The title of this issue is a reference to another draft we have up on the forums, 'The Waiting is the Hardest Part'. Together, they form a complete rhyming lyric from "The Waiting" by Tom Petty (you take it on faith / you take it to the heart / but the waiting is the hardest part) Other than that, the issues are unrelated, but we thought it would be fun to try pairing the titles like this. We believe that each issue's title also works well on its own.
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This issue is co-authored by Jim the Baptist
Must have Theocracy
The issue
Scientists from Dàguó claim they have uncovered irrefutable evidence that the creation story of @@faith@@ is false.
1- Your assistant plays a VHS tape sent from the scientists in Dàguó, who appear on the television screen in front of you. "Greetings, @@LEADER@@. No one wants to say 'I told you so', but it's time you admit defeat: repeal your farcical state religion and surrender to technology. We all make mistakes. Dàguó would even be happy to fund evolution and science education centres for @@name@@ through our generous and entirely innocuous Dàguó-AID program."
Effect: the nation's faithful are being marched en masse to education camps for religious deprogramming
2- The television cuts to black. You look to your assistant, and notice @@him@@ aggressively gripping the remote in rage. "You're not listening to this rubbish, are you? Our faith says more than real 'evidence' ever could. They're obviously just trying to undermine our supreme religious teachings and poison our nation's purity with their toxic lies and propaganda. Just tell everyone we've found newer, better 'evidence', and send those Dàguórens your own tape telling them where they can shove their science."
Effect: "Dude, trust me," is the nation's standard threshold for evidence
3- "The Great Darkness hath befallen us!" proselytises local preacher Denis Copeland. "Listen ye faithful, for this is what the prophecy hath foretold in the ancient scriptures! We were warned of an evil spirit that will attempt to undermine our faith, and destroy our religious sovereignty. The end is nigh lest we protect our sacred divinity by building a border wall higher than our gods dwell in the sky! I summon you all to take up your tools - brick by brick we will fortify our glorious nation so we shall never have to deal with the sinful outside world ever again!"
Effect: a crisis of faith is just another brick in the wall
