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This is a short story I've written. I wrote it to express my sadness and frustration of religions and to show how religions bring nothing but catastrophic. I am an Arab who is a former Muslim and a former Christian as well. Please tell me your opinion about this story.
What if the whole world turns upside down. What if the Middle East becomes a secular and a democratic region while Europe becomes a religious one.
This is what my story "The Year of 2230" will talk about
Ali couldn’t believe his ears and eyes when he watched a few documentaries about his region two hundred years ago. The peaceful village he enjoys roaming around was a war zone for several decades! He was shocked to hear if his parents who belong to different tribes and sects were married at that time would have been separated by the force of law. The fact that congregations in places of worship were larger than those attending a charity event astonished him. How come establishing a political party caused you to be thrown and tortured in prison for long years. The execution of an apostate took place in the same square he enjoys drinking beer at did not make any sense to him. Apostates were executed! He could not believe people were executed merely for changing their beliefs. Suicide bombings were a major cause of death in his region as well!
“Oh I forgot my meeting with Omar”. Ali just remembered his promise to meet his best friend Omar shortly. He rushed to a bar located in the same square where the apostate was executed 200 years ago. He arrived to the bar ten minutes late. Omar was sitting on the balcony and was enjoying a nice breeze of an April noon. He shakes Omar’s hand and sat. “It has been a while mate. We haven’t met for over a month. How is your new job in the capital?”. Omar ” It has been challenging. But I admit adjusting to the busy life in the capital is the hardest part”. What about you my friend Ali? Ali: “For the past few days I have watched several documentary movies about our region two hundred years ago. I am still surprised how this region was at that time. “What did you learn about our region?” Omar asked. “Where shall I begin? Shall I talk about the constant wars between my sect and yours? Or shall I talk about imposing religion into every aspect of life? Or of how women were restricted from practicing their rights. Or maybe about suicide bombings that killed thousands of innocent people. It is very hard to know where to start, but in summary this region was in a total chaos”. “You can say we were as backward and violent as the Europeans and North Americans nowadays. Can you believe we are in the year of 2230 AD and in Europe and North America, Catholics have waged a war against the Protestants. The Jewish have been denied the right to pray at synagogues and are prosecuted. No wonder there are thousands of Jewish asylum seekers in our region. Even Christian European asylum seekers have a high presence in the refugees’ camp here” Ali added. Omar: “Wow, I never imagined our region was that bad”. “Did you see how the King of Rome Pope Nicolas VI ordered his people in the year of 2219 AD to kill and prosecute the Protestants? Europe and North America turned into a chaos since they abandoned secularism and adapted religion into every aspect of their life”. Ali: “Yes, they were having a wonderful life until they gave authority to clergy men. The nationalists rallied for the priests thinking they will get their country back but they got their countries a few centuries back.” Omar: “In the West, those who commit adultery get executed because of a verse in the bible that says: “If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death” Leviticus*20:10*NLT. Just because a book orders you to do such a barbaric thing you do it! Last year France executed over 1,600 men and women who committed adultery. France is waging two wars. One against its people by punishing them according to the bible teachings, and another one against the Protestant Army Militias from the Kingdom of Hamburg. France and the Kingdom of Bavaria have killed over one hundred thousand protestant civilians in the Kingdom of Hamburg. “Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the [holy man] who represents God must be put to death. Such evil must be purge” Deuteronomy17:12*NLT
The pope used this verse in his speech in 2219 to justify his purge campaign toward those who don’t follow the orders of God. Which he meant Protestants as they are infidel to the Catholics” . Ali sipped a little of his second beer and said: “Even journalists and writers are being prosecuted in Europe. Do you know that Sweden in the year of 2228, arrested 209 journalists and executed 81 of them merely for writing anti-government or anti-Christianity articles? Sweden became the third worst country in the world in terms of freedom of expression. The Church of Sweden has adapted a strict policy against those who disagree with it. Since the people of Sweden decided to vote for Bishop William to become the President in 2197, he never left the office. He has been including bible teachings into the Swedish laws and constitution. He now appoints 80% of the members of the Swedish parliament-all of them are always clergymen-. While letting the population choose the remaining 20%!. Swedish people almost have no representation in the parliament!”. Omar: “Even its neighbor Finland is in a bad condition being under the influence of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Archbishop of Turku Otto Nieminen has made a new law that enables police to cut the hair of women who don’t cover their hair. “For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head” 1 Corinthians 11:6. That’s the bible verse Archbishop Otto Nieminen used to justify his decision to cut women hair off if they don’t cover theirs!”.
Suddenly, people in the bar started to shout and swear. Ali and Omar looked at the TV to see why everyone in the bar was angry. The TV was showing the news of two homosexuals being hanged in the Dam Square in Amsterdam. Prior to the execution, a priest stood in front of the crowd in the Dam Square and recited the following bible verse “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet” Romans 1:26-27 then the priest said: “After arresting these two men while conducting an unethical, immoral, and forbidden act, the King has ordered, with the endorsement of the Church to execute these men in Amsterdam’s biggest square”. Ali said: “I can’t believe those backwards execute people based on their sexual preferences. I am glad my homosexual brother is not living in one of those evil countries”. Omar: “You are right. It is good that we are living in the 23rd century when none of our laws are based on religion or a religious scripture. Btw Ali, you didn’t tell me how did the miserable life in our region become better and we turned into what we are today in term of secularism and democracy?”. Ali answered after finishing his fourth beer: “In 2070, a revolution started by groups of youth. They were distributing flyers telling how religion and religion men have been the main reason of their misery. They were prosecuted. Thousands were arrested, hundreds got executed. Every year, more people join the revolution. Until the year of 2088, when the Chief General in Army announced a military coup and ordered the arrest of the rulers and clergy men. Then he forbidden to use religion in anyway in life. Then he made economic reforms and granted freedom of speech to the people. Four years after the coup, the General stepped down and made an election for the second president. From that time our region became a democratic one”. Omar: “This proves what I have always said. Whenever and wherever religion is used it will cause a disaster”.
Ali: “You are absolutely right buddy”. Ali said it after drinking his sixth beer then he passed out. A few hours later, Ali woke up in Omar’s apartment having a severe headache. Omar asked him if he has pain. Ali: “Yes, I have pain but I really don’t know if it is the pain from my headache or the pain of how we were and the Europeans nowadays. All of them are really painful”.
There is a trace of one of the sci-fi writers in what you wrote - perhaps Asimov?
Bluntly, your writing skills need work. You mix up tenses, you write from heart but without the deeper introspection that can come from age. However, I understand your point of view, you have a valid concept, and the flaws are something that can be corrected. I also am impressed that you are using citations to support your work, which indicates to me that you have potential.
That type of instruction is not something to be handled on forums. If you want some starter help, send me a direct message. I'll be happy to edit your first paragraphs so that they read better, but only if you are willing.
There is a trace of one of the sci-fi writers in what you wrote - perhaps Asimov?
Bluntly, your writing skills need work. You mix up tenses, you write from heart but without the deeper introspection that can come from age. However, I understand your point of view, you have a valid concept, and the flaws are something that can be corrected. I also am impressed that you are using citations to support your work, which indicates to me that you have potential.
That type of instruction is not something to be handled on forums. If you want some starter help, send me a direct message. I'll be happy to edit your first paragraphs so that they read better, but only if you are willing.
Thanks, I appreciate your honest feedback.
I have never read any of Asimov's books. So I can't tell if there is a similarity or a connection.
I admit to the fact that my writing skills need to be improved. All my professors tell me that I tend to write too long sentences that could be divided into two or three sentences. I would definitely be more than happy to get some gaudiness.
To be honest, I just wrote this story to reveal my worries of seeing the West turning into religious political parties. The story shows how practicing the bible teachings into politics could bring misery.
Again, I really appreciate your honest feedback and looking forward to learning from you.
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