Followers of the BOOK

      Bukris was a very smart philanthropic man who lived in the 6^th century. He was one of the wise advisers of his village. His scientific curiosities made him come up with innovative methods in different fields such as farming, fishing and even building infrastructure. Those really helped people in the village and even gave them competitive advantage over nearby villages. He also became personal adviser for some. He promoted moral steadiness. He kept a book in which he recorded his personal discoveries and his vision of moral steadiness that could bring a good society.

     One day he saw some poison berries in the common well. It was dawn and he saw some kids who were playing trying to drink water from the well. He yelled at them to leave. The parents were angry and felt Bukris was acting like a bully. He tried explaining the poison berries in the well to them, but fell in deaf ears. No one was believing him. That day he made a move that would change history. He drank some water from the well in front of everyone and as expected he died in front of all.

     People cried their hearts out. They mourned for days. His sacrifice was something that everyone in the village trembled at the very thought of it. They constructed a shrine with his statue and gave him a very grand funeral. People did not stop coming to the shrine much later. Some of them cried out of guilt and some thanked him. When they had questions they ended up looking at the book.

     The BOOK helped the ones who followed. It soon became the moral code and the authority to the way of life in every field. As days passed other villagers also ended up following the BOOK and Bukris soon became a legend. His life story was sung as songs during village festivals. It did not take long before the legend of Bukris became the anthem of the whole country. Even when the nation was at war the BOOK helped them tactically. This lead to the BOOK soon being followed by the neighboring nations. The BOOK brought prosperity to the nations.

       Decades passed and almost everyone in the country and good number of people of the neighboring countries carried a copy of the BOOK. Even the nation's constitution borrowed some language from the BOOK. People ensured that their kids and everyone around knew about the legend of Bukris and the BOOK. They ensured knowledge passed to the generations and not kept as a secret (as Bukris wanted).

        Civilizations gradually grew and there were new discoveries. People now had electricity and they could travel much faster to really far off places. World slowly but steadily started becoming smaller. People still followed the BOOK.  The rules of the society were around the teachings of the BOOK. Rich or poor, weak or powerful, the BOOK was the ultimate guide.

         Some younger kids found certain rules of the BOOK silly. For instance it recommended people not to eat anything before sunrise or after sunset. (Bukris believed that you need to see what you eat and without light you might end up eating something you are not supposed to. Aah yes the BOOK did not tell this.) With electricity in place kids thought this rule did not make sense. Parents however ensured they followed it. Some even fasted for longer hours when they traveled to places closer to the poles.

          A small group of people started pointing out the inaccuracies in the BOOK. That's when hell broke loose. Others got offended and asked "So you guys think the Great Bukris who sacrificed his life for us lied?" "You guys have no gratitude. No way we can tolerate you." One of the guys replied "Not saying he lied but there is no way he could have seen things through such long time and different places" Unfortunately his reply was not heard. The larger crowd ended up chanting "Hail Hero Bukris the Great" and ended up beating these guys. 

            I don't think today is any different. Be it any of the holy books or the constitution or any old source of knowledge, they are defended like the fundamental laws and not treated like theories.