Microstory 614: Annihilation of Pagan Statues

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Eido Seamus’ first order of business was to kick the rest of the taikon into high gear. Any and all that could be achieved arbitrarily were to be planned and executed as fast as possible. As mentioned before, there are other religions in this galaxy that contradict Lightseed teachings. And though no law prevents these faiths from existing, much of the text in the Book of Light warns Lightseers of the possible threat. Every belief that goes against ours has the potential to become a menace to our way of life. Most of them are rooted in the old beliefs, which means they could theoretically lead us down a path of returning to our tainted history. One dangerous religion is known as honshin. It is an unremarkable faith, noted for its plethora of gods. The problem with it is that it preaches community over individuality, under certain conditions. In the last half-century, honshin has risen in popularity by seven percent, and has even taken believers from Lightseed. The fourteenth taikon states that following the annihilation of pagan statues, an entire world will experience an infestation of amphibious animals. In order to arrive at the fifteenth taikon, Eido Seamus ordered a group of his followers to destroy a garden built by the motherhouse of the honshin movement. He could have chosen any other pagan religion, but honshin has proven itself to be a formidable enough of an enemy to warrant attack. Unfortunately, the fifteenth taikon did not arrive as predicted, leading some to lose trust in the words of the Book of Light. But as it has turned out, the faithful cannot be rewarded if they take action that does not belong to them. The wording of the taikon said nothing about how the pagan statues were to be destroyed, but it has become clear now that this could only happen through natural causes. While those closest to the taikon events were awaiting the fifteenth taikon to arrive, growing less and less confident by the minute, their patience was rewarded. A lightning storm on an entirely different planet established itself over an entirely different garden for an entirely different pagan religion. Just as the last lightning bolt flew from the sky and struck one final statue, the first amphibian climbed out of the swamp, marking the beginning of the fifteenth taikon. We were now assured that all taikon would play out in unexpected ways, and whether anyone had anything to say about it, or not. Most traitors returned to the light after realizing their mistake, and remembering that there is only one true God.