Re: The Glorantha Digest V5 #10 from Marc Willner on 1997-07-03 (Glorantha Digest Vol 05)

From: Marc Willner <marc24_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 07:52:47 -0800

Jumping in with both feet to the following discussion:

> Stephen Lucek
> >Even in long conquered areas of the provinces, where Lunar
> >peace, prosperity and civilisation will have convinced the Orlanthi that the
> >Empire is not evil incarnate, it is still possible for there to be
> >irreconcilable differences between the two religions which results in gradual
> >conversion to Lunar gods rather than an assimilation of Orlanth into the
> >Lunar
> >Pantheon.
>
> Ah, you mean in some places the irreconcilable differences are
> reconciled? Well, yes, of course, only, ..er.., terrible Lunar plots like
> peace, prosperity, and civilisation could make good Orlanthi go back on
> their kinslaying ways like that.
> In other words - I still think what you are talking about is
> largely rubbish. If, by 'irreconcilable differences', you mean 'the
> Orlanthi and Lunar religions are not the same, and are really quite
> different, actually' well, yes,but its hardly news, is it? But I rather
> thougth by 'irreconcilable differences' you were meaning something like
> 'conflict is inevitable', rather than living together happily is a likely
> result, but you'll still be able to tell them apart, you know.
> Semantic waffling I say. What you mean is, in your game they are
> going to fight. Fair enough, can't complain. Just don't try and justify it
> with vague illdefined terminology - it needs no justification, least of all
> one I can't understand.
>
> Cheers
>
> David
>

There are four responses that a minority religion can take in regard to another religion that greatly dominates the political and social life of an area:

The minority religion (Orlanthi, in this case) can flee the area, if there is some place to flee to.
The Orlanthi can abandon their religion and join the dominant religion (Lunars).
The Orlanthi can try to assimilate into society as best they can while maintaining as much of their religion as possible (i.e., dresssing like the Lunars, but keeping Orlanthi holy days rather than Lunar ones).
The Orlanthi can try to isolate themselves from the dominant society and keep their religion dominant in a very localized area.

Much depends on the attitude of the dominant religion and its influence on the legal and social life of the area. For example, option number three is hard if all Orlanthi are required to dress in a particular way, or are restricted from certain occupations.

And now regarding the Wastebasket/Apocrypha controversy, Wastebasket is seen by some to be derogatory, and Apocrypha is rather pretentious. How about Greg's File Cabinet, which is probably where it comes from anyway.

Marc Willner
crawling out again from under the rock where I lurk.

End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #11

WWW at http://rider.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html