In the Name of Humanity

Part 1 of 12

By Angelique Sauvegarde

To members of the Church of Humanity, Christ dwells exclusively in an unmutated human genome.

His representative claims no name, but a centuries long history, unverifiable according to investigators, of mingling with famous scientists, explorers, and occultists, and the title of "Supreme Pontiff," much to the offense of all upstanding Catholics.

Many followers are excommunicated Catholics, unhappy with the Vatican's expressed sympathy for mutants. They carry AK-47's, hand grenades, and a variety of other weapons of unknown origin. And at a glance, the Kevlar-reinforced clothing of their clergy bears a superficial resemblance to priestly vestments.

And while their base of operations is tucked in the most inaccessible reaches of Montana's Rocky Mountains, their activities have taken them to cities like Rome and New York.

They believe the end of the world is near, and that they are to secure an eternal place for humanity- without mutants.

Members pay dearly for their beliefs. Investigators have reported that the leadership:

● ordered attacks upon mutants of unknown capabilities

● enslaved mutants who could serve their purposes

● used torture and other means of mind control to ensure compliance from

members and mutants alike

Authorities have also questioned former members about their involvement in the attempted bombing of Notizie San Gabriel in Rome, the assault of an FBI agent investigating that and other crimes, their stockpiles of illegal and even unknown weaponry, and their connections with the Acculturation Resistance Movement based in Zürich, Switzerland. Further allegations suggest they are behind the attacks on a Nevada brothel and an Atlanta gene research facility, as well as a number of disappearances and murders currently being investigated. However, due to lack of evidence, the authorities have been unable to act on these and the aforementioned complaints.

Reactions have been mixed in the nearby communities of Dillon and Butte. On one hand, residents fiercely defend the right of this group to believe and teach what they want. But many are concerned about how the presence of a group allegedly responsible for numerous acts of domestic and international terrorism will affect the safety, economy, and reputation of their community. Butte mayor Shannon Downey summed up the feelings of the community this way. "We've always been a community that values radical and even unpopular thought. On the other hand, with the current state of our economy, we can only hope that tourists, businesses, and new residents are not scared off by the presence of this group."

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