the clearing

Imagine you're traipsing through a dense forest. The foliage blocks the passage of the light, and you kick your way through fallen leaves on the forest floor. You occasionally run into someone just as lost as you are, but they're no help.

By luck or happenstance, perhaps through the hint of a stranger, you come into a clearing. No leaves. Bright sunshine. You're free. As you look around, you realize that the suffocation of trees has given way to Nothing. Glorious Nothing.

The leaves of the trees behind you are the pages of the holy books littering history. They only serve to block the light. Why would you even think of going back?