, these are citizens of the empire. They do not want to be ruled over by others. They want to take full responsibility for their own lives. Anyone claiming authority over a citizen of the empire is by that very claim breaking the Golden Rule."
Bjorn nodded, not sure if Thomas' argument made sense or not. It had a circular feel to it. And the connection between the empire and God's Kingdom seemed suspect.
"So where does the spirit of the Portuguese come into all this?" Bjorn asked, not seeing a place for that part of the story now that the throne was occupied by another ghost.
"The Portuguese are Europe's gentle anarchists."
"They are?"
"According to Frederico, they are."
"Okay... And?"
"Well, that's a great way to describe a citizen of the empire, isn't it?"
"As a gentle anarchist?"
"Yes! A citizen bows to no one, and honours no rule that does not conform to the Golden Rule. Isn't that pretty much the definition of a gentle anarchist? "
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
91
Bjorn took a deep breath of air. He looked up at the moon, and then over at the church. Then a thought struck him. "That, of course, is the source of all this Fifth Empire talk," he thought. "That's no ordinary church... Newly painted and flood lighted... No shortage of money in other words... A sure sign of a cult.... That's not a church at all. It must be the temple of that Fifth Empire cult."
And pleased with his reasoning, Bjorn looked around for someone to casually ask about the church, and catching sight of Peter, the sandwich guy, he walked over to him as if he already knew him quite well.
"So Peter, who's running that church up there?" Bjorn asked, while looking over at the baguettes in front of him.
"You mean the Church of the Golden Rule?" Peter asked, looking over his shoulder as if to make sure it was still there.
"Yeah... The Church of the Golden Rule," Bjorn reiterated as if he had known the name of the church for some time.
"That's Frederico's church," Peter explained. "He's Brazilian."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully.
"Third generation German," Peter continued helpfully. "All his ancestors emigrated to Brazil in the mid nineteen forties."
"So! How do you know that?"
"He keeps talking about it. He uses it as an example to explain the concept of original sin."
Bjorn picked up a baguette. "I'll take this one," he said, handing Peter a token which Peter reflexively held up to the light of the nearest paraffin lamp to make a quick check for its authenticity. Then, after receiving his change, Bjorn continued his questioning.
"So you've been to his sermons?" Bjorn asked casually.
"Sure! They are very good!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I think he really nails it. They are really worth going to... And there's always this singing and dancing too. Very entertaining!"
"Singing and dancing?" Bjorn asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah... You know the sort of stuff they are into over in the US and Brazil..."
"Evangelicals?"
"Yes, that's the word. His church is one of those evangelical ones. Very close to God. No Pope or Patriarch or any of that hierarchical stuff. Just everyone directly talking to God. It's great!"
Bjorn took a bite of his baguette before asking the question he was itching to ask.
"And this Frederico is the one talking about the Fifth Empire all the time, isn't he?"
"So you have heard about it?" Peter asked with a smile.
"Yeah... Everybody seems to be talking about it."
"Well, that's great news. I'm sure Frederico will be delighted to hear that."
"So he's the one?" Bjorn asked, pleased to have his suspicion confirmed.
"Sure... But he did not invent it, if that's what you think."
"No?"
"No! The empire goes way back. It has no beginning and no end. It is eternal."
"The kingdom of God in other words?" Bjorn asked, checking to see if that idea too originated with Frederico.
"Exactly!" Peter answered, smiling even broader. "The Fifth Empire is the kingdom of God on earth. That's basically it. Once you realize that, you'll never view the world the same way again."
Bjorn half expected Peter to try to convert him at this stage, but Peter did not follow up on his explanation. Instead there was a silence while Bjorn downed some more of his baguette while looking over the crammed table that served as Peter's stall. There were several piles of different types of sandwiches and baguettes, and there were thermoses with different types of drinks, as well as two big coolers under the table, full of soft drinks and beer.
Peter had moved his cigarettes and magazines that previously occupied one end his stall onto an abandoned table next to his which made his stall a little less crowded than it would otherwise have been. And this made Bjorn wonder what happened to the owner of the stall that Peter was expanding onto. So, after letting Peter serve a young Norwegian couple, Bjorn asked him about this.
"We haven't seen him since Wednesday," Peter explained, pointing out the fact that the stall owner at the other end of the abandoned stall was expanding onto the empty table from his end too.
"Well, that's kind of convenient for you, isn't it?" Bjorn asked. "The extra space must come in handy."
"It sure does. I regret not having put up a bigger stall while I had the chance."
"But there's plenty of room. It's not like the whole village square is fully occupied."
"Yeah, but this spot is right in the middle, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't want to let a competitor take over this spot."
"And your neighbour is gone with no trace?" Bjorn asked. "Have you tried to contact him?"
"Yes, we have, but he is not answering our calls."
"Strange..."
"But he was struggling, though. I think he might have given up. Poor guy, a Russian from Nikel... He was trying to sell those wooden dolls, and Russian looking stuff... Completely missed the market...
I don't think we'll see him back here ever again."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Peter. Then, asking Peter for permission, Bjorn grabbed the latest copy of the Gazette, and wishing Peter the best of luck on his business expansion, he headed back in the direction of the casino.
And pleased with his reasoning, Bjorn looked around for someone to casually ask about the church, and catching sight of Peter, the sandwich guy, he walked over to him as if he already knew him quite well.
"So Peter, who's running that church up there?" Bjorn asked, while looking over at the baguettes in front of him.
"You mean the Church of the Golden Rule?" Peter asked, looking over his shoulder as if to make sure it was still there.
"Yeah... The Church of the Golden Rule," Bjorn reiterated as if he had known the name of the church for some time.
"That's Frederico's church," Peter explained. "He's Brazilian."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully.
"Third generation German," Peter continued helpfully. "All his ancestors emigrated to Brazil in the mid nineteen forties."
"So! How do you know that?"
"He keeps talking about it. He uses it as an example to explain the concept of original sin."
Bjorn picked up a baguette. "I'll take this one," he said, handing Peter a token which Peter reflexively held up to the light of the nearest paraffin lamp to make a quick check for its authenticity. Then, after receiving his change, Bjorn continued his questioning.
"So you've been to his sermons?" Bjorn asked casually.
"Sure! They are very good!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I think he really nails it. They are really worth going to... And there's always this singing and dancing too. Very entertaining!"
"Singing and dancing?" Bjorn asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah... You know the sort of stuff they are into over in the US and Brazil..."
"Evangelicals?"
"Yes, that's the word. His church is one of those evangelical ones. Very close to God. No Pope or Patriarch or any of that hierarchical stuff. Just everyone directly talking to God. It's great!"
Bjorn took a bite of his baguette before asking the question he was itching to ask.
"And this Frederico is the one talking about the Fifth Empire all the time, isn't he?"
"So you have heard about it?" Peter asked with a smile.
"Yeah... Everybody seems to be talking about it."
"Well, that's great news. I'm sure Frederico will be delighted to hear that."
"So he's the one?" Bjorn asked, pleased to have his suspicion confirmed.
"Sure... But he did not invent it, if that's what you think."
"No?"
"No! The empire goes way back. It has no beginning and no end. It is eternal."
"The kingdom of God in other words?" Bjorn asked, checking to see if that idea too originated with Frederico.
"Exactly!" Peter answered, smiling even broader. "The Fifth Empire is the kingdom of God on earth. That's basically it. Once you realize that, you'll never view the world the same way again."
Bjorn half expected Peter to try to convert him at this stage, but Peter did not follow up on his explanation. Instead there was a silence while Bjorn downed some more of his baguette while looking over the crammed table that served as Peter's stall. There were several piles of different types of sandwiches and baguettes, and there were thermoses with different types of drinks, as well as two big coolers under the table, full of soft drinks and beer.
Peter had moved his cigarettes and magazines that previously occupied one end his stall onto an abandoned table next to his which made his stall a little less crowded than it would otherwise have been. And this made Bjorn wonder what happened to the owner of the stall that Peter was expanding onto. So, after letting Peter serve a young Norwegian couple, Bjorn asked him about this.
"We haven't seen him since Wednesday," Peter explained, pointing out the fact that the stall owner at the other end of the abandoned stall was expanding onto the empty table from his end too.
"Well, that's kind of convenient for you, isn't it?" Bjorn asked. "The extra space must come in handy."
"It sure does. I regret not having put up a bigger stall while I had the chance."
"But there's plenty of room. It's not like the whole village square is fully occupied."
"Yeah, but this spot is right in the middle, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't want to let a competitor take over this spot."
"And your neighbour is gone with no trace?" Bjorn asked. "Have you tried to contact him?"
"Yes, we have, but he is not answering our calls."
"Strange..."
"But he was struggling, though. I think he might have given up. Poor guy, a Russian from Nikel... He was trying to sell those wooden dolls, and Russian looking stuff... Completely missed the market...
I don't think we'll see him back here ever again."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Peter. Then, asking Peter for permission, Bjorn grabbed the latest copy of the Gazette, and wishing Peter the best of luck on his business expansion, he headed back in the direction of the casino.
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