An exerpt from my game

[LAST CRUSADER]

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THE SUPER HERO GENRE IS ABOUT THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. IT DEALS WITH THE MYSTERIOUS AND MIRACULOUS IN A SYMBOLIC WAY. ANYONE WHO DOESN'T REALIZE THAT SUPERHEROES ARE ABOUT RELIGION, ISN'T REALLY PAYING ATTENTION. MOST COMIC BOOKS DON'T DEAL WITH RELIGION IN ANY DIRECT WAY, AFTER ALL IT'S JUST FANTASY, BUT SOME OF US TAKE OUR FANTASIES QUITE SERIOUSLY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE TAKE RELIGION SERIOUSLY, WE WONDER ABOUT ILLOGICAL PROBLEMS LIKE GREEK AND NORSE DEITIES HANGING AROUND IN A JUDEO CHRISTIAN CULTURE, OR IF SUPER HEROES CAN WIELD POWERS AND ABILITIES FAR BEYOND THOSE OF OTHER MORTALS, THEN HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD AND NOT JUST SOME SUPER MUTANT WHO CLAIMED TO BE GOD ?
FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES HERE IS A LITTLE HELP. THESE ARE OPTIONAL RULES AND BACKGROUND SUGGESTIONS THAT CAN MAKE A SUPER HERO WORLD COMPATIBLE WITH CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT FORCING YOU TO CUT OUT A LOT OF THE STUFF YOU LOVE FROM THE COMICS.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU USE THESE RULES ISN'T SOMETHING PLAYERS WILL NEED TO KNOW UNLESS YOU CREATE A SITUATION WHERE IT MATTERS. BUT IF A PLAYER CARES YOU CAN GIVE HIM THESE ANSWERS.


JESUS: JESUS SAID TO BELIEVE IN HIM BECAUSE OF THE WORKS HE DID, AND NICODEMUS SAID THAT HE KNEW GOD WAS WITH JESUS BECAUSE NO MAN COULD DO THE THINGS HE DID UNLESS GOD WAS WITH HIM. BUT WHAT IF SUPER HEROES CAN FLY AND BEND STEEL ? WHAT DO JESUS' WORKS MEAN THEN ? WELL, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DEAL WITH THIS IS TO RESTRICT CERTAIN TYPES OF POWERS TO GOD AND HIS SERVANTS ALONE. THE MIRACLES THAT JESUS DID TO PROVE THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH INCLUDED HEALING AND CASTING OUT DEVILS AND RESURRECTION. YOU CAN EASILY SAY THAT ONLY HEROES WHO GOT THEIR POWER FROM HEAVEN CAN USE POWERS LIKE THIS. THIS COULD INCLUDE HOLY KNIGHTS, PRIESTS, AND RELIGIOUS, VISIONARIES AND ANGELS.
PAGAN GODS: SO WHY ARE THOR AND HERACLES RUNNING AROUND NEW YORK, WITH SAINT PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL IN THE BACKGROUND ? IT WOULD BE EASY TO SAY (AS THE COMICS GENERALLY DO) THAT HUMANITY TURNED FROM THESE PAGAN DEITIES LONG AGO BECAUSE THEY NEVER DID MUCH FOR US. THESE GODS NEVER ASKED TO BE WORSHIPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE SO IT DIDN'T MATTER TO THEM THAT PEOPLE GAVE UP SUCH NONSENSE. HOWEVER JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY (AS WELL AS ISLAM) SAY THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD. IF THOR, AND HERACLES ARE RUNNING AROUND THE STREETS, DOESN'T THAT MEAN THESE RELIGIONS MUST BE WRONG ? NO. WHO SAYS THAT THOR AND HERACLES ARE ACTUALLY GODS ? YES THEY'RE IMMORTAL BUT SO ARE ANGELS, DEMONS AND FAIRIES, (OR JINN AND EFFRITIES) YES THEY'RE POWERFUL BUT DITTO. WHEN THE BIBLE DECLARES THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD IT DOESN'T DENY THE EXISTENCE OF THESE OTHER BEINGS, ONLY THE CLAIM THAT THEY ARE GODS. AFTER ALL, NONE OF THESE ENTITIES ARE OMNIPOTENT,OMNIPRESENT, OR OMNISCIENT. NONE OF THEM ARE THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, AND NONE OF THEM ARE LOVE LIFE AND TRUTH. JUST SAY THOR IS AN ASGARDIAN AND HERACLES IS AN OLYMPIAN.
THE COSMOS: GOD MADE THE SUN AND THE MOON, DISTANT GALAXIES, BLACK HOLES, DARK MATTER AND QUASARS, THOUGH WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY. HE MIGHT HAVE ALSO FILLED THE UNIVERSE WITH COSMIC ENTITIES THAT EACH HAVE THEIR OWN ROLES TO PLAY. AND SADLY NOT ALL OF THEM ARE DOING WHAT THEY WERE MADE TO DO. SOME HAVE GONE THERE OWN WAY AND FOUND THEIR OWN PURPOSE. THE JUDGEMENT STILL WAITS.
THE ORIGIN AND END OF THE WORLD: MANY RELIGIONS HAVE THEIR OWN STORIES ABOUT THE ORIGIN AND END OF THE WORLD AND THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT BECAUSE THEY CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. THE EASIEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS IS TO KEEP THESE THINGS A MYSTERY. THESE PARTS OF TIME ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH WITH TIME TRAVEL. SOME INTERFERENCE KEEPS PEOPLE FROM GOING THAT FAR IN EITHER DIRECTION.

[nijineko]

nicely handled.

[Webhead]

"We believe in heroes because, ultimately, we believe in ourselves." - Jack Kirby

[Chris House]

you are assuming I think that every one believes in a judao/christian/islam God.
what about the heathen and pagan of the world?
you have nicely forgotten the other worlds religions and the growing population that don't follow said doctrine>

by the way I am Asatru I believe in Odin and Thor, their my Gods for witch my blood calls, I am true folk of these Gods and a direct descendant of their Line, so are all who know the blood and the folk.

I respect other religions and as a Heathen tolerate others believes as their own Myths and theology- but it is not mine, and I am not bound to their Covenant, nor do I practice the worship of the sylph/Angels nor do I CALL ON THEM.
where do the others fit in your cosmology ?
:confused:

[nijineko]

it would seem that he has chosen to design the setting with the judeo/christian mythos as the primary cosmological theology. theocentric, perhaps, but then most people are regarding their own region of beliefs.

i have met one other follower of that particular faith, and we always had interesting discussions. we wound up as chess opponents when we weren't slinging bags at the airport.

interestingly enough, i note that you call upon your blood and line. so do the judeo/christian sorts. after all, it is the inheritance handed down from the father's before them through the lineage of abraham, isaac, and jacob, and the promises also made to said three, that they claim to make them seperate from others.

so what are we to do? i suggest that in the afterlife we sit down and have a nice chat with each other, and if possible, something good to drink. ^^

[LAST CRUSADER]

You've missed the point of the artical entirely. There is no difficulty whatsoever in reconciling any pagan faith except maybe islam with the realities of the comic book world so there is no need to adress thier perspective. (I have no insite as to how we could reconcile islam with a comic book world or even how a muslem might express any particular difficulties.) The artical is about how to reconcile the aparant contradictions between Judeo-Christian thinking and the realities of a comic book world. nothing else.

[nijineko]

there you go. wasn't even trying to exclude anybody's religion. ^^ thanks for the clarification. =D

[Bearfoot_Adam]

Wasn't their recently a comic book series published where all the heroes came from a Jewish or Muslim God. This is not to say that I do not know the difference between Judaism and Islam I just can't remember which religion was the basis.

[LAST CRUSADER]

I don't know

[Webhead]

Wasn't their recently a comic book series published where all the heroes came from a Jewish or Muslim God. This is not to say that I do not know the difference between Judaism and Islam I just can't remember which religion was the basis.

I think I know which comic you are talking about but I don't recall the name off the top of my head. I remember being curious about it but I had stopped buying comics so I never read it.

[nijineko]

well, jesus was a jew, not a christian. either the jewish or muslim based one would be interesting to see how they applied the actual teachings versus the cultural baggage.

[Soft Serve]

I like how the Jesus discussion is in the Superhero genre section of the forums.

It's almost as funny as how bookstores around here put the Bible in their Fiction areas.

[nijineko]

well, most mythologies have found their way into comic books, so why not that one? ^^ probably because (and i guess here) that enough people would find it blasphemous and/or think that it would be perceived as such, and/or thus think that it would not sell well.

of course, i would probably get twitchy about it myself, honestly. considering that i happen to believe in the judeo-christian theology as being correct, i would likely scrutinize any such comic with extreme caution and detail.

[Chris House]

to me in my opinion Heroes and religion share a common mythology and playground-
Any one watching "KINGS"
I respect poeple for holding to a belief that we can be more then what we are , a better people a better world.
But I come from religion as a medium for common community that as a group to do good in the world to help keep peace and hold us to higher ideal, not as a tool of elitist hate and prosecution for not believing as a specific group believes or harming other because they do not practice as all practice.

in the end Heroes are not any different then us all, because as In God is also as in heroes if there where not any we would make them up, as we so often do. the tenant of Judaism and Christian structure are not so different then any others, it when you start talk about who are the chosen:eek: of God is when the bullents start flying! :biggrin:

you all seem so bright and intelligent on this board do you think that it is supersitous sillieness to believe in a All powerful God or is it a form of intelligence that admits in a suprem being?

If you where a superman would you believe in God?
If your where THOR would you think that other Gods where your Rivel or that even Thor can accempt the salvation of The Cross ?

I tend to side with Bill Mir ON THIS Religion to me is a scam, its who's Invisible friend is the biggest game.
Now matter of faith are another story and no man can mesure anothers faith.
Yes you can have faith with out having a God because there are those who have God and no Faith!
JM2CENTS WORTH/ imho

[LAST CRUSADER]

nijineko
don't get all twitchy on me, God doesn't make personal apperances in my game. just like in real life, he works primarily through intermediaries, angels, super heroes, the church, ordinary people and circumstances. "when you do it right they wont be able to tell you've done anything at all."

chris
religious debate is not supposed to be about who's god is bigger or better, it's about what is true and what we choose to believe in. therefore if conducted properly a debate is a tool in the search for truth. seek and you shall find, if you seek truth you will find it and since God is truth, seeking truth is seeking God.
God reviels himself in many ways, through experiences, through meditation, through debate, and if we will accept it through his Word, and through The Church.
I have always believed in God. I simply cannot doubt that he exists or understand how anyone could. but it took a lot of experiences meditation, debate and reading befor God lead me to his Church. now i have learned much more than i ever imagined i could

[nijineko]

did i come across as twitchy? didn't mean to. i'm chuckling right now that the adds are showing international muslim matrimonial site.

[Soft Serve]

Twitchy kitty?

[LAST CRUSADER]

You're the one that said twitchy. Lol

[nijineko]

nijineko
don't get all twitchy on me....

i believe that you started the twitchiness. ^^ but the visual image of a rainbow kitty twitching makes me giggle. i wonder if that produces sparkles or just random patches of shattered light.

[Soft Serve]

There's a difference between sprinkles and rancom patches of shattered light?

Is it that one smells like cupcakes?

[LAST CRUSADER]

of course, i would probably get twitchy about it myself, honestly. considering that i happen to believe in the judeo-christian theology as being correct, i would likely scrutinize any such comic with extreme caution and detail.

i responded to this