It began with a shocking statement.
"Is the Modern National Regime also a religion?"
Lin An froze slightly, unable to stop himself from repeating those words in his mind.
The passage Chu An had written was not complicated. Although some of the wording was rather strange, Lin An could clearly understand what Chu An was trying to express.
Still, linking modern civilization with religion gave him a faint sense of absurdity and incongruity.
In his understanding, the modern state system was advanced and represented humanity's progress. Religion, on the other hand, was barbaric and backward. It could be said to restrict people's thoughts and exploit humanity through deception.
If not for the need to gather Faith Power, he would not have wanted to establish the Surface Divine Kingdom from the bottom of his heart.
Yet in Chu An's eyes, the two were the same thing.
Drawing a deep breath, Lin An continued reading with a solemn expression. He wanted to see why Chu An had said this.
"No matter how advanced and civilized the modern state system pretends to be, the National Power is still essentially no different in origin from the Religious Theocracy."
"The difference is merely that modern National Power comes from citizens voluntarily surrendering their right to use violence, their right to life, and their freedom. Religious Theocracy, on the other hand, comes from threatening and deceiving believers into forcibly surrendering their own rights."
"Take the National Violent Apparatus of a modern nation as an example. Its authority comes from citizens voluntarily giving up their freedom to use violence and allowing the state to use it collectively."
"Take injury and revenge as an example. Human beings are naturally capable of retaliating when attacked, or even killing anyone. This is a 'right' that every human and every living