Re: Digest Number 1157

From: bethexton <bethexton_at_...> <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 18:06:13 -0000

> I wrote:
> > No doubt
> > pacifists would be supporting a daimone/spirit/saint who
provided
> > powerful protections in return for strict requirements.
>
> I would think that it depended on the nature of the protection. If
it was
> something that defended using violent means they're not really
pacifists are
> they? Especially if they were actively seeking out the protective
abilities
> of this guardian rather than just taking advantage of them. Yeah,
it's
> semantics but that's the way the world works sometimes...

I suspect that, as with many historical RW groups, they wouldn't be pacificists in search of a philosophy to support that, but rather a group who's beliefs forced them to pacifism. In the Gloranthan context, I think that would essentially be "OUR god/saint/spirit/guru showed us the right way to live and achieve a happy afterlife. He/she/it demands we avoid violence, but in turn protects us against those who would hurt us." I don't actually see any reason that in Glorantha you couldn't have a group who eschew violence, protected by a guardian who rends anyone who harms them into bloody bits--sort of a "violence is the right only of he who must be obeyed." But there are other options, from hiding to fleeing to powers of persuasiveness to who knows what.

Despite which, obviously no such group is too popular, or we'd know more about them already! But I'm sure there are niches.

--Bryan