> How is this not antiethical to the 'mystery' inherent in religious belief?
I think belief isn't a question of whether a god is real or has power (even the monotheists would agree with the theists -- though the theists might not agree about the Invisible God). The question of faith is "correctness." Is my interpretation of events the correct one? Did Orlanth slay an unjust Emperor, or was the Rightful Emperor cruelly assasinated? Are spirits unimportant, or are they your friends, and it's the gods who are selfish and remote?
> Why shouldn't
> the average farmer or city prole be as convenience-wealthy as Western poor
> (TVs, toilets, sanitary water, etc.)?
Well, none of your examples directly relates to Gloranthan magic, and many of them depend on mass production more than just technology per se. And mass production is a lifestyle many people would not choose to undergo -- it took a certain amount of coercion in England as I recall (the Enclosure Laws).
I think the basic answer is that Glorantha is a magical world. Yes, everyone has magic which they use to better their lives. But there are malign influences -- disease spirits, winter spirits, and the lasting effects of chaos (i.e. Genert's death, which greatly impacts the fertility of Genertela). It balances out.
Also, don't forget that Glorantha was nearly wiped out by the Darkness, whereas 2000 years ago, our planet was doing quite well.
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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