Chapter 541: Dare to Try Again
Religious issues are notoriously difficult in other countries, but East Africa has no such concerns because it was built on secular power from the very beginning.
Moreover, this land of East Africa once had only Arab religion and some indigenous shamans—who could also be considered ritual priests. The indigenous societies were so underdeveloped that even where states existed, they were still composed of numerous tribes and autonomous villages, each worshiping its own spirits and deities.
As a result, no unified belief system could form. From Ernst's perspective, a religion is a socially structured group with strict organization and unified doctrine. By that definition, the scattered indigenous beliefs in East Africa did not qualify as religion.
If religion truly existed in Africa, the power behind it would surely be formidable. The best example is the Abyssinian Empire, whose people follow Coptic Christianity—a sect similar to Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy but more aligned with the latter due to Byzantine influence.
Religious power can suppress social contradictions and unite a society. This is a key characteristic of many theocratic regimes, which is why religious states can grow strong easily.
Sub-Saharan Africa clearly lacks such religious forces. Otherwise, religion could have been the foundation for a strong centralized state in that region.
As a feudal-slavery kingdom, East Africa is not only cautious of ideas like freedom and democracy—seen as "subversive"—but also wary of religion, anti-scientific thinking, and other forms of backward ideology, even though its own system might seem reactionary and outdated.
This is a matter of opinion. Eastern states once referred to the Qin kingdom as barbaric. Ernst isn't belittling Qin—it was powerful in its time—but it wasn't exactly a conventional state. Much of its success was built on military plunder of the six Eastern states. This is quite similar to modern Germany. After all, other nations once called the Prussians barbarians. But were the Prussians truly backward? By all measures, Prussia today is successful and not behind anyone.
Prussia's military system, in the eyes of outsiders, is no different from the "tyranny" of Qin. It's all a matter of bias. Without Prussia's rise, Germany might still be bullied by France and other great powers.
Back to the issue of religion—modern Western missionaries can be described as fanatical. Even the barren lands of Africa have seen their footprints.
In East Africa's South Sudan region, there had once been European missionaries during the Ottoman period. Yet, Christianity's missionary activities in Africa struggled and never gained the influence of Islam.
Widespread African conversions only began after European colonial invasions. But with East Africa now in place, the entire missionary movement that once flourished in Southern Africa has been suppressed.
This suppression comes from East Africa's Bureau of Cultural and Religious Affairs. In East Africa, becoming a cleric is extremely difficult and requires rigorous examination. Even then, a recognized cleric has limited scope. Government rules state that preaching may only take place inside churches. Preaching outside that space—say, recruiting on the streets—is a crime punishable by immediate arrest. Furthermore, all church activities must be reported to the authorities, including gatherings, celebrations, etc.
What frustrates devout believers most is East Africa's so-called "religious freedom" policy. It means that non-believers can thrive just as openly as believers.
The defining trait of religion in East Africa is the absence of an overarching church. Every church operates as an independent regional unit with no hierarchy above it, supervised solely by the local Bureau of Cultural and Religious Affairs. With no central authority, these churches are fragmented and weak in influence.
In reality, Constantino, Karina, Archduke Ferdinand, and Princess Charlotte are all devout Catholics.
Yet Ernst himself has little feeling for religion. Though he is a "reincarnator," he never attributed his rebirth to any deity. His experience was simply one of closing his eyes and waking up in a new life.
"When in doubt, go with quantum mechanics." That's Ernst's take. If you're going to believe in the mysterious, it might as well be space-time rifts, wormholes, or parallel universes—concepts that sound scientific and profound.
His logic was simple: in his previous life, he believed in no gods or spirits. If supernatural forces truly existed, they wouldn't grant rebirth to someone like him. If reincarnation were real, his kind of nonbeliever would surely end up in hell.
Of course, to blend in, Ernst presents himself outwardly as a Catholic. But those who pay attention to East Africa's religious policies can clearly see that Ernst's religious devotion is highly questionable.
The East African Bureau of Cultural and Religious Affairs doesn't only operate in Nairobi—it is a nationwide institution, on the same level as the East African National Security Bureau and Immigration Bureau. It's a core agency.
So this recent campaign was not just about Nairobi. Similar actions are taking place across the country, with Nairobi, Mombasa, and Dar es Salaam as key focus areas.
"This time, our department dismantled 123 cases of illegal religious groups and individuals nationwide, investigated three shielding officials, shut down 15 illegal schools and unauthorized gatherings, and arrested 23 individuals."
The bureau's report showcases East Africa's strong crackdown on ideological threats to national culture.
It also highlights the relative stability of society—most of these were minor cases. For instance, the mention of "individuals" among the illegal religious cases suggests many were just personal acts. These were nipped in the bud before they could grow into movements.
Constantino said, "Ernst, do you have some kind of prejudice against religion? If this were only about the German language, I could understand. But you're overly cautious about religion."
He wasn't accusing—just confused. Many of Ernst's policies were so radical they seemed out of step with the mainstream.
Ernst understood his father's sentiment. Considering his father's identity as a Catholic, Ernst replied tactfully, "Father, not at all. Keeping these forces in check can only benefit us. After all, even God wouldn't want charlatans doing evil in His name here in East Africa."
A vague and diplomatic answer. Whether he had a bias or not was subjective. Even if he truly didn't, to devout eyes, Ernst's attitude still seemed biased.
Ernst then turned to Wali, Director-General of the Bureau, and said, "You've done well this year. Keep it up."
That was Ernst's stance on East Africa's religious affairs: Dare to try again!
"Yes, Your Highness!" Wali responded without hesitation.
Wali had no interest in religion. Even if Jehovah Himself descended, His words wouldn't carry more weight than the Crown Prince's. Wali's unwavering atheism was one of the key reasons he held his position. The other was his loyalty to the heir.
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