“I promised the world a final debate between myself and Cephas, and I do not intend to disappoint,” Henry says. “As everyone knows, Cephas is a teacher of religious history; so to be fair, my argument will be grounded in history. That way, all can see my arguments are factual. With an audience of this size we can’t take questions, but we have arranged for anyone who wants to vote on the outcome to do so over their com. If you agree, a light indicating your position will light up on our giant map of the globe. Go ahead and give it a try.”
A massive world map is projected behind me, which I can see on the monitor in front of me. Lights start to twinkle on and off in every corner of the world. Even Antarctica has a few lights come on and go off. The map goes dark and the screen returns to a shot of Henry.
“Where do I even begin in a debate about religion?” Henry asks. “Religion has been around since before recorded history. Even when our ancestors were living in caves and painting figures on the walls, they were starting to create religious doctrines.”
The screen switches to a depiction of two cavemen grunting at each other about something painted on the wall. One takes out a club and smashes in the skull of the other.
“Even the beginnings of religion were not a pretty sight,” Henry says. “And it only got worse from there.”
He switches to a movie that’s so old it’s in black and white. It’s a depiction of the crusades and the fight to recapture Jerusalem - complete with men in chainmail adorned with white crosses, who are butchering anyone who stands in their way. The movies they made in those days weren’t graphic; but you certainly got the idea that Christians brought mayhem and slaughter to the Holy Land - in the name of Christ.
The next video depicts the Spanish Inquisition. Many people, particularly Jews and Muslims, were tortured - some of them to death. Others were thrown from their homes, and told to either convert to Christianity or leave. Again, mayhem and death … conducted in the name of Christ.
“Of course, the ugliness and violence that follows religion isn’t limited to ancient history,” Henry continues. “Modern man is just as guilty as our so-called ‘primitive’ ancestors.”
The screen switches to a black and white scene of Nazi Germany. The bones of dead Jews are being stacked in immense piles by Jewish laborers - most of whom are barely more than bones themselves. In the background, a makeshift German chapel - with a wooden cross atop it - can be seen, appearing as if it’s overseeing all of the horrors that happened there. Across the screen, flash the words: “Six million Jews killed in the name of Christ.”
I’d like to add that at least that many Jews died at the hands of the atheistic Russians under Stalin; but what would that prove? I’ve always maintained that atheism is just another religion, whose leaders are fallen, imperfect men who are bound to be tempted by sin, just like anyone else.
“You’d think the horror of the holocaust would have been enough to shock the world into doing something about religious fanaticism; but it wasn’t,” Henry says, and sighs.
“In the decades that followed, things got worse and worse. Religion was used to justify racial bigotry.”
The screen flips to images of crosses being burned by white-hooded figures known as “The Clan,” followed by images of churches with black congregations going up in flames.
“At the same time, religious hatred that had been smoldering for thousands of years continued to flare up,” Henry adds.
The screen shows rapid-fire images of tanks with the Star of David painted on the side, interspersed with scenes of massacred women and children. There are also images of hooded Islamic terrorists, interspersed with images of beheadings, and entire cities on fire. The screen switches to a plane colliding with an ancient skyscraper, while the tower next to it burns from being hit by an earlier plane.
“Planes made into flying bombs; beheadings; dead women and children - all courtesy of religion,” Henry concludes. “And that was just the warm-up act, before the true horror was unleashed.”
The screen jumps to scenes from the Final Holy War. It starts with nuclear bombs exploding and images of children burned to a crisp. The first bombs of that war fell onto Israel, but there’s no telling if these children were Jews or Muslims. The bomb that melts your skin off doesn’t care about your religion. The imagery switches to bombs that explode in a cloud of dust - the original genetic toxin - followed by pictures of the new horror that came with the dust. There’s a picture of bodies stacked two stories high, waiting to be burned. The faces you can see are covered with open sores, and they bear expressions of the agony that gripped them until they died.
The last image was taken as I stood in the Mississippi River. It’s of me quoting Jesus in Matthew, chapter ten, saying: ‘Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword.’ Taken out of its Biblical context, the words seem to reinforce Henry’s argument that God - rather than man - is the source of death and destruction.
Henry runs the entire presentation again, starting with the cavemen; but this time at a speed that blurs the carnage into just a few moments of horror. He freezes the final image of me on the screen, letting the words ‘bring a sword’ echo over and over.
I don’t know how I can possibly respond to Henry’s point. Men have done great evil upon men in the name of religion; but in the end, it’s still the sinful actions of men - not of God. How can I convince a worldwide audience that God loves them, in the face of those images?
“I don’t need to debate any further,” Henry says. “History speaks for itself - starting with the cavemen and ending with the promise of Cephas Paulson to swing a sword in the name of Christ and bring us back to the brink of war. So I ask the world a simple question that you can all answer on our map of the earth: Who wants religion back in our world?”
The world screen itself is behind me, but the monitor on which I can view it stands in front of me. There are nearly three billion people watching and there’s not a light to be seen on the map. It’s pitch black.
‘But this is your moment; the time when the power of darkness reigns.’
Those were Christ’s words to me in Gethsemane.
“Good choice,” I say unexpectedly, in a loud, clear voice, ending my silence.
Henry’s head and the camera both snap to me.
“Did you just say rejecting religion is a good choice?” Henry asks.
Henry looks so happy that he could dance a jig right there on the stage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such glee on a person’s face before.
“There you have it folks!” Henry says. “I did what Jocie couldn’t do through temptation. I did what torture couldn’t accomplish through physical pain. I, Henry Portman, have finally broken the unbreakable spirit of Cephas Paulson! I declare myself to be his god.”
Henry points to the darkened map behind me.
“The world has made its choice, and now it’s time for you, Cephas, to make yours.”
Henry taps his com and says “ShowTime,” then nods his head and the guards bring in two small tables, each containing several liters of water and a small tablet on a metal plate.
“Unlike Garai, you actually have a choice. On your left, is a vaccine tablet. Take it, and join my family. On your right, is a tablet containing the plague. It contains many times the dosage you’d get from the air or water. Even someone who’s been vaccinated would be dead in about five minutes. I should also mention that it will be a very painful five minutes.”
Henry smiles.
The screen starts to go fuzzy. At first I wonder if it’s my vision failing, but then I realize Four is hacking the broadcast. It may even be Martha, trying to influence my choice.
“Martha, stop!” I command the screen. “This is truly my darkest moment. The dark clouds have gathered, and it’s time to find the light He is shining for you.”
The hack stops and the screen clears.
Jesus could have chosen to end His own torture at any time, it was within His power. Instead, He chose to allow the torture to continue in order fulfill his role. I have no such power. I have to hand my life over to God, and trust in His plan.
“It’s an easy choice,” I say as a tear rolls down my cheek.
“It is an easy choice, isn’t it?” Henry says. “Go ahead. Lead the way for your followers.”
The guard loosens one chain, so I can hold the water and tablet.
“If you had refused to choose, then as your god, I would have chosen for you,” Henry says. “A few minutes ago, I don’t know which would have been the greater torture for you: dying or being marked. Now that you’ve acknowledged the world made a good choice in refusing religion, you are ready to take your place among my chosen people.”
I let his words hang in a dramatic silence before I respond.
“In the words of the Apostle Paul: ‘for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.’ That’s why I’m choosing life…”
Henry gets a beaming smile on his face. The thought of me marked in my very DNA is pleasing to him.
“… eternal life,” I add.
I smile, pick up the toxin, and swallow it.
Henry gasps - stunned that I’ve chosen the toxin and Christ over what he thinks is the perfect world of man.
The guard tightens the chain again, stretching my arms out wide, knowing that I’m going to be in for a rough ride. The pain in my stomach knocks me off my feet, so I’m hanging again by my wrists - writhing back and forth. I desperately want to vomit the poison out of myself, but I can’t. Even if I could, I think I’d try not to. Christ chose to endure the pain for me, and I want to do no less for Him … right up to the end. The pain soon radiates outward, until it stretches from my toes to my fingertips. Only my head feels fine. In fact, it feels as clear as I can remember in days.
“I did not see that coming, folks,” Henry says.
The camera should switch back to him; but instead, I can watch myself, as I thrash in pain.
“This is a sad commentary on how the religious mind works,” Henry continues. “They prefer an early death over a long life of enjoying the pleasures of this world.”
The convulsing stops, and I hang limply from my wrists. The internal pain has ended, but I feel burning hot, as the toxin continues to work its way through every system in my body.
“Debate,” I say.
My voice sounds more like a croak.
“What?” Henry asks. “You can still speak?”
“We didn’t finish the debate.”
I practically yell, as I grimace through the pain.
“You said I have five minutes of life left. I get to speak - and you and the world are going to listen to me … and to the Word of God.”
“By all means, Cephas. Let’s hear your dying words, while we wait to see if your God will save you.”
“You asked the world the wrong question, Henry. You asked the people of the world if they want religion, and I’m inclined to agree with their response. You showed us centuries of evil acts done by men in the name of God; but every last one was done by the hand of man. He made it so simple for us in the Old Testament, and still we messed it all up. We made up rules, and called them doctrines and religious laws. Some men declared themselves to be ‘holy,’ and used the position not to demonstrate the power of God, but their own power over other men.”
“So God tried to make it even simpler for us. He sent Jesus - Who gave us just two simple rules: To love Him, and to love each other … and then we messed that up. Two simple rules - and we still couldn’t get it right. We tried to stuff God into boxes with steeples and crosses on top, and got mad when we found He is too big to fit. We made the same mistakes as the Pharisees, and made up our own rules to define Jesus and His love for us. We used our foolish rules to slaughter each other, and had the audacity to declare ourselves - and our rules - as righteous. I’m here to tell you that twice I saw Him die and walk from His tomb. He is too big to be bound by our rules.”
I still can’t stand; but the burning from the toxin has stopped. Trust God to again have a perfect plan to respond to a moment of darkness.
“We’re lost,” I continue. “Humanity has gone nowhere in two generations. I won’t suggest for a moment that reviving religions is how we must get back on the right path. In fact, I think quite the opposite is true. I think we’ve messed up the message of His word so badly, that God decided to clean the slate and start over again. The only way He could get us to believe again was to wipe out religion and start over - and he sent you to do it, Henry.”
“He sent me?”
Henry laughs.
“You must have the wrong guy,” he says.
“I have the right guy. You, and generations of your family, were all sent as part of His purpose. You perverted His Bible by constantly changing it to suit your needs. You pushed the Equalization, and led the fight to ratify the Thirty-Fifth Amendment. You provided the bombs to start the Final Holy War, and declared a man-made utopia with the Sunspot Initiative. Then, when even your idea of a perfect world couldn’t destroy the last of the faithful, you sent me back in time to land the final blow. All along, you and your family were the perfect instruments to carry out His plan.”
I try to laugh, but it turns into a cough.
“I ask the people of the world…can’t you feel that something is wrong? That something is missing from our world? The vaccine may change your DNA; but can’t you feel something much older that’s been coded into you? Can’t you feel the longing in your heart to know and love God? When you do drugs, and then have sex with a stranger - do you feel an empty space inside yourself? Is it possible that space feels empty because it needs to be filled with God’s love? When you spend an entire day without lifting a finger, because your material needs are met by machines, don’t you feel a desire to get up and do something more with your life? Could it be that our very genes are coded by God to drive us forward to do great things in His name?”
“So now I ask the world the question that should have been asked in the first place. Forget about religion. Look deep into that empty place in your heart, and ask yourself: DO YOU WANT GOD IN YOUR LIFE?”
I slump down onto my chains again - utterly exhausted. I hang there, with my eyes closed, breathing heavily … yet gaining strength. As the moments pass, I become vaguely aware of someone shining a light into my eyes. I open them to see that the shot is centered on me, with the world map still up and running behind me - but it’s no longer dark. Pinpricks of light are erupting all over the world. There’s a glowing spot that represents Sheridan, Illinois; Colorado Springs is ablaze; Cairo, Egypt is lit. All over the world, the lights are coming on in answer to my question.
Stand up, Cephas. Stand for Me one more time.
I struggle to regain my feet. The light from the map is blinding behind me, while in front of me I can see the screen, and my own silhouetted figure struggling to stand.
For a moment - just one brilliant moment - I was allowed to be His light in the darkness. Now the fire is lit, and He is again the light of the world … and I’m the dark silhouette. Even if it’s for the last time, I MUST stand.
With an effort, I right myself. I stand up tall and straight, and hold my arms out to my sides, as immovable as wooden beams. With the light blazing behind me, my silhouette now forms a perfect cross over His glowing world.
“Christ came as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Him will no longer remain in the darkness,” I say to the world.