Re: religion Glorantha and otherwise

From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 96 14:07:05 -0600


Martin Crim
>Religion = proselytizing religion, here. Folk religions like
>Shintoism and so-called tribal religions simply organize
spontaneous
>spiritual activity in a traditional, unquestioned pattern.

        If religion = proselyting religion, then we are exempting a huge number of Earth's religions as well as the great majority of Glorantha's.

        In Glorantha, in particularly, proselytization is quite uncommon. Orlanth has no missionaries (though apparently there _were_ Orlanthi missionaries in the First Age). One of the reasons for the weirdness of the Lunar empire is that they _are_ rather evangelical. I once had an argument with Steve Maurer about this very subject (this was long ago -- no doubt Steve's changed). He wanted the Humakti temple to do something for him for free. Since he wasn't all that nice about it, and wasn't an initiate (though he told them he was thinking about joining), I had the Humakti give him the razberry. He was offended, and told me that I was misrunning the Humakti. "They wouldn't dare be that rude." says Steve. "How would they ever get converts? They would be nice to everybody in hopes of increasing membership."

        I responded that Humakt wasn't looking for converts. "You've got it backwards. YOU have to prove you're good enough for THEM!" I said. He didn't seem to get it, apparently laboring under the theory that all religions were, at their heart, missionary sects, seeking new membership. I tried to disabuse him, but he didn't seem to understand me.

Anyway, besides the Lunars, what other evangelical faiths exist in Glorantha? My opinion only, of course.

        Some Malkioni sects are proselytors, notably the Valkari, who strive diligently to bring other East Islanders to the truth.

        The Loskalmi apparently aim to seek converts via conquest, rather than persuasion.

        Most Safelster sects are primarily interested in converting other Malkioni rather than pagans.

        The Rokari, to me, do not appear particularly missionary faiths, but no doubt outsiders must join the sect before they can properly participate in society.

        The Doraddi are evangelical about their way of life, but not their religion. This is partly because they don't actually seem to realize that their worship of Pamalt & co. is a "religion", rather than just part of the natural way of things. A man who worships a foreign god has puzzling habits, but isn't seen as a competing faith. A man who doesn't do the right things to please Pamalt is seen as foolish and ignorant, not impious. It's like purposely listing the wrong number under your name in the phone book. Why would anyone want to do it?

        The East Isles, with a few exceptions, lack missionary fervor. To them, changing one's religion is rather like changing one's name -- a step rarely taken, a bit presummptuous, and perhaps a tad on the ostentatious side.

        The Orlanthi are as they've been portrayed -- not so much interested in _converting_ to the Orlanthi way as they are in getting people to _return_ to it.

Sandy


End of Glorantha Digest V2 #339


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