The world, and all the people in it, thrive on generalizations
and stereotypes. You assume any shrine put anywhere in the land
is meant only to kill your worthless hide. We assume that anyone
who studies the art of gaining life essence from the hearts of the
innocent is evil. You assume that all members of the Church are
close-minded and deserve to die, that they are all like me.

If closing my mind to Occultism means that I won't tolerate the
practice of it, then my mind is closed. If freedom means I should
allow you to do whatever you want, including slaughtering those
who are innocent, then I am opposed to freedom.

Your feeble insults mean little. However, I do agree that if I
am going to call myself a scholar, my mind should be completely
open to everything and anything. Therefore, I am not a scholar,
but I am a theologian, which is a form of a scholar. Studying
the nature of religion does not require me to abandon my personal
beliefs. Being a scholar, however, according to your definition,
does. I would point out, however, that this means you are not
a scholar, either.

I understand that not all Occultists are evil, or even wholly
chaotic. Thus, the hope I hold for all of your kind.

If you really want a statistic to throw around, I pose this question
for you. How many Church members, other than the highly dubious (by
your own guild's admission) example of Dalamar, have left the Church
to practice the ways of the Occultist? Now, how many Occultists have
left to become members of the Church? Surely, they have found out
something that you have not.

As always, a pleasure. Walk in the Light.

Israfel.

Penned by my hand on the 1st of Chronos, in the year 253 AF.