fandomhigh | Comparative Religions, Monday, Period 3, Class #1

As the students entered, Vala was perched on top of her desk (yes, she had a desk!), and looking over her notes and class lists. Once they were seated, she began,

"Good morning, everyone. For those of you who don't know me already, my name is Vala Mal Doran. Please feel free to call me Vala, or Professor Mal Doran if that makes you more comfortable."

"This class is about different religions," she explained, "and the first half of the class will focus on strictly the Earthen religions. The second half will be broader in scope and expand our study to inter-planetary religions. The only thing I ask--in light of the fact that more bloody wars have been fought over religion than anything else in human history--is that you have respect for the teachings of the guest speakers, and of the other students in this class. You don't have to agree, and I don't expect you to convert to their religion, but I won't tolerate any insults or baiting on the subject. With any luck, we'll all come out of this with a better understanding of religion."

"Today's class will be relatively simple--introduce yourselves, explain why you're taking this class, and explain your religion in broad language, if you have one. If you don't, explain why you don't. There are no penalties for not having one, by the way."

"As far as food and drink are concerned," she added, "I don't make enough money to feed you all every week, but you should bring whatever you want that you've provided for yourself."

She pointed to a student at random. "Okay, go ahead."

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Vala resisted the urge (at least so far) to write back. "Isn't belief in math and science just as amorphous, once you get into higher physics and mathematical theory?"

That was a good question. It made Adah grin a little; it helped that she had a pretty good feeling that such a grin would not have her smacked with the Verse, that would leave her hand cramped for three days, painful and cradled against her chest. The sudden realization of debate without punishment excited Adah and drove her pencil.

"The higher plane," she wrote quickly, eagerly, "is usually the problem, isn't it? We are always looking up, up, up to where we cannot see, and forget that perfectly acceptable rules and laws exist down low where we stand."

"Aren't they the same rules, though? Just...smaller?"

Adah's head tilted. "Physics, maybe," she allowed herself to give up, which was strange, she wasn't used to having to do that. "But I mean more along the lines of biology. Microbiology, macrobiology, viruses and nervous systems and things that make us tick. Or not tick."

"What part of biology gives you the greatest sense of solidity?"

Sure, that could be a word.

"Parasitic relationships," Adah wrote after another moment of thought. "They're everywhere. Too hard to ignore. In us, outside of us, including us, excluding us. And, if you don't mind me saying so, ma'am, very appropriate to many religions."

Vala may have paled slightly at the mention of parasites, especially in connection with religions. "Yes, I think that there's an argument to be made that certain religions were dependent on that relationship to prosper, but we'll get into that a bit more next week."

Adah grinned a bit, and waved one last piece of paper her way.

"I look forward to it."

Comparative Religions, Monday, Period 3, Class #1

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