RESULTADOS

In 2955, Father Jasper Ovidon of Delphos, a noted religious scholar, petitioned Prince Peter Davion to cre- ate a council of religious leaders to promote good will between the various faiths. It was to be patterned after the Commonwealth Religious Council, which for centu- ries has been successfully promoting interfaith under-

standing in the Lyran Commonwealth. This idea seemed so ob- vious and so simple that the priest’s appeal was championed by the New Avalon Catholic Church and several influential mem- bers of the nobility. In 2956, Prince Davion announced the cre- ation of the Federated Inter-Faith Congress and appointed Fa- ther Ovidon as its first Chairman Elder.

Under the leadership of Father Ovidon, the first Unfinished Book (unfinished in the sense that there was so much spiritual wisdom yet to be discovered) was published. This “book” actu- ally consisted of ten large volumes containing the holy words of many religions, and it was the culmination of Father Ovidon’s overriding desire for peace. He felt that if mankind could write down all the scriptures of all the religions and bind them into one series of books, true harmony and peace for mankind would fol- low. How this would come about, whether through divine inter- vention or some act of man, the priest never said.

Nevertheless, his enthusiasm was infectious. Editions of the Unfinished Book soon became unexpected bestsellers through- out the Federated Suns. Immediately after publication of the first edition, people began to offer their aid to the Inter-Faith Con- gress, not out of any desire to join a specific faith, but to see the Unfinished Book completed. This phenomenon did not stop with the death of Father Ovidon in 2966. Under Lama Potec, the sec- ond Chairman Elder, this extensive research project to collect the writings of countless holy men and women continued.

Today, the influence of the Unfinished Book—as the Inter- Faith Congress has come to be known—is phenomenal. Those who helped with the Unfinished Book seem to have created a quasi-religious order. They even have a symbol, an open book with blank pages set against the Federated Sunburst, which many dedicated young men and women wear like a badge.

The people who work on the Unfinished Book baffle any attempt to characterize them as a group. No single faith pre- dominates among those who donate their energies. Indeed, a fair number of agnostics exist among the workers. There is not a common political belief, nor is there a common class affiliation. About the only thing these people have in common is their inter- est in humanity’s many religions and philosophies.

This interest in spirituality gives ComStar some difficulty. In recent years, the appeal of working on the Unfinished Book has drawn away many people whom we might have recruited for our Blessed Order. Even more disturbing is that the Unfinished Book is becoming a political power. Priests trained at the Unfinished Book’s learning center on New Avalon and who are accepted in two or more faiths, have become the official chaplains for the Davion military. The true measure of their growing power and our distress is that some in the Unfinished Book cadre have recently been questioning our Order. Recent articles published by mem- bers of the Inter-Faith Congress have called us “a pack of voo- doo priests and mumbo jumbo chiefs.” Their slanderous attacks have, as yet, gone unpunished by the Davion government, though we protested mightily.

The most convincing example of the prestige of this quasi- religion occurred at the coronation of Hanse Davion. Instead of swearing his oath on a traditional Bible, the Prince swore upon a copy of the new fifth edition of the Unfinished Book.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The Federated Suns shares with the Lyran Commonwealth, and to a lesser extent, the Free Worlds League,’the boon and bane of religious freedom. On the positive side, the freedom to worship as one believes is a crucial factor in helping the citi- zenry feel “free” and unoppressed by the government. Freedom of worship also promotes an open culture able to accept and discuss new ideas and changes without fear.

On the dark side, there is always the specter of religious conflict. In times of stress and uncertainty, the common people, especially the uneducated, often feel impotent. At such times, they often lash out in frustration at the nearest minority. Once a religious conflict occurs, it often takes years to heal the wounds. The other disadvantage of religious freedom is that it be- comes impossible to gain support for a cause by claiming it is God’s will. Diversity of religion guarantees a diversity of opinions on almost every subject. It is futile to attempt to stir up the emo- tions of the realm with scripture, as so many past leaders have done. Indeed, a few Davion princes have tried and failed miser- ably.

The Federated Suns tolerance and interest in religions-as seen in the Unfinished Book phenomenon-often makes things difficult for ComStar. We cannot simply awe the people of the Suns with stories of the golden years of the Star League and the lives of our Blessed Founders. Diplomacy and intelligence must be exercised when dealing with the more sophisticated citizens of the Federated Suns.