From: Sandy Petersen (sandyp@idgecko.idsoftware.com)
Date: Tue 23 Jan 1996 - 22:07:05 EET
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
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End of Glorantha Digest V2 #339
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