Re: Re: Atheism in Glorantha

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 14:05:29 -0400

TTrotsky_at_... wrote:
>
> Gareth Martin:
>
> << They key difference of opinion, as I see it, is:
>
> "... the more crucial form of atheist rejection is not the assertion
> that it
> is false that there is a God but instead the rejection of belief in
> God
> because the concept of God is said not to make sense..."
> - Encyclopaedia Britannica,
> http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=117394&tocid=38266#38266.toc
>
> This does not seem to me to mean what was intended by the term Atheism
> in
> Glorantha, however, or at least so I understood. >>
>
> Correct. The term 'atheism' in Glorantha is used in the RW ancient
> sense,
> not the 20th/21st century sense quoted above. For example, the Romans
> persecuted the early Christians precisely because they were
> 'atheists', yet
> Christianity doesn't really fit the description above. It may perhaps
> be
> unfortunate that Gloranthan material has always (since RQ2, at least)
> used
> the ancient sense of the word when most people today are far more
> familiar
> with the modern meaning, but its too ingrained now to get rid of, IMO.
>
> Trotsky
>

Fortunate or unfortunate, we're using the definition kindly explained and used by many folks here -- its an artifact of the Gloranthan gaming culture that has arisen over the last twenty years. I suspect that it will be difficult to change such ingrained reflexes and, to be honest, I've never really heard any complaint till recently.

I've always used monotheists to describe the West but I can see the want to get away from the 'theist' root word to make them clearly different from the theistic central area. Athiest or Sorcerer works for me quite readily. But then, we all know Ttrotksy's a disgusting, sinister meldek. =)

However, debate of semantics could be taken to the Digest, I think. The discussion of gloranthan culture is germaine here but hairsplitting and displays of intellecutual plumage are more the purview of the digest.

Jeff

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