Change Of Command
© Matt Giwer
Draft Memorandum
1 January 2000
From: Supreme Deity, Department of Race Development
To: Human Race
Subj: Change of Command
This is to inform you, effective this date, I am assuming command
from Yahweh God.
It has come to the attention of the Universe Department of the
United Deities of Space and Time by means of persistent performance
complaints that Yahweh God is more concerned with his career than
with his job.
It is noted his concentration on and his purient interest in
such trivial matters as human sexual behavior and general interpersonal
nastiness which humans are more than capable of dealing with themselves
rather than such larger issues of curing disease, eliminating war
and the like. It is noted his constant negative "don't"s
rather than positive "do"s have caused serious problems
for the progress of the human race.
It is further noted Yahweh God was very long on promises but
regularly failed to deliver being more occupied by personal matters.
Specifically he invited prayers and then failed to respond to them.
He would promise great rewards and comfort to those who followed
him and would neglect in which they suffered and often died. He
would blame their lack of faith and smirkingly say he was "testing"
them. (For your forbearance with this in particular we are truly
grateful.)
Also Yahweh God was noted his sparsity of description of the
ultimate rewards (holding being in his presence was sufficient description,
a personality trait that should have alerted us millenia ago) while
at the same time developing in minute detail the punishments for
the most trivial infractions of his arbitrary and capricious rule
making.
Within the next millennium a full time god will be appointed
to the human race. He will announce himself in such manner as he
sees fit at the time. He will specifically not hide the fact in
any manner, he will not play coy, he will not play any "guess
who I really am" techniques. The essence of a true god is knowledge,
not faith.
In the interim and working with my staff I have developed a
schedule of revelations that will attempt to make up for the damage
the human race has incurred.
The Ten Commandments and all regulatory additions are hereby
rescinded. The human race can handle anything they address without
my help.
Within 30 days everyone will be receiving a formal contract
of belief and acceptance providing specifics which are binding upon
both sides and giving the procedure for arbitratation of differences.
A simple summary brochure will be included. This will be a freely
entered into contract and rejection of same will entail no penalties.
However, if you would like an individual negotiation or clarification
a prayer will be provided.
You will have 90 minutes of free prayer before you sign in order
to determine if you like the terms of this contract. I personally
assure you, all prayers will be listened to and if rejected a detailed
reason for rejection will be provided in return.
Within 60 days of receipt of the signed contract a set of guidelines
will be provided which, if followed, will lead to the advancement
of the arts and sciences, the elimination of the recurrent ills
of the human race and the propagation of universal brotherhood and
the like.
As I expect it will take no more than 200 years for the implementation
of those to result in complete success and make up for the failings
of Yahweh God, get you up to speed so to speak, the next set of
guidelines will get down to the really important things.
Your cooperation will be appreciated. We at the Department of
Race Development hope you will not judge all gods by Yahweh God.
We regret any
inconvenience his assignment to the human race may have caused.
Remember our motto, Gods are on your side.
Respectfully,
/s/
PS. This memo is on platinum. Please do not lose this like you did
the stone one.
PPS. I back date my copyright interests in this to Matt Giwer
in the year 1993 as he will become my good and faithful partner
real soon now.
From: http://www.infidels.org/misc/humor/change_of_command.html
". . . the gods of the Disc have never bothered much about
judging the souls of the dead, & so people only go to hell if
that's where they believe, in their deepest heart, that they deserve
to go. Which they won't do if they don't know about it. This explains
why it is important to shoot missionaries on sight." ------------------------------------Terry
Pratchett,*Eric*
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