The Island, The Plane, Religion And Science

It was an island of harmony because everyone thought the same. But the ice, it always comes, breaking branches and revealing what's inside. For this island - completely cut off from the rest of the world - the ice storm came in the form of a plane making a desperation landing. Many were those who saw the Flying God arrive and they were called Believers.

The Believers made tiny plane icons and prayed to them and wore them around their necks. They worshipped the Flying God and declared it holy. Sick children were brought to it for healing and solemn ceremonies recreated its flight. But the jealousy of holiness consumed the Believers. Since the magical Flying God was not to be doubted, some were deemed not to believe as much as they should - and harmony died a quick death.
Hold the icon holy!
First came the purges, to destroy those who did not believe "correctly". Purges escalated into wars, each side claiming to fight for the "true way" of the Flying God. The "Lockheeds" - who took their name from the plane itself - eventually won the wars and their religion became the religion of the land, suffocating free thought. The Holy Book Manual found on the Flying God was memorized without understanding yet was not be defied. This gave rise to the Skeptics.

The Skeptics had never seen the Flying God fly but at first were too afraid to contradict the fierce conviction with which the Believers spoke. But as purges begat war and insanity begat insanity, they did come to doubt the Flying God. They pointed out it did not heal the sick nor did they find the holy wars to be holy. The stories about it flying were fairy tales and the Holy Book Manual the stuff of fancy, they said. Scientists came and did tests, dropping plane-shaped rocks to the ground saying, "Flying God heavier than rock and rock no fly, so Flying God no fly either."
"My lab coat makes me right!"
From then until the end of the island a war of words flowed between the two religious sects. One day the island volcano began to erupt, signaling the end of their existence. The pilot god who landed the plane saw this and decided leaving to be more paramount than deflowering the island's remaining virgins. He tried to explain the truth to the islanders.

"Look, this plane here ain't no god. There's nothing holy about it at all and it's not worthy of worship! Just get on it like I tell you to." The Believers took great offence at his words, declaring him evil, self-serving and deceptive. "You shall not make our lives worthless!" The pilot was left with only Skeptics, to whom he explained, "Just because the Believers got it wrong about the plane doesn't mean it can't fly. This plane just uses forces of nature you have yet to understand. Don't be so simple-minded!" The Skeptics took great offence at his words, declaring him evil, self-serving and deceptive. "You shall not make our lives worthless!"

The pilot was disgusted. "You ignorant fucks! This plane is your only salvation off this island! You closed-minded cunts are screwing yourselves! I speak only the simple truth, not to please myself."

But the Believers and Skeptics each insisted they spoke the simple truth and the pilot a traitor to their respective religions. The frustrated pilot gave one last plea.

"Child care. Child care is what this is! Is there no one among you who has an open mind?"

A lone voice answered him. "What you say is true!"

"How do you know?" wondered the pilot. "Everyone here says I'm a freakin' liar. They'd rather win an argument than win their lives!"

"I didn't ask them what was true," calmly replied the voice. "I asked myself."
Lone survivor from the island
Epilogue: When the pilot and lone survivor told their tale of the island that died from pride, disbelief was universal. "People would never act that way!" propagated those who heard - and declared the pilot and open-minded soul to be evil, self-serving deceivers. "You shall not make our lives worthless!"



"When you believe in things
"that you don't understand
"then you suffer..."