On the Abhorrence of the Reptiles

1. And lo, the Great Prince Wrapped in Silk reached out his hand down to his followers, and bestowed unto them a manuscript sealed by golden silk of his body.
2. And they read the decree set forth by the Silken Prince, and they found it to be good and agreeable, and the Sons of the Iron Cloth began to preach from the sidewalks and the dockyards, at the libraries and on the steps of the great political buildings.
3. And the people listened and scoffed, thumbing their nose at the Sons, ignoring them. But yea, those who truly heard the words of the Prince were entranced by His Five Tenants.
4. "One: The men of scales and venom are never to be trusted, for do not all mythologies say that the serpent is naught more than a liar?"
5. "Two: If those who walk on all fours and slither cross your path, and you know them to be carriers of the unholy scale, then you must strike them down with cold fury and true vengeance, unmaking them."
6. "Three: The serpent and the reptile will gladly lie and betray you for their own safety. As your sword, hammer, axe or fist swings down to end their miserable life, they may whisper miserable secrets to you. They may promise to tell you the secrets of creation, the path to immortality, or how to unlock the true desire of the flesh. They may threaten to bite you and let you partake of their venom, or expose your sordid secrets to those who love you. But take heart. In the eyes of the Silken Prince, the killing of the reptile is a sign of atonement and confession of sin."
7. "Four: Should the abhorrent reptile strike true before the blow falls, then this is a test of your allegiance to mankind. Do not seek out the men of science and medicine to cure you, or the elders with their ancient herbs and magicks to soothe your pain. The venom of the reptile will make you see beyond sight itself, and the spirit of the scaled beast will call you to the realm of darkness. But take heart. Though you may palpitate and burn with a fever of the sun, your faith will deliver you from the reptile's domain. If not...then may the forces of nature and order have mercy on your soul."
8. "Five: Man is man. Animal is animal. For man is no longer of the animals, having manifested his destiny. The serpent and reptile wishes to create his own destiny and take that of mankind's, making the world in his image to become closer to the primal forces and magick that spawned all. This shall not happen. For serpent betrayed man many eons ago, and man shall never forget his vendetta."
9. And surely, there was a great riot in the squares of the Great City, the Children of the Iron Cloth leading the newly enlightened to war with the great evil. And they went into the cold, fetid depths of the sewers, scoured the parks and every patch of moss, and waged war upon the zoological constructs treating their enemies like kings.
10. And when the act was done, there was an awesome hush over the land, and the city stood still in a state of twilight.
11. For while man purged the serpents and reptiles, there became an imbalance, for the segregation of serpent and man separated good from evil. The Children of the Iron Cloth, their militia and each inch of the city remained paused in a perpetual state of limbo, for it is written that life cannot continue in the absence of good or evil.
12. And the Silken Prince wept at what he had done, for He had hurt his children in his plan to save mankind. And the Prince slept, sobbing and dreaming dark dreams in his secluded tower.
13. To this day, the mighty city still stands at its eternal twilight, the forces of good frozen, the Prince sleeping and crying at what he had wrought. And around the world, man and reptile learned to trust one another and recognize the necessity of their rivalry.
14. And they came to an understanding, as man took knowledge from the serpent to grow strong, and the serpent was pampered and preened by man, made comfortable so that they would lose more than they would gain should they ever truly turn against mankind.
    
15. It is stated that one day, men with the heart of snakes or snakes with the heart of men will return to the mighty city. And their return will ignite the dormant fires of war and conquest and re-awaken the sleeping Prince.
16. And scholars and politicians debate if the people will repent and become calm or violent and fervent. But for now, it is forbidden. For mankind has learned from the actions of the Prince, and with knowledge comes greatness.

The Parable of the Necessity of Evil, from the Book of Morality, Chapter 19, verses 1-16.