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Docta Ignorantia XII A Priest of Baal Speaks I am wishing that the world and such importunate fellows as that Elijah nuisance will understand the following: We are not stupid people. We are very skilled in the use of drugs for healing and inducing states. We do not gash ourselves willy-nilly, threatening our bodies with infection without knowing beforehand that we can take care of same. We can prevent or cure infection with just as much certainty as your allopathic doctors can do in your era of anti-biotics. Nor should you think that our patron, the Queen, is a dumb lady. She is very intelligent. She is a patron of the arts, including the medical arts, which is ourselves. Like all rulers, she has only one source of income, putting the squeeze on the populace, and she enlists our help in this effort. Do you know how much it costs to keep a Queen and her husband and both of their retinues running smoothly? Well, let me tell you, it's a whole lot, and she depends on us to help her convince the populace that she is worth their being fleeced. This is serious business. You better believe it is. Yesiree, Bob! Our basic power comes from our knowledge and stock of the pharmacopoeia. We understand and produce the drugs society needs to operate, for this purpose and that. We have all sorts of drugs to fit all sorts of needs. You think you are good at drugs for this and that, well, we're just as good. And I won't tell you how good because you might get jealous. But we use our drugs to control the gods, the ordinary natural forces. We know how to propitiate this and that god and bring them into somewhat of control, just as with the drugs themselves. You'd probably be amazed at how easily nature can be manipulated through proper pharmacopoeia. And the people, too. But of course, you already know something about that. Your 'health insurance' and 'food' are excellent means of manipulating nervous systems. We use these 'services,' too. Very effective. Now, this isn't all the story, and I'm not going to tell you more until you start asking some intelligent and searching questions. This guy I'm talking to, incidentally, he's not the best you have to offer is he? Yuk! But let me tell you what's wrong with Elijah. You just don't understand what the problem is. Elijah is saying that there is one God who is more powerful than all the other gods. We never said he's wrong. We just said he's not being realistic. He's not giving us credit for what we know and what we can do with our pharmacopoeia. He's wanting to throw out a huge and productive reservoir of knowledge and not put it in the service it can do, like for our Queen and her nit-wit of a husband. He -- Elijah, the fanatic -- is a wastrel. He doesn't know what's good. He's not being realistic. No one ever denied God. Who would do that?! You'd have to be a fool to deny God. But that's beside the point. The point is living right here and now, being practical, doing what we have to do with this complex and ever-changing society we live in where you never know what's coming next and all you have, really, is this wonderful resource of drugs to help you through the hard times and make the easy times even more enjoyable. Don't underestimate our power. We live forever in our descendants. You can't get rid of us. We know the truth!
Adwaitha Hermitage
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