I am afraid I have learned from the most vicious of men. The pious have served as a fine example.
[He spreads his hand across his chest, his smile wry.]
I 'bash' merely with words; they see it fit to bash with iron hammers and white-hot pincers, tearing and crushing and grinding flesh and bone for the purpose of extracting false confessions.
[The Dark Ages is a fitting term.]
I have seen men of faith denounce their neigbours as agents of the devil and have them tortured on His behalf, and in the same breath, speak of God's compassion, of His love. God help you, indeed, if you possess 'powers'... from birth. You needn't so much as use them to find yourself bound to a stake and burning alive sooner or later. [A beat.] In accusing the wealthy of heresy, their bounty can then be seized by the Church. So you are right, my dear man - some do benefit from their religion. [A low chuckle issues from him.]
filtered [same warning as before + violent imagery :Ic]
[He spreads his hand across his chest, his smile wry.]
I 'bash' merely with words; they see it fit to bash with iron hammers and white-hot pincers, tearing and crushing and grinding flesh and bone for the purpose of extracting false confessions.
[The Dark Ages is a fitting term.]
I have seen men of faith denounce their neigbours as agents of the devil and have them tortured on His behalf, and in the same breath, speak of God's compassion, of His love. God help you, indeed, if you possess 'powers'... from birth. You needn't so much as use them to find yourself bound to a stake and burning alive sooner or later. [A beat.] In accusing the wealthy of heresy, their bounty can then be seized by the Church. So you are right, my dear man - some do benefit from their religion. [A low chuckle issues from him.]