Well, first I'm interested to see that Sandy thinks that the Gods do have independent existence from their worshippers (and reassurred). And that he thinks that they can take action against 'sin'.
He rejects my conviction that the Cult members are the senses of the god in the mundane world. Now, I'm not claiming that Cult members are simply the puppets of the god. But when you form the mystical link with the god you are making a two way commitment. (As a feudal vassal or huscarl does when he swears loyalty to his lord). You give the god an 'in' into your mind. You become (to use a Christian simile) a part of the 'mystical body' of the god.
And when the god feels a twinge of pain somewhere in the Dragon Pass region...
Well maybe he orders all the cultists in the area to investigate or (if he can perceive the trouble closely enough he deals with it himself, in Sandy's words:
> it's really no more than lancing a
> boil from the god's point of view.
>
Now about Lokymadon. The gods aren't good at dealing with New Stuff. The older the god, the worse in my opinion: just look how Yelm got suckered by the Red Goddess and how his cult (as Sandy confirms has suffered for it). I doubt if Lokymadon went out with changing the Cult of Orlanth in his mind. He was doubtless convinced of his own virtue and his own righteous interpretation of standard Orlanthi writings. And very surprised when the conservative Orlanthi eventually condemned him and produced genuine miracles and visions to back them. (Orlanth got there in the end...)
And finally about the GodLearners. Yes, it is possible to alter the deep structure of Glorantha, which defines gods and mortals alike. But it isn't possible to do it easily and not normally possible on the Mundane Plane at all. When the priests are carrying out a Divine ritual they do bring the Godplane into the Mundane plane so our hypothetical lying Humakti priest, (who started all this discussion, remember?) could hypothetically work such a change by his own Will. But he's facing off against a god. I know which way I'd bet.
I'm not claiming that the gods of Glorantha are all knowing nor all powerful nor invulnerable. They can be attacked and defeated. They have been. Harrek did indeed manage to kill and bind the Polar Bear God with his own hands and Will. But they are not wussies. And they are not ignorant.
And the Compromise... I interpret the Compromise as saying: the God can only act in the world through his Initiates, Lords and Priests. NOT the God must sit back and take whatever his Initiates, Lords and Priests dish out to him.
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