PTSD Military Chaplain of the Academy

Does theology allow for murder?

The answer to that question can be summed up in just two characters.

No.

Murder is a grave sin that cannot be permitted nor escaped from judgment. It should not exist, and should not even be acknowledged.

However, on this land, various sins including murder are already prevalent.

Disrespecting parents and teachers, committing adultery, stealing, speaking lies, and indulging in greed to covet what belongs to others.

Murder is the gravest of sins. Theology cannot allow it.

So, some might ask me, “If murder is not permitted theologically, why did you choose a topic with a predetermined answer for the class?”

To that, I would respond, “While murder is not permitted in theology, that cannot be the correct answer.”

If they ask again why I chose such an ambiguous topic for the class, the more quick-witted among them might rephrase the question: “Why did you choose a question that does not have a single unifying answer?”

If I were to answer that question, my response would be simple and clear.

“That was precisely the answer I sought.”

***

The audience fell into silence. It was truly a series of shocks and fears.

Laura von Adelheit, the absolute top student of the magic department, and also the top student when considering the entire year—she is the eldest daughter of the Adelhaid Ducal House, someone who cannot be treated lightly.

She is so remarkably bright, overflowing with talent, and so rational.

“I apologize, but I believe this class is fundamentally flawed from the beginning.”

She had just declared that this class, in essence, was wrong—meaning that the very topic Professor Antorelli had set forth was incorrect.

And she directed that statement right towards Lucio Antorelli, looking him straight in the eye, showing no signs of shame or trembling. Just, as if breathing, with confidence.

In the students’ minds, a fleeting wish arose that this was all just a dream.

But no matter how tightly they closed their eyes, tried pinching their thighs with all their might, or jabbed their hands with a pen, the painfully cold reality still unfolded before them.

“What, what, what is happening…? Is she crazy?”

“I think I might just lose it… I acted way too carelessly…”

Among them, Lewis and Angela, who stood as representatives of the other class A students, were now on the brink of losing their minds. They had tried so hard to express their opinions and persuade Professor Antorelli in a way that would make sense.

“Please answer me, Professor Antorelli.”

“……”

“If my question is wrong, I will humbly accept that, and I will apologize to you and to all the students who have been disturbed by this class. However, I have strong doubts about the topic you proposed.”

Professor Antorelli remained with his usual stoic face. But for some reason, the students felt that buried within that unchanging expression, there was a hidden anger. People have an aura, don’t they?

Based on the situation, and Laura’s rather aggressive tone, it seemed clear that he was in a state of anger, having recently made Lewis and Angela break out in a cold sweat with his sharp counters.

Last year, to be exact, when the current second-year class A students were first-year students, came to their minds naturally.

At the beginning of the semester, for no apparent reason, Laura had hurled disdainful remarks about theology towards Professor Antorelli.

And then, standing there confidently, she had received a series of calmly delivered assertions of her faults from him, keeping that same stoic expression.

What had become an indelible bad impression from the first lesson had somehow reached resolution by the time the class was nearing its end.

A penalty of ten points given to Laura von Adelheit, the fact that the theology professor they would face for the next year and more was quite irritable and cold, and the workload of their first assignment that was all too close to being an arduous task.

These three factors had combined to create a major disaster, hadn’t they? The students still remembered that assignment.

The nights spent struggling with theology. Looking back on it now, or even after having submitted their completed assignments, those memories were pleasant, but if they had to go back to that time, they wouldn’t be able to bear it.

And, as the flow of time remembered from a year ago began to shift once again, now.

In front of the students was a situation unfolding far too similar to events from a year ago.

An immature Laura, nonchalantly spouting unbelievable words at Professor Antorelli and the professor gazing blankly at her.

It was chaos. Lewis realized he had no other way to explain this situation without mentioning that fact.

“The professor clearly said…

‘He wouldn’t intervene in the class at all,’ right?”

The atmosphere in the lecture hall had turned seriously cold. Yet, no one boldly stepped forward to divert Professor Antorelli’s attention. The only sounds echoing in the lecture hall were the unidentifiable heartbeat and the ticking of the clock.

Thus, Laura and Professor Antorelli locked eyes in silence for a while.

“…Miss Laura. Laura von Adelheit.”

“Yes, Professor Antorelli.”

“Why did you think that?”

The following words from Professor Antorelli came in a surprisingly gentle tone that broke the students’ expectations.

Lewis and Angela looked at each other with bewildered expressions. Professor Antorelli’s expression remained stoic and unchanging. The corners of his mouth showed no movement, and even the slightest tremor or movement of his eyebrows or near his eyes was absent. At that moment, he was perfectly neutral.

“Are you saying that the topic I meticulously selected for this class was flawed from the very beginning?”

“Yes. Just as you mentioned, professor.”

“Then, let me ask you again. Why?”

“……”

“Why did you think that? Surely you must have a credible basis prepared for making such a statement in front of the person who prepared the class.”

To the casual listener, it sounded like mockery.

But it was not so with Professor Antorelli. He neither mocked Laura nor acted as if she was being reckless like during her first-year days.

Professor Antorelli was simply curious.

“Why? Why do you think so?”

A question tinged with a hint of obsession caused Laura’s expression to quiver for a moment. The other students, like Lewis and Angela, did not notice, but Laura swallowed hard at Professor Antorelli’s statements that seemed to cling to her and managed to open her mouth.

“The topic you proposed for the class was certainly strange from the start, but it didn’t seem to present any major issues. It was merely a question of whether murder can be accepted if it is unavoidable from the perspective of theology. When approached from the realm of theology, it is indeed a fresh and intriguing topic.”

“……”

“However, the problem arose due to what you had said prior.”

Professor Antorelli had asked whether there could be such a thing as unavoidable murder from a theological perspective. Up to that point, it would seem there were no issues.

Moreover, he had made an additional explanation prior to that statement where he had said, “Although I won’t involve myself in the class, I do ask that you refrain from causing too much disturbance.”

“That’s right.”

“And you mentioned that this is a participatory class. That we are the ones conducting the class, and you are the one listening. After sufficient discussion and thought, we’re simply expected to logically organize our thoughts and explain them to you, who is in the position of the listener.”

“That is also correct. However, Miss Laura. That does not provide much assistance to the claim that the topic I proposed is inappropriate…”

“No, it does not.”

When Laura firmly cut off Professor Antorelli’s words, it seemed as if the other students turned pale, close to green.

As evidence, Professor Antorelli’s eyebrows twitched slightly. While one might consider that in a typical situation, the person in question was Professor Antorelli.

The possibilities boiled down to two options. He was either slightly angered by Laura’s rudeness, or he was greatly angered by all of class A, including Laura. Regardless of which option it was, it was inevitable that he was angry.

Yet, Professor Antorelli didn’t utter even the slightest reprimand. He merely nodded and urged Laura to continue.

“…You mentioned that you wouldn’t involve yourself in the class at all, yet as the class was drawing to a close, you wrote down a Bible verse. That in itself is contradictory.”

That was a simple reduction and a hasty claim. The students now looked as if they might cry as they watched Laura. The daunting assignment hung before them like a bomb.

“Secondly, we must engage in discussion regarding the topic ‘you proposed,’ and ultimately explain our unified opinion to you. Just as if we were teaching you.”

“……”

“However, Professor Antorelli. You established the topic of the class, proclaimed you wouldn’t engage at all, then wrote a Bible verse to provide hints, and then asked us to unify our opinions on a topic that would never converge, requiring us to explain it to you in a teaching manner…”

Laura took a moment to catch her breath. Quietly closing her eyes and opening them again, she spoke firmly with newfound conviction.

“This is simply a situation where you want us to bicker over the content you’ve neatly prepared, and then force us to unify conflicting opinions that can never blend. Is this really what you call a ‘participatory class’?”

“……”

“I don’t believe it is. This is definitely not a participatory class.”

“…Is that all your evidence?”

Antorelli, who had been quietly listening to Laura, asked in a slightly tired tone. Laura, noticing his demeanor, fell momentarily silent before continuing.

“…No, there is more. Much more decisive evidence that I still cannot comprehend.”

“If that’s the case, please show it.”

Show it.

Show me the truth you hold.

Laura did just that.

“The verses from Revelation 7:1 through 7:9… it was about the lords and the servants.”

“Correct.”

“But, Professor, why didn’t you tell us the rest of those verses?”

Revelation 7:10 and what follows. Upon hearing that, the students snapped to attention.

“Revelation 7:10. ‘However, listen. Those of you who believe live on fertile ground, while the unbelieving barbaric nations dwell in barren wastelands, for they will surely attempt to invade your land.'”

“……”

“Revelation 7:11. ‘And those who, having lost their sight, were once beggars living outside the walls, having become able to hear, would raise their voices in unison, asking, if the Lord says so, what shall happen to our little lambs? We shall not commit murder, we shall not commit adultery, we shall not steal, we will only follow.’”

“……”

“Revelation 7:12! ‘Then the Lord said, your words are true, but those who wish to harm me and my beloved ones must be put to death; this is not murder, it is war.'”

Gradually.

“Revelation 7:13! ‘I went out early to see the land, and the people of that nation sent to slay the men, women, and children, as they suffered at the hands of the barbaric nations; for that was not murder, but an unavoidable act.'”

Little by little.

“Revelation 7:14! ‘So do not be afraid. For those who dwell in faith, there are six ways to escape from unavoidable murder. Among them, there isn’t a single unbeliever among my people. So, is that called murder?'”

Laura’s voice echoed through the lecture hall.

“Revelation 7:15!! ‘Therefore, the people said, to sit idle and die among those beasts would be to die a dog’s death; it is fitting that we kill them in faith, for they covet our just property, seek to harm our families and loved ones, and ultimately seek to kill me, who is destined to live among the Lord’s people forever; this is the path that leads to their death and is not murder.’”

Filled with conviction. Deep-rooted questions. Echoes toward the answers that exist at the end.

“…And then, Revelation 7:16. There, the Lord said…”

So, do not call what is kept by faith murder.

“……”

Silence seized the lecture hall.

Laura lifted her head. Professor Antorelli still held his stoic expression.

“…Professor, the answer to the topic you proposed has been predetermined from the beginning.”

[From a theological perspective, is unavoidable murder permitted?]

“The answer is, ‘Yes.'”

Laura trembled unconsciously. It was as if she had finally solved a puzzle that had long eluded her, a dramatic thrill coursing down her spine.

“Therefore, the topic you proposed for the class was… fundamentally flawed from the beginning. We were supposed to debate something whose answer was already predetermined and convey that answer to you, who already knew it.”

“……”

“Which student would attend a class knowing the answer in advance? Is that truly a place for learning something?”

Laura’s mouth closed. She remained standing, looking at Professor Antorelli, demanding an answer.

And finally, Professor Antorelli opened his mouth.

“Miss Laura.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Do you know what I wanted from this class?”

“…What is that?”

At Laura’s question, the corners of Professor Antorelli’s mouth turned up slightly.

“To think for oneself.”

As Laura stood still, digesting his words, she couldn’t contain the chill rising all over her body.

The only assignment given by Professor Antorelli around this time last year.

The answer to that assignment was to think for oneself.

The flower, which had just begun to bloom, bore its fruit only after a year.

“Not to be trapped in the topic of the class I provided, but to break free of that framework and find the contradictions.”

“……”

“And thus, Miss Laura.”

Professor Antorelli stepped down from the podium. He walked slowly, eventually standing in front of Laura.

“You have brilliantly understood this class.”

Lewis slowly sat down. Angela did the same.

In this vast lecture hall, only two beings remained standing.

“Congratulations.”

The lords walked, and so did the scriptures, akin to verses from a donkey.

As if their positions had swapped, the roles of professor and student finally returned to their original state.

All the students, including Laura, accepted this.

It was an awakening.

It was the freedom of thought.

It was indeed.

– When attempting to define human existence, the elements recognized. The Lord’s creative gift. All of those are spirituality.

“Spirituality…”

Holy spirituality.

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