Lecture: Purism
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What do we know of Providence? This question may seem a bit odd for the beginning of a lecture of Purism, but it's an important one, it's one we have wrestled with and sought answers to.
First and foremost, we know that Providence wished us free of slavery. When our people were beneath the heel of demons, Providence saw, She cared, and She wished our freedom. The first record we have of Her actions is stepping in to help us out of slavery, and this speaks very strongly to us of one of the most basic tenets, that we are to have freedom of choice. We honor this in ourselves, and in others. I bring this up because at the heart of things, we know that this is what Providence treasures, our choice of what path we follow, what we pursue in our life.
Providence did not save us by eradicating evil It is still here. We are still plagued by it when the Gateway is damaged, and the picture we see of Her champion is the Keeper, one who must train, study, and remain vigilant in order to keep darkness at bay. As Purists, we believe that this is the model she would have all of us live by. To study strongly how to remain steadfast, to temper ourselves in regard to things which would weaken our resolve-- be they physical or mental-- and to remember that evil is always seeking its own reign over us.
All Purists subscribe to the supremacy of Providence and Her Keeper, and also to a structure of priests and trained individuals whose lives are devoted to the study of Her, and the guiding of others in that knowledge. For many years we had but the nature of Providence gleaned from Her actions and the words of the Keepers to enlighten us of Her truth. It was Emperor Jonathan, a Keeper who sought to know the heart of Providence, who worked with a Soranus baron of ages past to enscribe our sacred text, the Libris Sancti. Purists of every path acknowledge the holiness of this work and the admonishments contained therein. That said, there are some differing interpretations, and so three distinct paths have developed within Purism.
Perhaps the one most people mistake all purists for being is the Path of Innocence. Innocents believe more or less in the name of their path; purity and innocence should be preserved, people should avoid anything of evil and assiduously avoid temptation, for even being near evil is the danger of falling. The knowledge of evil things is to be avoided as much as possible, and an adherence to hard work and sacrifice of selfish desires is the method of honoring Providence. Should one stray from innocence or purity, one need repent of that action and seek to make reparations for wrongdoing. Oft, this is seeking some service to the person wronged, or to the community at large if no specific person was wronged.
The flip side of this coin is the Path of the Dragon, those who believe that, like the Keeper, we are all called to be tested against darkness and honed, and to hold a stalwart line of good. They are trained that any surrender to darkness whatsoever, whether in lying, breaking an oath, treating someone cruelly, or corruption of any nature is to be eschewed. One can only learn to withstand evil by being aware of its snares and methods, so learning in this area is critical that one may not fall out of ignorance. The definition of corruption is often fairly stringent, and to succumb is to have to repent and seek atonement, usually from a priest or trainer.
And then, there are those who think that both the Dragons and the Innocents are far too obsessed with legalistic definitions of what is right and wrong. The Path of the Mother focuses upon embracing of all people and calling them to obey the dictates of their conscience, but there's little emphasis upon absolute ethics and more upon situational evaluation. The love of Providence for all of Her children therefore dictates that they should have happy lives: live, love, and embrace the joy life to its fullest, in reverence to Her. That is a distinction, it isn't just 'if it feels good, do it'. It is do it and honor Providence in the process. If you don't feel it is honoring of Providence, refrain. For them, the priesthood is someone to consult with for advice, but rarely does the notion of atonement for wrongdoing enter into the picture.
Three paths, one goal, to honor Providence with our lives and serve Her and the Empire with devotion and integrity. At heart, I think many people are Purist in some sense or another, as we all live freely in this realm by the mercy of the divine. Despite rampant speculation, Purists have no hidden political agendas, no wish to subvert others and take away their freedom to choose and live as they wish. One likely reason why there is such mystery around Purism, is that Purists have been insular for a time. It is always easier to have unity of purpose when you don't have diversity, but that is not serving the Empire as a whole well. It is for this reason that you have seen many Purists in Gateway for the first time, the desire to step out from being self-contained, and to be servants of the Empire as a whole.
Everything is choice. The choice to surrender personal desires and pursue a path of Providence's will is the one that anyone can make, and one that any Purist would encourage. Whether that surrender is embracing the structures of the Purist faith, or just choosing ever day to think about what is good, noble, and honoring to a deity who has guaranteed that we all have that choice to make.
