Read Online The Chosen by Joyce Swann, Alexandra Swann - Free Book Online
Authors: Joyce Swann, Alexandra Swann
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hands nervously as he stood in the doorway .
“Dean,” Judge Holder said, “sit down. I want to talk to you.” The judge then poured a second drink which he handed to the young clerk as he motioned for him to be seated in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Aren’t you Catholic?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you attend mass?”
“I did when I was a kid living at home. My mom made all of us kids go to mass every Sunday. Not now. I haven’t been to mass for a couple of years.”
“No matter,” the judge responded. “Do you know a priest named Nathan O’Brien?”
“No, sir.”
“Have you heard anything about him?”
“No, sir.”
The young man sat stiffly holding the glass but not drinking from it.
Judge Holder drained his glass and poured himself another drink. “You know, Dean, we have done everything to accommodate the religious beliefs of our citizens. Other countries close their churches; they even make religious practices illegal , but not us. We have allowed our churches to remain open. We allow regular, scheduled services, and we do not attempt to prevent those who wish to attend from doing so. We have bent over backwards to accommodate the superstitious masses and their leaders, and we ask only one thing in return. We ask that all priests and pastors read to their congregations the sermons that the RUA prepares and delivers to them. No more, no less. The Religious Unity Act prevents all religious leaders from making any statements other than those prepared by the RUA because we know that when everyone hears exactly the same message delivered in exactly the same way, unity result s .
“The RUA prepares messages that teach the people to respect the earth. Conservation, renewable energy sources, and green spaces are among the most frequently discussed topics. Through these messages, we are shaping a N ew American Dream. That dream no longer allows for a single-family home with a lawn and two cars in the garage. The N ew American Dream rids the dinner table of meat, dairy, and desserts in favor of soy-based products that nourish without tempting the populace to overindulge. The New American Dream has no tolerance for those who wish to live in luxury and squander resources. The RUA is bringing unity to this country by preaching a gospel of uniformity. Only through uniformity can we ever hope to achieve unity, but as long as we have people like Father Nathan O’Brien who deviate from the message, the New American Dream will never be realized. ”
Chapter 10
N either Michael nor Jeff knew much about computers. They were able to use a PC in all of the ordinary ways—to pay bills, to find information, to send messages to friends and family. Beyond that, however, they were pretty much at a loss. They had depended on Jessie and Kyle to give them the information that they extracted from W.net and other government websites to move to safety those who had been target ed for extermination or arrest. Keith was their intermediary and their sole contact for their operations.
The morning after Nathan O’Brien was taken away Michael and Jeff drove to Queen of Peace Church to talk to Sid Portman. Sid was the lay worker who had called Michael when Nathan was taken away , and they wanted to find out as many details about his arrest as possible without leaving an electronic trail .
Sid had known that they would come. Michael had visited Father O’Brien frequently, and for the past year Jeff had accompanied him on th o se visits . Sid knew that they would do whatever they could to help the priest. When Michael and Jeff entered the sanctuary, Sid was waiting for them. Without saying a word, he put his finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow him.
The men passed through the sanctuary and turned left into a hall that led outside. When Sid opened the door, the bright sunlight that flooded the doorway seemed almost blinding after being in the dimly lighted church. The three
“Dean,” Judge Holder said, “sit down. I want to talk to you.” The judge then poured a second drink which he handed to the young clerk as he motioned for him to be seated in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Aren’t you Catholic?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you attend mass?”
“I did when I was a kid living at home. My mom made all of us kids go to mass every Sunday. Not now. I haven’t been to mass for a couple of years.”
“No matter,” the judge responded. “Do you know a priest named Nathan O’Brien?”
“No, sir.”
“Have you heard anything about him?”
“No, sir.”
The young man sat stiffly holding the glass but not drinking from it.
Judge Holder drained his glass and poured himself another drink. “You know, Dean, we have done everything to accommodate the religious beliefs of our citizens. Other countries close their churches; they even make religious practices illegal , but not us. We have allowed our churches to remain open. We allow regular, scheduled services, and we do not attempt to prevent those who wish to attend from doing so. We have bent over backwards to accommodate the superstitious masses and their leaders, and we ask only one thing in return. We ask that all priests and pastors read to their congregations the sermons that the RUA prepares and delivers to them. No more, no less. The Religious Unity Act prevents all religious leaders from making any statements other than those prepared by the RUA because we know that when everyone hears exactly the same message delivered in exactly the same way, unity result s .
“The RUA prepares messages that teach the people to respect the earth. Conservation, renewable energy sources, and green spaces are among the most frequently discussed topics. Through these messages, we are shaping a N ew American Dream. That dream no longer allows for a single-family home with a lawn and two cars in the garage. The N ew American Dream rids the dinner table of meat, dairy, and desserts in favor of soy-based products that nourish without tempting the populace to overindulge. The New American Dream has no tolerance for those who wish to live in luxury and squander resources. The RUA is bringing unity to this country by preaching a gospel of uniformity. Only through uniformity can we ever hope to achieve unity, but as long as we have people like Father Nathan O’Brien who deviate from the message, the New American Dream will never be realized. ”
Chapter 10
N either Michael nor Jeff knew much about computers. They were able to use a PC in all of the ordinary ways—to pay bills, to find information, to send messages to friends and family. Beyond that, however, they were pretty much at a loss. They had depended on Jessie and Kyle to give them the information that they extracted from W.net and other government websites to move to safety those who had been target ed for extermination or arrest. Keith was their intermediary and their sole contact for their operations.
The morning after Nathan O’Brien was taken away Michael and Jeff drove to Queen of Peace Church to talk to Sid Portman. Sid was the lay worker who had called Michael when Nathan was taken away , and they wanted to find out as many details about his arrest as possible without leaving an electronic trail .
Sid had known that they would come. Michael had visited Father O’Brien frequently, and for the past year Jeff had accompanied him on th o se visits . Sid knew that they would do whatever they could to help the priest. When Michael and Jeff entered the sanctuary, Sid was waiting for them. Without saying a word, he put his finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow him.
The men passed through the sanctuary and turned left into a hall that led outside. When Sid opened the door, the bright sunlight that flooded the doorway seemed almost blinding after being in the dimly lighted church. The three
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