A Little
Knowledge...
"So, ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is
conclusive proof - in the DNA strands of all
participants in the test - of the existence of Past
Lives," the speaker said, looking over his glasses at the
assembled audience, before looking back at his notes. The
crowd was silent for a moment before a ripple of
murmuring and whispers went through them, growing in
volume as the moments went by.
"Furthermore," said the speaker, pausing as he waited for
the noise to abate, "Furthermore...there is also proof
that our souls grow with each new life, building itself
up to God knows what at the end of our existence.
We start as a single celled amoeba or the like and grow
through all stages of evolution, until we reach this
current stage...humanity.
"I believe now, that there will be more to come in the
millennia ahead, until in some far distant future we
attain...what? I cannot say," he gently shook his head as
he looked out silently into the crowd of astounded and
amazed scientists.
"All I can say, is that one day - many days from now - we
shall all arrive at ...the end? The beginning? ...Heaven?
Perhaps something that our current minds cannot grasp
yet, but something ...that is certain."
*
* *
Daniel and Barbra Keeling
walked through the snowy streets as they left the
convention, heads down and hands thrust deep into the
pockets of their heavy overcoats. They were a couple in
their late thirties and had met back in college where
they had studied biology in the same lab. They had
married soon after graduation, but had never found the
time or the inclination to have children.
"So, what do you think?" Barbra asked Daniel, without
looking at him.
"I'm not sure," replied Daniel, "It seems perfectly
reasonable, but it's just so...so-"
"Improbable?" Barbra offered.
"More than that. I'd always thought evolution was so cut
and dried, but now Carmichael is proposing that we evolve
on a spiritual level as well as on the physical. The idea
that we carry the same...soul...throughout millions of
years is just...well -" he trailed off as they rounded a
corner.
"It's a bit of a shock, that's all. It makes sense to me,
but it will take some time to sink in, I think," said
Barbra, looking across at him and trailing mist from her
mouth over her shoulder.
"I'm wondering how the rest of the world is going to
react as well. I mean, this isn't something you hear
everyday. Religions may collapse! Holy wars could start!
It's pretty startling!" said Daniel, raising his head to
look at her. Her cheeks were red from the cold air, and
she was breathing a little heavily.
"I hadn't considered religion," said Barbra, and again
she looked up at him, "Although this could support
Creationism."
"Many things will change, Barb," said Daniel looking at
her a little grimly, "This is one of those moments in
History that no-one ever forgets."
*
* *
Two weeks later it was
all anyone could talk about. It was on the news, it was
on talkback radio, it was all over the newsstands. People
everywhere were suddenly guaranteed another life than the
previous isolated existence they knew. The fear of death
began to disappear, and as it did, the new religions
began to start up. The Church of Eternal Life, the Church
of Posterity, the Church of the Holy Resurrection, and
more.
Everywhere, attitudes to life itself changed. People were
happier and more giving. Killers in the jails were freed
and exonerated of their crimes. Murders and killings all
started dying off (excuse the pun). And then, in the
following months, suicides and murders began to increase
again, suddenly twice as strong as they had previously.
As murder was no longer a crime, there was nothing to
stop anyone doing it. People who tired of this life
killed themselves in droves as they realised another life
- a better one? - would be forthcoming.
Then came The Church of Advancement.
Saturday the 21st of November, The Church of Advancement
opened it's doors, calling the faithful into the Act of
Advancement. They believed that to create life anew, they
could kill animals of a lesser distinction than Human to
Advance them up the spiritual ladder. Humans too, could
progress to the next level. Handguns, rifles and knives
were their crosses and bathing in the blood of beasts
their Baptism. The popularity of the Church swelled,
increasing it's fold to swallow all other new religions,
as well as the old. Two years from the original
announcement of Ultimate Proof of Past Lives, the Church
of Advancement was the only religion within the world.
People everywhere were killing on Sundays (the
traditional Saturday of the Jew's was forgotten, for some
unexplained reason), and killing everything in sight.
Smiling as they did it, for after all, they were
advancing singular lives into the next level, and that
was something to be proud of, wasn't it? Finally, the
devout could get in and actually do something with their
belief, and not just turn up on Sunday to chew on
Christ's Body.
This religion soon become the top business in the world.
After all, they had swallowed the funds of all other
religion and many businesses along the way. The Church of
Advancement was given donations from all over the world,
to cover costs of ammunition and guns. Knives had to be
resharpened and bombs needed to be built. Trees and
grasses needed flamethrowers. But the people paid it
willingly, blindly.
Soon, many species of animal became extinct. Bumper
stickers read "Extinct isn't forever," "Kill to
live again," "If I should die before I wake, ALL THE
BETTER!" and so on. Death had suddenly become the world's
favourite game. But ...
As species disappeared from the world the food chains and
the delicate balance of ecosystems started to falter, and
in some cases, collapse entirely. As these things died, a
chain reaction started to spread throughout the entire
world. People started to get hungry, but there wasn't the
food there to feed them. Babies started to get sick and
die. And all the while, people smiled, because there was
a new life waiting for them on the other side of
Death.
The one thing that nobody considered though, was that the
Immortal Soul, for all of it's continuing evolution,
needed a cage of flesh. And if there wasn't anything to
support that cage, then nature would make sure that they
weren't built. And if the cages weren't built, then no
souls could advance, as there was nothing to contain
them.
Less than six years after the Announcement, the Earth lay
silent and almost entirely devoid of life, floating
around the Sun as it had for thousands of millions of
years before Humanity turned up. The dinosaurs had never
figured it out and they had lived for 300 million years,
until they were killed by accident. The mammals had
lasted the blinking of an eye.
Maybe the Insects would be smarter. Or the Fish.
The
End
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