The Church of Qyrvagg/On War and Combat

• This Apology (explanation or defense) is written to finally DEFINE how Qyrvaggism views war, and to finally, once and for all, show exactly how and why the Warmonger Heresy is, in fact, Heresy.

The Church of Qyrvagg views war as the physical expression of a metaphysical reality

Humans are made better and more vibrant, spiritually, through conflict and struggle. If a person remains the same; if they never change; if they stay complacent (again, spiritually and mentally speaking); they will have the same spiritual effect that physical laziness causes: weakness and, more specifically, overwightness. Thus, the Church of Qyrvagg teaches that metaphysical conflict is a necessary, and good, part of human existence because it "burns off fat" (vice), and it "strengthens muscles" (virtues). Conflict of the heart and soul has the same effect that physical excercise and hardship (though, noticably, not disease) has on the body: improvement.

To do this (once again, still speaking of the soul, not the physical body) requires, though, warfare, not exercise. You see, exercise works because there is ONE force: the self, working against an unthinking and unresistant force: fat, or weak muscles. But, in this metaphysical conflict, one combats ONES OWN DARKER NATURE: cowardice, mental weakness, complacency, apathy, hypocrisy, anarchy, dishonorable behavior. This spiritual conflict is, in fact, spiritual WARFARE. It is between the better nature (which is encouraged and strengthened by the presence of the Amekanun) and the evil nature (which is characterized by a lack of, and a resistance to, the Amekanun, for humans are by nature imperfect creatures, hence the NEED for conflict, to drive out that evil nature, and enhance the good nature).

Because it is spiritual warfare, it requires spiritual courage and strength: all the things which aid you in physical warfare have spiritual counterparts to aid in spiritual warfare: such is the way Qyrvagg has made things.

This war between light and dark, this great struggle, is the fundamental event of human life. It is the defining thing. In conflict, the infinite value of human life is displayed. More poignantly, in tragedy, the infinite value of human life is displayed. But that is another issue, largely unrelated to this one.

The Church of Qyrvagg does not, and has not EVER, taught that killing is good. On the topic of killing, we must discuss two points.

Firstly, some killing is justified, excusable. That is a reality we all know. Killing is never good, but it may be justified. We should never rejoice at carnage and bloodshed, and that is one of the Church's teachings.

Secondly, we in the Church of Qyrvagg DO rejoice at battle and war. Firstly because it is the ultimate expression of loyalty to a cause, secondly because it is the ultimate physical counterpart to our spiritual battle. But, we must here make a distinction.

The Church of Qyrvagg glorifies a battle, for example. The concept of a mass of duels in which one person is pitted against another (soul vs. soul, body vs. body, every warrior knows combat is an issue of soul AND body) is beautiful to us. It is the ultimate glory and expression of the internal battle. We rejoice in the chance to test ourselves, we rejoice in the BATTLE.

BUT, we do NOT rejoice in the casualties and the bloodshed. It is GOOD to enjoy combat, it is EVIL to enjoy killing. Some would say this is splitting hairs, and that may be true, but, if it is splitting hairs, then it is a hair which desperately needs to be split. We mourn every life lost; we mourn every wound; we tend to the wounded and honor the dead; we show mercy on captives (as is mandated in the Triatome), we do not take revenge. Bloodshed is not our goal, betterment of humanity (which, at times, means physical conflict for the abovementioned reasons) IS our goal. And that betterment means conflict and, because conflict betters humanity, we view it as a good thing.