Why does Jamis hate the Church

"So, I never actually learned the full story, as I was out of the city at the time, but what happened between Jamis and the church?" Alice asked. Her eldest brother was seven years older than her, and during their early childhood, he was the most pious and religious of all of them. When their mother died giving birth to Alice, he had buried his sorrows with prayers and sermons, which had shaped his upbringing and his worldview. As far as she understood, it was why he seemed to view women as the lesser gender, but perhaps there was more to it? After all, if he and the arch-bishop share so much in common, then it certainly made sense for them to be allied, right? And yet, three years ago, during the winter solstice party, a drunk Jamis had denounced the church publicly, before the whole court and all the noble guests invited. He proclaimed them to be false saviors, nothing more than charlatans and fraudsters, frequently misusing their donated funds for inappropriate purposes. That had been the scandal of the decade, and it nearly caused a civil war between the soldiers of the kingdom and the paladins of the church. Since then, the church has found their influence steadily fading as Jamis waged a theological war against them, striking whenever the opportunity arose.

"Ah, that's a good question," Blade mused out loud. "I don't blame you for thinking that those two are alike, but the reality is a little more nuanced than that. It's certainly true that they think of women as..."

"Lesser," interrupted Alice. "No need to sugarcoat it. They think we incapable of dealing with the problems of the world, and that we're better off doing our jobs as wives in service to our husbands."

"True..." Blake continued, eyeing her with mild annoyance for interjecting. "But the fundamental reasoning is a bit different. Now, before you say anything, let me finish first! So, the church believes in the Sun God, and in the inherent superiority of man. Their core tenet is that women are weak, frail, and prone to mistakes. As such, it is man's duty to watch over them with a steady hand, to ensure they do not stray from the righteous path..."

"Yes, I know this," Alice replied with a frown. "I was **** to study scriptures for half my life, what are you getting at?"

"Hush! I'm not finished, impatient sister of mine," Blake replied, closing his eyes and laying back. "Jamis is different, because he believes in the opposite."

"Huh? What the fu-" Alice asked, incredulous.

"Jamis believes women are the better half of humanity. Graceful, elegant, and beautiful beyond imagination. As such, it is only right that they be shielded from conflict, from danger, and from anything else that would threaten to taint such purity. Unlike the church, who believes woman are incapable, he believes they are, but simply shouldn't. The dirty work of ruling and fighting ought to be left to the expendable men, and the women should simply relax in the comfort of their homes..."

"I... That's so stupid I lack the words to even insult it properly," Alice groaned, burying her head beneath the water for a moment, hoping it'll clear her mind. "So two sides of the same coin?"

"Somewhat," Blake admitted. "But then, the weeks before Jamis went on his unhinged rant, he had visited the church. Rumor has it he discovered evidence of something massive. I have no idea what, but it was enough for him to recant his faith."

"And he didn't reveal this big secret because..." Alice prompted, hoping for an actual answer.

"Civil war, probably. If the church actually collapses, the whole kingdom will be destabilized. I think he wanted to slowly trim away their power before removing them, rather than ripping the band aid off immediately," Blake offered.

A secret.

That could certainly come in handy, if she wanted to investigate this further. Having such a powerful organization, even if they're in decline, would be incredibly useful. "Very well, my hunger for knowledge has been sated," Alice said airily. "And in my generosity, I will pretend you haven't been ogling my tits for the past five minutes. I do hope your next requests are less depraved."

With those parting words, Alice returns to the dressing room, calling upon the attendant to help her get dressed. It was time to go.