Chapter 16: Will a neighbor with good intentions be a bad person?
Medien waved goodbye to Mrs. Maggie and watched her disappear around the corner. He looked back at his brother with excitement in his eyes: "Linger, you know what Mrs. Maggie just said to me.
What?"
Linge of course shook his head, so Metien said in a cheerful tone: "She said that other churches in Linwei City, because they were unwilling to obey the control of the "Religious Decree", had united and established the "Linwei"
The Municipal Religious Mutual Aid Association' called on believers to launch several demonstrations, which attracted a lot of attention. It is said that even the city government was alarmed. In order to calm down the situation as soon as possible, the city government decided to coordinate them to negotiate with the city and parish committee to strive for a proper solution.
Disposal. Ringer, should we join in?"
"No."
Ringer refused without thinking, but he hesitated, and considering his sister's mood, he finally decided to refuse with another reason: "I have promised Mr. Langning that the church will be closed after this seven-day ceremony.
People cannot break their promises, Metien, this is what the goddess tells us."
Your goddess sounds like she sells chicken soup for the soul.
Alice, whose hands were so sore, complained silently.
Regarding his brother's answer, Metien had already expected it, so he was not too disappointed. Instead, he adopted a roundabout strategy: "It's okay not to join, but if their negotiations are really effective, the city and parish committee will decide to relax the restrictions on religion."
If there are restrictions in the Act, then we don’t have to close the church, right?”
She is also very realistic and has not considered the possibility of repealing the "Religious Decree". As long as the restrictions are relaxed, it will be good news.
Lin Ge was silent for a while, then nodded slightly and said: "If this is the case, naturally we must continue to operate, after all..."
"After all, this is the church that our father left to us!"
Metien stole his words, her green eyes were like large pieces of emerald, shining brightly. It could be seen that she was full of expectations for this negotiation, probably because she felt that there was strength in numbers. Linwell City
If all churches unite, they will unite into a force that even the city and parish committees dare not underestimate.
Of course, in Alice's view, the situation has clearly reached the stage of negotiation, but this is the first time that the brothers and sisters of Tianxin Church heard the name of the so-called mutual aid association, and they heard it from their neighbors on the same street. This is unavoidable.
Some...
"Mrs. Maggie also said that the negotiation progress and related information between the two parties can be found in the nearest newspaper. Ringer, I'm going to find someone to borrow the newspaper first!"
After saying that, he couldn't wait to run out of the chapel. Lin Ge knew that she knew well and wouldn't leave too far, so he didn't stop her and just watched her run away silently. Naturally, there was no newspaper at home, and Lin Ge didn't read the newspaper either.
Therefore, when the supplementary regulations of the "Religious Decree" came out, Metien just hid a notification letter and kept it from him for several months.
"Don't you have to chase me?" Alice asked while lying on the altar.
Ringer shook his head, turned back to the kitchen to get a mop, and began to clean the dirty floor. Alice muttered: "It's better not to mop the floor before, it will be a waste of effort."
It’s not you who dragged it.
Ringer was too lazy to pay attention to her and was busy mopping the floor, but Alice was able to find a topic on her own and discuss it enthusiastically: "Do you think the negotiation between the mutual aid association and the city-parish committee can succeed? If they succeed,
, then you didn’t become a hugger? You didn’t do anything, but you just hugged someone’s thigh and you won?”
Although he didn't know what "hugging thighs" and "lying down to win" meant, he knew from the literal meaning that they were not good words. Ringer glanced at Alice while changing the water on the mop, and spat it out from between his teeth in an extremely cold voice.
Two words: "Can't."
"Why?" Alice asked shamelessly... I mean asking for advice humbly.
The answer given by Ringer was also very simple and direct: "Because even if they unite, they are not as powerful as the religious order."
The Religious Mutual Aid Association of Linwell City is a union, and the union of religious orders is also a union, but is the union of ants the same thing as the union of giants? Even the most powerful ones in the ant colony were forced to abandon their nests and wander.
All over the mainland, living a life of fear, what kind of disturbance can other, weaker ants cause?
"Tsk." Alice curled her lips: "Is the union of religious orders really that strong?"
Being able to subvert a country's political power sounds terrifying, but there are no specific examples. Alice, a talented girl gamer from the 28th century Earth, has experienced many battles and has seen a lot, and will not believe these rumors. p>
Linge thought for a moment and said: "The Crimson Church in the Union of Orders has armed a Holy Army of more than 300,000 people and launched three colonial wars against the Eastern Continent. It is still continuing today. It is responsible for commanding this army.
His Majesty the Holy Saint Favrona of the Holy Army, is also the Minister of War Affairs of the Kingdom, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Continent Colonial War Allied Forces, and has full authority to mobilize the navy, land and air forces."
"..." Alice opened her eyes as big as light bulbs.
But this is not over yet. Ringer continued to preach: "The Black Night Sanctuary is the richest church in the Union of Orders. Its properties include a large amount of cash, antiques, land, stocks, securities and houses. No one can tell them clearly.
How much wealth do they have, but they sponsored the previous three colonial wars, and the war bonds they hold are said to be able to buy a country; in addition, the Ouroboros Project, which is expected to connect the entire Western Continent transportation system, is also
Fully invested by Night Habitat."
"..." Alice's legs trembled.
Ringer felt that this was not enough: "The Judgment Holy See also has its own army, but it basically does not appear in the public eye and is extremely mysterious. They cooperate with governments of various countries and basically have open law enforcement and judicial powers, and can even be used in the future.
They were secretly convicted and executed after trial. Although this is just a rumor, it may not be groundless. Those churches that violate the "Religious Decree" are basically responsible for arresting them..."
"Stop, stop, stop talking!" Seeing that he wanted to continue, Alice quickly interrupted, her face a little ugly: "I now know how powerful they are."
Are you sure you know?
Ringer glanced at her, skeptical, but did not continue.
He doesn't like to scare people, and what he said just now is just to let Alice know the pros and cons, so that she can use her brain more and think about what she should do and what she shouldn't do when she plays around with Metien in the future.
"I understand you now." The girl sighed: "This rubbish game has no balance at all. It should have been trimmed long ago."
Ringer ignored her and continued mopping the floor.
Alice didn't say anything. She just lay on the altar and watched quietly as Ringer mopped the floor. He mopped the floor very seriously, making sure to clean even the most remote and narrow corners. Is this a reflection of his character?
?Maybe there is this factor, but the girl is more willing to believe that it is his feelings for the church.
He loves this church very much, but this does not go against his decision to close the church.
"Linge." Alice suddenly asked: "Are you feeling sad?"
The pastor didn't look back: "Why are you sad?"
"Because of those people, they seemed sad when they heard that Tianxin Church was going to close, but you should know that they were not sad for this church, right? In other words, they are not believers of the goddess."
"You seem to have misunderstood something." Linge replied: "Just because they are not believers of the goddess does not mean that the goddess does not have believers. If not, how do you think I support Metien?"
"But if you work harder, they will become believers of the goddess." Alice said firmly: "Because you gave them food. This is what they need, and they must be very grateful to you.
At this time, if you preach to them, it will be easier to be accepted. But you didn't do that. You didn't even mention the name of the goddess a few times. It gave me the feeling that it was not like preaching, but like you had completed some work.
,If you are so serious, who will listen to you?"
She paused and then said: "So, I think you have some responsibility for the fact that they don't care about the survival of Tianxin Church, right? Because you didn't let them feel that they belong to the faith."
It was a rare occasion when she said something insightful. Ling Ge looked at her in surprise, as if he had seen someone fall from a tree with his own eyes.
However, all his expressions other than plainness were short-lived, so even the surprised look was quickly retracted, and he slowly said: "Mr. Yang Ke once said that getting comfort is faith. I have given them comfort,
As for how their beliefs belong to them, that is not what I should care about. If they are unwilling to attribute their beliefs to this, it can only prove that they have not received comfort from the teachings of the goddess, nothing more." p>
Alice also wanted to persuade: "Having said that..."
Ringer stared at her and repeated word for word: "That's all."
She understood the situation and closed her mouth.
While the two were chatting, Ringer had already mopped the floor and was about to take the mop back to the kitchen. At this moment, Alice suddenly remembered something and shouted after him: "By the way, I'm still here."
I have a question: Aren’t you and Metien brother and sister? Why do you never call Mr. Yanke father?”
In the past few days, I haven't heard Ringer mention the word "father". Could it be that... he is not his biological child?
The flame called gossip burned in Alice's eyes. Ringer stopped for a moment. After a while, a deliberately lowered voice came through a layer of hazy light: "When you and Metien are together, pay attention to Maggie."
Madam, don’t get too close to her, and don’t believe every word she says.”
When he finished speaking, his figure had disappeared in the passage leading to the kitchen.
Alice was left standing there, blinking blankly: Is this... changing the subject?