The Gospel of Reason
By Gregory Coffin
Examined inside: science, learning, morality, nature of the universe and of humanity, politics and how the individual and society may interact.
As the son of a king, Arenos was sent out into the world by his father Iligenor to learn the ways of the kingdom with his father’s advisor, Madgo. A charismatic and thoughtful heir, Arenos sees the kingdom his father has built as something less than desirable, and strives to teach its people of a better way to live their lives.
Arenos travels the land confronting prejudice and bias among the subjects, both victims and perpetrators. As he endeavors to change the lives of the kingdom’s inhabitants, Arenos gains followers to his cause, eager to learn the many lessons he has to teach. As Arenos moves through the land, he and his growing band of students find many who have resigned themselves to a life of tradition and obsequience – victims of a ruling class that has them obey for ‘their own good.’
From the helping the sick, to protecting the weak, Arenos shows the strong and the downtrodden alike that a better way is possible when one seeks to find the objective Good. Flying in the face of sacred tradition and a prescribed morality, Arenos’ teachings meet with increasing resistance from the king’s advisor, but serve as an inspiration to those who’ve been told to accept their lot in life.
Seeking to liberate the people from the shackles of dogma, Arenos endeavors to instruct the masses that Nature’s fury is no reflection of some deity’s anger toward a behavior or mindset, and that those who would try to interpret those random events as such seek merely to enslave and enfeeble.
Arenos’ travels take him to a family being accosted by brigands, demanding payment in the form of flesh to leave them unharmed. Arenos aids the family against the band, showing that while peace is the objective, at times, protecting that which is dearest occasionally requires acts of force. He later teaches that differing lifestyles need not be feared or persecuted and that others should be allowed to pursue their own happiness in the face of bigotry and narrow-mindedness.
Seeing the people begin to question the rule of their superiors, Madgo moves to stem the tide of enlightenment Arenos is bestowing upon the people–seeing it as a threat to the way of life proscribed by he and the king. As Arenos sits down to partake of a feast with his new followers, taking time to enjoy one another’s company and relish the joys that life has to offer, Madgo betrays the king’s son, seeking to make an example of those who would not blindly follow the edicts of those who hold the reins of power.
You can purchase the book online from Smashwords in multiple eBook formats at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/226407.
eBook formatting by Shelley Glasow Schadowsky.