Finally finished all the routes in Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei. Overall I really liked it, Benkei is I think the weakest since half his route is setting up all the supernatural plot stuff that the Yoritomo and Tomomori routes dig into more. Which is a shame because I really liked the parts
!["There follows, again like the young man’s, the scribe’s flight into ethical conflict: “Who is my neighbor?” Since then, this question of the tempting scribe has been asked countless times in good faith and ignorance. It has the good reputation of being a serious and reasonable question from an inquiring person. But people doing so have not carefully read the context. The whole story of the Good Samaritan is Jesus’ singular rejection and destruction of this question as satanic. It is a question without end, without answer. It springs from “those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth,” who are “conceited, understanding nothing, and [have] a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words.” From them flow “envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling” (1 Tim. 6:4f.). It is a question from the pompous, “who are always being instructed and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth,” who are “holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5ff.). They are unqualified to have faith. They ask questions like this because their “consciences are seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2), because they do not want to obey God’s word. Who is my neighbor? Is there an answer to this, whether it is my biological brother, my compatriot, my brother in the church, or my enemy? Could we not assert or deny the one just as rightly as any other? Is the end of this question not division and disobedience? Yes, this question is rebellion against God’s commandment itself."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5rbaq4z3yu3vdn5qi3dzeldc/bafkreiasvkr4vsc6pjr2j32rgww2277a5hgvzb5yuyzpeoesaivew7c26i)
