Re: Sacred Days in an Army

From: Trotsky <TTrotsky_at_blueyonder.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 13:36:36 +0100

>
>
>I was just reviewing the various holy days that the Orlanthi attend and
>came up with a question that I couldn't quite answer.
>
>This question would apply to any army in Glorantha.
>
>The 28 major days are attended by all heortlings. What happens if the
>Free Army of Sartar is besieging Furthest when Reaping Day comes along.
>Obviously the entire army can't abandon the siege lines to attend
>ceremonies. Would it be acceptable for the initiates to rotate through
>during the day?
>

This is how I have stated the Malkioni handle it, FWIW. Don't know about you pagan types :-)

>Devotees and priests have to spend all day doing their
>thing and so would be out of action for the duration. This could prove
>problematical for the initiates if all of the priests are tied up unless
>they could fudge their time and start in batches to serve the initiates.
>

This is not a problem if we consider the matter logically:

God is Love. As such, He is all-merciful. It would not be merciful to allow the common people to be slaughtered by pagans, nor would it be merciful to punish those who put their lives on the line for the good of their community, simply because they cannot always attend the ceremonies. If there is a good and just reason why a person cannot attend the holy rites, then God will know it (just as He will now if you are shirking your duty and using petty excuses) and, being all-merciful, He will not punish you. Therefore, although we cannot have as a perfect a knowledge of each man's soul as God does, it would be wrong to prosecute a man or woman for breaking the recusancy laws* when it is genuinely not their fault, or when their duty calls them elsewhere. Of course, we would expect them to make up for any lost prayers at their earliest convenience - that's why we have chaplains in the army, after all.

Malkionism: You know it makes sense.

• - the laws which require every resident of Loskalm to attend the weekly Church services. In practice, there are exemptions for Lunar ambassadors and the like, but in theory, at least, they apply to everyone who has lived in Loskalm for at least a year. Likewise, in practical terms, the authorities will not actually prosecute unless you fail to attend at least 30 services (i.e. fail to meet the 10% lay worshipper commitment).

-- 
Trotsky
Gamer and Skeptic

------------------------------------------------------
Trotsky's RPG website: http://www.ttrotsky.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/



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