The young priest possessed the most devout faith and could hear God's voice, but religion had long since ceased to be worship of God. It had become a means of oppression and profiteering.
The priest walked through every corner of the city, witnessing conflicts between clergy and believers. Upon returning to the temple, he spoke to the god he worshipped. "Lord, I have seen priests brazenly take the belongings of believers to decorate their own residences; I have seen bishops deceive ignorant young girls solely to satisfy their own lust; I have seen Your believers suffering. I want to stop those who falsely preach Your will!"
Having distributed His authority, God seemed to have exhausted the love He once held for His believers. He merely said to the priest calmly and coldly, "Go. I will not interfere, nor will I watch. But you must understand how insignificant individual strength is, how difficult it is to defy the tide of history. So long as human nature retains its filth, suffering will never cease."
Humans were born with original sin. Greed knew no bounds, and the pursuit of profit was instinctive—but just because things had always been this way did not mean they were right. Someone had to change them. The priest let out a long sigh. "But no one is born to be a beast."
God spoke no more, conveying His tacit consent. The priest left the temple and, relying on the remnants of His authority, spread new doctrines and laws.
When deception and oppression finally vanished from this land, smiles returned to the believers' faces. They believed God was merciful. They no longer revered Him in awe, and instead began to flaunt their own desires.
The priest returned to the temple and searched everywhere, but found no trace of God.