Post by Joe Everyman on Nov 28, 2010 2:27:10 GMT -6
Find your peace
Find your say
Find the smooth road on your way
Trust you gave
A child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
Find your say
Find the smooth road on your way
Trust you gave
A child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
---{November 27th, 2010. 11:07 p.m.}---
Joe is in that park from his memories. That tree still stands, waving in the slight breeze as Joe walks up to it. He looks up it's thick trunk as he puts his hand on the knot hole on the front side. In his other hands sits the same journal from before. But now, a necklace dangles from his grasp as well. At the bottom of the silver chain, a golden angel hangs. Joe then slowly raises his arm and starts reading from the diary again.
---{December 24th, 2007. 10:03 p.m.}---
Joe and Maria are moving about inside the living room of their newly bought house. Christmas music can be heard playing in the background as Joe stands, admiring the tree that they created together. Joe slowly reaches into the tree and starts moving around a string of lights. Maria sees this and comes over quickly to help him.
Maria Williams: Be careful Joe, we don't want any ornaments to break.
Joe Everyman: Of course not, I just wanted to make it look perfect. That's all.
Maria Williams: Don't worry, we did a great job on it. It'll be nice to finally spend Christmas together under the same roof.
Maria looks towards the top of the tree where a lit up angel sits peacefully, looking down upon them too.
Maria Williams: That is... a house we bought together.
Joe kisses Maria on the cheek before looking towards the tree again.
Joe Everyman: So, which one of these ornaments do you like the most?
Maria Williams: Well, there's just so many. And a story behind each one.
Maria starts slowly walking around the tree, pointing out several ornaments as she goes around. After she points out the fifth one, she stops. She instantly gets a stunned look on her face and she raises a quivering hand towards a necklace draped over a few of the branches.
Maria Williams: Joe... did you buy this for me?
She carefully picks up the necklace and holds it in front of her as Joe slowly stands behind her.
Joe Everyman: Of course I did. It reminded me of you the second I saw it, so I had to get it.
Maria Williams: I don't know what to say...
Joe reaches his arms out in front of him, wrapping them around Maria's waist, holding her into his body tightly.
Joe Everyman: You being speechless tells me everything I would need to hear. I love you.
Maria Williams: I love you too Joe.
Maria turns around and gives Joe a soft hug as a tear rolls down her cheek.
Joe Everyman: Merry Christmas sweetheart.
Since the beginning of time, man has tried to figure their places in the universe. Since the sweet light of the dawn shown on their faces, they have tried to solve the answers that no man will ever be able to answer. Nobody will even be able to answer these questions, because there are no answers. Everything in this world can be questioned, just as these simple questions can be answered freely. Ask anybody their honest opinion, and they will give you a different answer every time. I know what my answer is. Do you know yours?
One question I know is one of the most profound questions ever asked by a human being. One that will get a different answer every time too. One that will raise tempers, cause wars, destroy lives.
"Is man one of God's blunders? Or is God one of man's blunders?"
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Friedrich Nietzsche
I ask this... because Gabriel uses this being to justify anything and everything that he does. He does not use his own will. He down not use his own thoughts. Everything he does comes from the preachings of a... higher power. I used to be a man of God. When I was a boy, I went to church every Sunday. I would volunteer my time, my effort and my money to the church because it was something my parents wanted me to do. They wanted me to learn the Bible. They wanted me to grow up to be a man of God. But why? So his followers could spit in my face when I grew and learned the truth? So his disciples could use my sins to justify their own? And people call me a hypocrite. No, you see... those of faith are the ones who are the hypocrites here. You need proof? Look at the blessed father, Gabriel Karras. All things he has said have been lies. All things he has said have been justified by his God. Therefore... this God, is a liar.
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo
- Galileo
I feel the same way that Galileo did in his day. I feel as though I am wrong to follow the creator if he has created men like Gabriel Karras. Men like him would be cast down to hell if not for the religion that they follow. But because Gabriel uses God as his scapegoat, all things that he does are automatically forgiven for their are in His name. If I use God's name for good, and slaughter a man, would it be justified? If I said that God told me to do, could I get away with what Hitler did? Because he said that it was the will of God that pushed him to do what he did. You, Gabriel, are no different, just on a smaller scale. You take people that you don't like out of the way, and use falsified lies to justify them. You make me sick, Gabriel. You and your entire church. A priest should spread the will of the Lord in all it's glory. They shouldn't use it in the dark ways that you have. No no... everything you have done will come back in due time. If not by me, then by God himself. For a man who worships him blindly, you sure do enjoy making up lies again yourself and him as well. But soon... your blood will flow. Your blood will make the beginning of your end. Your blood will make a rich payment towards repentance.
---{November 28th, 2010. 12:09 a.m.}---
Joe is now sitting against the tree with his head resting against it's strong trunk. The park around him is empty as the light of the moon casts long shadows from everything standing. The trees, the benches, everything giving off an eerie shadow in the now darkened park.
Joe Everyman: Why do we work for these things? Our beliefs, our morals... they sometimes dictate us more than our own minds and hearts do. But why? Is it because that is what all humans do? Perhaps it is what our hearts and minds tell us to do. But in the end, any sane person will finally let their brain and heart win overall. I know I did. I have many times in the past too. If my beliefs and morals ran my life, I would have stays the nice, fan friendly Joe that everyone grew to love. If I would have stayed that Joe... all aspects would have followed. Never being able to win anything. Never being able to move up the ladder of success; only falling down. Never being able to fully care for the ones I love. Never being able to make their lives better. I would have failed. However, I took a different path. I created one for me and me alone.
I may not be perfect, but at least I am the reigns of my own life. I don't need anyone to tell me what to do or how to live it. Unlike Gabriel Karras, I can actually choose my own actions. I don't have to wait for a sign from God to act upon something. What I did to Maria was horrible, and what I did could take years before I could be fully forgiven. But Gabriel... what you did to her was much worse. What you have done can never be forgiven. You took her away from her home. You took her away from her daughter. And worst of all, you destroyed a family in the process. I know what I did... but I was going to handle it. Maria and I were going to work though it like any married couple would. But no... instead, you had to force your hand in on something that you had nothing to do with. Are you happy to know that your miserable, pathetic little life will end because of it?
This is what the fates have decided. I may be against all things Godly because of the sins that Gabriel has committed in his name... but fate is still one thing that will always remain. Fate dictates all of the future. Fate decides when we live, when we die... sometimes fate can take form of that of a man, a woman, a child. In your case, Gabriel... fate has taken it's form inside of me. I control the future for you. I control the future for me. And I control the future for the one thing we are fighting over; Maria.
Joe looks down at the diary and necklace that still rest quietly in his hand. His expression turns cold and dark. After a few moments, he opens his hand and lets them fall to the ground below. He then stands up and walks away from the tree towards the street next to the park. As he walks away, the diary and necklace lay motionless.
"Without religion, we'd have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
- Stephen Weinberg
- Stephen Weinberg
So, it has finally come to this, Gabriel. The final battle in our vast war is finally upon us. And I know this will be our final battle... I will not fight this anymore. If Maria comes back to me, then what I have striven for this past month will come into fruition. I will finally have the love of my life back in my arms. I will finally have my daughter back, so I can give her the childhood that she rightfully deserves. I will finally have a stable family again... knowing to never again even tempt to damage it. If I am going to have a black heart and a burned past... I may as well have a golden family behind me the whole way. Like Stephen Weinberg once said... good people do good things, evil people do evil things. Good people doing evil things is caused by religion. Karras, your religion will not be able to save you this time. Your lies will not be able to save you this time. Your faith... will be the death of everything you stand for.
"The more man puts into God, the less he retains in himself. The worker puts his life into the object; but now his life no longer belongs to him, but to the object."
- Karl Marx
- Karl Marx
My object is the same object of affection that was there all along. My goal in this has never faulted. Yours, Gabriel... yours will still, sadly, remain the same. Not to save Maria's life... but to destroy mine. You will soon learn that you do not dare tempt my hand. You will soon learn that you dare not steal from me. You will soon learn that I am more powerful than God himself. I do not doubt that fact in the slightest. You may call me a sinner for using the Lord's name in vain... I dare you to use another lie. You have put too much of your life into your... church. And now, you will see the same that I have seen. That you have lost yourself. You are beyond saving. My old, strong heart would have tried to reach my hand out to help you, no matter what you did to me in the past. But this time... it is black... charred... shattered... all thanks to you! This time... there will be no hand to save you. Not mine. Not Maria's. Not even God's almighty hand.
"If we go back to the beginning we shall find that ignorance and fear created the gods; that fancy, enthusiasm, or deceit adorned or disfigured them; that weakness worships them; that credulity preserves them, and that custom, respect and tyranny support them in order to make the blindness of men serve its own interests."
- Baron d'Holbach
- Baron d'Holbach
You may quote your Bible as much as you wish to, Gabriel... I will quote my own. Ignorance and fear created this blood feud between you and I. Ignorance on my end... fear on yours. You tried to use my wife to shield you from me. Because you are just a scared, little child under those robes. You have disfigured your God in this, Karras. You have made religious men and women turn against their churches because of the things you have done. Your tyranny will finally be brought to an end. Your blindly follow this God. No longer. You will finally see the errors in your ways... in fire. You will be purged of your sins. Purged by death. There will be no escape for you, Gabriel. I may not gain any fans because of this. I will not receive any World Championship opportunities for doing this. I will, however, know what I did was righteous and just. I will finally get it in your head that you are going to hell. Your church will be destroyed. Your life will be decimated. Your heart will be shattered... as my own was. Maria may not forgive me... but then, I will at least be able to forgive myself. And maybe, Gabriel, you too will one day be able to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for these sins. Sins against man. Sins against nature. Sins against your church. Sins against God. But remember one thing, Gabriel, if nothing else. Some sins are unforgivable. One... one of your sins is unforgivable. And that sin is the day that you were born. This will be your last goodbye, priest.
Damn... the... gods
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed