Third Storish Epistle

The Third Storish Epistle is a holy Bovic scripture and the tenth scroll of the Book of Doctrines.

The Third Storish Epistle: Apostacy

Lady Unna asks, "Allow me to ask what the Bovic faith thinks about apostasy?"

Sergius replies, "The concept of apostasy is not well defined in Bovic literature as we have few cases to form a tenet around. If a member of my Herd would come to me and say he or she no longer believed in Bous I would be saddened. I would point to the entire segment of Natopia's history when we were ruled directly by the Butter Bull. I would point to the video recordings of the Butter Bull sacrificing himself and reforming the entire city of Cape Newport after it was destroyed by terrorists. Some parts of the city are still made from the Bull's buttery remains. I would point to the resurrection of Nathan Waffel-Paine as a being of pure butter.

Of course, the world is full of many strange and inexplicable things, and if a wayward Bovic decides that Bous and his incarnations are not divine in nature, and not worthy of reverence, then we must respect their decision to leave the church. A wayward Bovic would be welcomed back with open arms whenever they choose to return to the Herd.

A bosarch who renounces the faith could not return to the clergy under any circumstances but would naturally be welcomed to rejoin the Herd as a layperson.

Perhaps the highest profile apostate is the former Metrobosarch of Tapfer, Deimos Jasonides. He renounced St. Elijah the Beloved, the very same person who his cathedral was built and named in honor of, and left the church and Natopia. He faced no official punishments aside from his appointment being overturned. However he is not welcome in Athlon and likely would not be well received in any Bovic church on Micras. We are from the same island actually, he is from a village in Athlon, 300 miles south of my birthplace of Hergon. I cannot imagine his torment, not being welcomed in his own home because he turned his back on his faith. Only he can answer to Bous when he dies and only he can bear the burden on his soul. May Bous have pity on him."

Preceded by: Second Storish Epistle

Book of Doctrines 10

Succeeded by Revelations of Saint Elijah