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The Vanguard of Reformation
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Type
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Social and Holy Order
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Directive
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Removal of "personality cult" and insular non-faith organisations from the Cathedral of Light.
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Leader(s)
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The Articles of Reformation[]
- Articles of Faith
- No matter how wise any order may be, the Virtues should always be first and foremost: Respect, Tenacity and Compassion.
- The Light is open to all, and only one's self can break one's bond to the Light.
- All that separates the prophet from the common man is understanding, no man is born divine, no man is divine solely for who they are. Actions determine divinity.
- Conversion is a wonderful, blessed thing, but the convert must always remember to learn before they teach.
- Articles of Behaviour
- As vulgar as many may be when their faith is selfish, unprovoked violence is never an answer.
- The Light is a pillar of righteousness in one's life, but few can or should live for the Light and nothing else.
- Doubt is not a sin, faith is strengthened by doubt.
- Articles of the Vanguard
- To serve in the Vanguard is to serve the Light and one's fellow man.
- Do not hate the death knight for what he is, hate the death knight who allows what he is to control who he is.
- The Vanguard is not a "higher calling", it is a society of the faithful and those who find friendship together.
- Our goal may be straightforward, but there are many tasks to be done in a complex world, we will be where we are needed.
An Exarch's Quandry[]
Below is an excerpt from a letter between Exarch Archaedun and Bishop Leander, one of the chief members of the Council of Bishops. The rest is largely unimportant chatter resulting from some apparent back-and-forth between the two, included as an addendum is a recipe for what very much appears to be fish jerky.
Surely you, my brother in the Light understand the need for action in this situation. I am no great proselyte, but I believe as you do, that the Light is open to all with a righteous spirit and decent intentions. That is why the last few months have so greatly troubled me. I know from my readings and research of the history of the Light's faith on Azeroth that individual "sects" of faith are nothing entirely new, but what has been arising lately is something entirely different.'
In any given night at the Cathedral I see a half-dozen "holy orders" that amount to nothing more than personality cults for their leaders or, worse yet, independent militias that claim dominion over the holy ground of the Cathedral Square. I have seen, and I know you have too, squads of death knights act as aggressors and thugs, turning simple verbal disagreements into lynchings. As an immigrant to Stormwind and a faithful, if realistic man, I find this utterly appalling as I am certain you and the rest of the council do as well. Even Bishop Hylan looked me in the eye while speaking about this unpleasant subject.
I know I have so far mostly just lived as a citizen of Stormwind and not so much acted, but I think it is time I change that. The order I formed so long ago on your suggestion to more effectively work alongside the Alliance and Hand of Argus while living here still "exists" on paper, but I think it is time I begin to grow it into something to serve my fellow faithful and even the innocent non-believers. I swear to you, my brother in the Light, that I will never claim to be anything more than first among equals, a sheep with a shepherd's crook. Together, the Vanguard may well begin our Reformation, I can only pray for peace.
What of those outside the Vanguard?[]
There are, of course, many people outside the Vanguard of Reformation, and the majority of people will most likely always disagree with the Reformation movement, however one must always remember that those people are not necessarily "wrong". There are a few ways by which one can, unfortunately, be wrong, and some of them are exceptionally common. What is even worse is that most of these means are incredibly destructive to the spirit.
- The Divinity of Mortal Men
No man is inherently divine. Even Prophet Velen is as divine as any other uncorrupted eredar would be and even in his acts, Velen is "first among equals". He is a prophet not because of who he is, but what he has done and what he continues to do.
- Making Demands of the Light
The Light is not a god like Elune, the Earthmother or even a completely sapient force like the elemental spirits of the shaman. The Light is good, but the Light does not "do", the Light's strength acts through the strength of others, be they humans, draenei, naaru or any other being. A man who waits for a miracle from the Light is a man who will die in wait.
- Belief in a Singular Path
Perhaps the most difficult failing to understand is the belief that there is only one way to the Light, and truly, it is not necessarily "wrong" to think this. What is wrong, however, is to act on this belief. The Silver Hand had very strict beliefs, but did not force them on others, while the Scarlet Crusade did and has failed time and time again for it. To force people to follow the faith in only one way is to alienate more people than you will ever convert.