By Darryl Adams (dtadams@zonk.geko.com.au) (12 June 1995)
From the Speech of Professor Micheal Osaka, Oxford Chantry, on the commencement of the 1995 class of Theoretical Theist acolytes
There is no denying that there was a big bang. There is no doubt that we evolved from lesser life forms. There is no questioning the existence of dark matter (well, maybe I am being slightly extravagant here, but bare with me , I am proving a point). Look at all the great theoretical advances in Science in the last century, there is one thing missing. The trigger, the smoking gun. What was it that started the big bang? What made a collection of base chemicals into proto organic material? God? YAHWEH? Azura-Mazda? Set? Apollo? The One? We don't know. We, the Theoretical Theists, however believe that some force, something we can not define in simple science or complex theology, is responsible for creating the conditions needed for life , universe and other unanswered questions.
Br Theolopolous, Celestial Chorus investigator, 1989
The Theoretical Theist's (hence TT) is a offshoot of both the Celestial Chorus and the Sons of Ether. No date can be set for the formation for this group; it formed more by osmosis than by design. The TT is mainly centred around nations of the British Commonwealth (Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) where the Church of England has a strong presence. The TT can actually be traced back to the formation of the Church of England.
The Protestant Church of England was not formed by popular movement, as in Europe. The Order of Reason instigated the Schism between Rome and London as an experiment to replace a Celestial Chorus dominated organisation with a state controlled (ie under the Order the Reason) church. In the short term, the result was a success, but in the long term, you find that the Church became a political organisation with atheist and agnostics holding positions of power in theological and political matters. Clearly the Technocracy views the Church as a tame puppet, using it to promote things like Mass deportation of children from England to the colonies after WWII and mass disruption of indegeous culture in the Commonwealth.
However, freed from the control of the Chorus and Rome, a movement of scientific inquiry erupted in the English Church. Places like Oxford and Cambridge became centres of science, and theology. Groups like the Paramedians prospered during this period, with the church fuelling the industrial revolution and the growth of empire. A strange union of two separate (and one would think, incompatible) traditions began. The Freemasons is no doubt an organisation supported by the TT (a counter the Order of Hermes's sponsored occult groups of this period?). The English church promotes ideas that we in the CC find questionable or outright objectionable. Abortion, Contraception, Divorce et al. Is this the result of the TT or of the Technomancy or is it another force we have no knowledge (Vampires? Fairies? SOE?)....
...while the TT is nominally allied to the Traditions, I feel that this group is tainted by its association with the Technomancers. Great care should be taken when dealing with this group.
Extract from Doc. Grinbech's letter about the TT, Paradigma vol iii, 1935
...there is no denying that the Theoretical Theists are good scientists, but one must question their reliance on god (or the Architect as they refer to him/her/it.. see how stupid this is?) to justify their theories. These people use god as a plaster to fill up holes in there theories! Surely science has the answers they are looking for without using garbage that even the Chorus rejects!....
Reply from the Editor, Paradigma vol iii 1935
We welcome any input that the Theoretical Theists has in this journal. To reject any new science because of its source is a sign of shallow thinking. The TT while unorthodox, has the rights that all of our brotherhood share in our union....
What the Theoretical Theists represent in the game? The TT is a union of Science and Theology. Most theories that we take for granted take a bit of faith to believe. We can't prove conclusively evolution, relativity, the big bang as it would involve time travel and other technology (or magick) not available to us. While the Technomancers and the SOE would argue that there is scientific evidence to prove their points, and that the Celestial Chorus can prove their point by use of faith and Scripture, the TT use a synergy of both , using the divine being (they call it the Divine Architect) to explain/prove/justify some of the more hairy parts of theories. Who triggered the Big Bang ? The Devine Architect. Who created the organic soup that triggered life on earth. The Architect.
The TT could be considered as a humanising element of the Technomancers paradigm. With their links to the Church of England (the part that believes in god that is), they soften the mad technological rush with a simple message that more people can believe in, as a lot of people still have faith in the church. The TT has a slightly sinister reputation, due mainly to their association with both the Freemasons and the Arcanum (the former inspired and controlled by the TT, the later by the fact that some TT are also members of the Arcanum).
The TT , by virtue of their genesis from the Celestial Chorus and Sons of Ether, have a choice of Prime and Matter as their primary Sphere. Their foci are similar to the SOE. Give me some time and I will think of some difference. (Can you use the Bible?)
Akashic Brotherhood: The Brotherhood are too inward looking. While the truths they learn have great power, it is the power of one. We need to look at the universe, and our part in it, to gain true power, we need the Architects guidance.
Celestial Chorus: They don't trust us. Say we are part of the Technocracy, or a loony fringe of the SOE. Maybe we are. We believe in the Architect, however, and feel that he guides us in the unlocking of truth and through truth, Ascension. The Chorus is afraid of the sciences we espouse, as it is fundamentally different to the "trust us, we are the church" approach. It failed with Leonardo, it failed with Copernicus, it fails with us. We search for the truth, for the truth has the Architects message of Ascension.
Cult of Ecstasy: Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. These tear at the heart what made the Empire great, cast aside the effort we made towards the Ascension.
Dreamspeakers: It amazes us that there is still pagans out there, after the amount of effort we took to bring word of the Architect to the Empire. While the spirit realm is real to them, it pales to the glory of the Architect. Physics, Astronomy, Evolution, these are truths, not beating drums and dancing in circles.
Euthanatos: Death Cultists. During the time we were part of the Technocracy, we took active part of distroying these dangerous threats. We sent missionary's and beaurocrats to the ends of Empire. We fought to erase these dangerous cults from the consensus of those backward people who believed in such things. Now, in the Ascension war, they are our allies. Trust them not.
Order of Hermes: Strange mob these. Nominally pagans (like Hermes, really), these are scientists of magick. The quantify, record and analyse magick as we do the same for the universe. Magick is a tool however, not a means to an end, and to waste the gift of Magick that the Architect gave us is hubris.
Sons of Ether: Our closest allies, but we are not really part of their order. Their science is soulless, empty. By failing to acknowledge the Architect , their theories are like buildings without foundations: easy to collapse. We must help them however, as we share the same history, share the same love of science, and share the desire to better the world.
Verbena: The bard has plenty of these people in his plays, and that is where they belong.
Virtual Adepts: These people seek to replicate the Architect's works using "Digital Web" We feel that the Web is a great place for modelling realities and other things that are impossible to do in the real world, but they con not replace reality Mark 1. These people are not the Architect, and any attempt to make a new universe better than the old is doomed to fail. It would be worthwhile watching though.
The Conventions: We share a lot with the conventions, or should I say, the precursor of the Technomancers, the Order of Reason. The Church of England was their idea, and a lot of the work we did was for them. They however have lost the desire for true Ascencion, and seek power for their own purpose.
Iteration X and the Progenitors : Seek to usurp the Architects role in evolution, and all they create is monsters. Destroy these monsters!
New World Order: These people collate data about reality. We would love to see their files, for the raw data in our modelling, but not to control the consensus like they do.
The Void Engineers: These people are our direct enemies, and the most like us. Together we seek Ascension through examining the universe. The VE fail to equate the Architect, however, so their theories lack soul. Dr Hawking, while one of the premier scientists of our time rejects god, but what replaces him? If there was no war, we and the VE would probably sit together and argue truths. What a waste. A Final Note: We hear the VE seek out and destroy shades and other denizens of the afterworld. We reject this, as the Architect is the final arbiter of what happens after we die, and it is hubris to interfere in his work.
Syndicate: Money is god! Worship money! No wonder society is a mess.
Vampires: We know little of these. We have however, found some references to Caine, who they see as some kind of god. The kinslayer of god. How depressing.
Werewolves: These creatures take great pleasure in destroying our installations, with cry of "Kill the Scientists." They seem to hold the moon and earth as sacred, and their mythology follow the Dreamspeakers. They are dangerous. Apart from that, we have little knowledge of them.
Wraiths: These are tortured souls, seeking to find the Architect's love. Help them if you can, protect yourself if you can't. Do not destroy them; that is the Architects prerogative.
Fairies: The Fay are benefactors of the SOE, and by default, ourselves.