Zen's War: Captivity
Chapter 39: Theocracy

Zen himself had no allegiance to the Mexican revolutionary front or the Confederates. He did not believe nor disbelieve in either of their causes. On the other hand he did not consider himself an American. Those from the East still clung to the belief that the United States would eventually rise like a Phoenix from the ashes. Zen did not share this belief. He believed that America had had its chance, but the Democratic experiment had failed. Perhaps another group or faction would arise that would try to establish an ideal nation founded on equality, but the future was never certain.

He had thought that religion would have died because the nuclear war emanated from religious fundamentalists, but that had not happened. Though the Vatican had lost the majority of its power, the Mexican Revolutionary Front was still greatly influenced by Catholic dogma. Catholicism had been deemed their official religion. They looked at those that did not share their beliefs with suspicion. Any who did not see eye to eye with the Catholic faith, were seen as heretics and pagans. El General had instituted an inquisition to root out the nonbelievers. Each Sunday after morning mass inquisitors would read off possible heresies that might have been committed against the faith. Two inquisitors would be sent to anywhere there had been suspicion or rumors of anything considered heretical, within Mexican territory. Members of the church congregation would be encouraged to name any possible conspirators.

It was strange to live somewhere where people were so superstitious. He was different than most, because he knew how the world had once been. He could draw comparisons between the old and new world. Clearly he did not fit in to the current paradigm of life. He tried to steer clear of the church and its officials, but it was almost impossible not to come across them.

The official religion of the Confederate survivalists was Protestantism. Civil war was a constant possibility between the Confederate American Militia and the Mexican Revolutionary Front. Thankfully any skirmishes that had taken place between them, had taken place on the border between territories and not within them. The president of the Confederacy was named David Monroe. He was a warmonger just as Gutierrez was. He believed that war would bring about glory. First and foremost he believed in the superiority of the white race. Before the war he had been a member of the KKK, and had risen in the ranks to a Grand Wizard. The KKK had been founded by Confederate veterans after Civil War I. Monroe believed that the Confederates should have won Civil War II, and not given in to Yankee ideals.

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