What Gods Know: Mike tries to restate his opinions more clearly.

From: Mike Cule <mikec_at_room3b.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 95 00:55:17 GMT


All right, I am willing to say (since the evidence of various renegade Orlanthi and Yelmites has been brought against me) that
  1. It is possible for an Initiate or Priest to change his faith abandoning his former beliefs. (But I have never denied this.)
  2. It seems that the Gods are not continually aware of everything that their followers do. (Or 1 above would not be possible.)

But I maintain that it is not possible without major Heroquesting activity to lie to a God or commit a sin (by the God's standards) while actually praying to the God or taking part in a Divine Ceremony (which is what this thread started out talking about). You are wide open to the God on both occassions and messing him about is A Bad Idea.

When I say that the God's followers are his eyes and ears in the world I mean that when they pray to him (a thing they should do regularly) they are opening their hearts, minds and souls to the God's inspection and he is taking their reports into their consciousness. (This is a slight weakening of my initial position.)

And a cultist who wants to change his faith will not do it (if he is wise) by metaphorically spitting in the God's eye but by becoming lax in his cult observances and gradually drifting out of active membership of the cult until the priests are forced to excommunicate him.

Remember that each cult has secrets that it will not want the other cults to know. When an Orlanthi converts to following the Red Moon he takes the secrets of the cult with him (those that he knows). Preventing such treason is what the Spirits of Retribution are for.

I agree that such strict interpretation of the cult rules makes the lives of the people of Glorantha (and the players in the game of Glorantha) more difficult but I do not agree that it makes it less fun. If you take the benefits of the cult you must pay the price that the God asks. It might be a willingness to risk your life or dedication to helping others. But you are not crippled by such commitments but given purpose and direction.

And if you don't agree with that then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Mike Cule


End of Glorantha Digest V1 #102


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