[Mushroom]

Your forgetting he is also an anthropoligist/archeologist.
He has probably studied heaps of ancient cultures from Polynesians, Greeks, Native Americans, Persians etc...

If anything I get more of a recurring theme of the history of our own humanity in the books and our relationships with the various 'gods' we have created in many cultures, most of which now gone.

He also said at one point the whole series is loosely inspired by the Illiad. That's a greek story where gods constantly interfere with the lives of mortals whether for better or for worse for both the mortals and gods.


I think its likely he is either agnostic/atheist though.

[HoosierDaddy]

Mushroom, on Jun 28 2009, 01:28 AM, said:

<SNIP>

(1) He also said at one point the whole series is loosely inspired by the Illiad. That's a greek story where gods constantly interfere with the lives of mortals whether for better or for worse for both the mortals and gods.

<SNIP>

(2) I think its likely he is either agnostic/atheist though.

1. Really? I did not know that. Thank you for the enlightenment.

2. Probably. However, I am in the ranks of, "it doesn't matter."

[T'renn]

In TTH Hood hinted that the Death he took care of, is notthe final one, hinting at something... else

And so what if there are this many gods with that many plans ? Its very much like the Greek pantheon.

And one more thing, concerning the criticism through that piece by kimloc about the afterlive. A number of forms of christianity, like Catholic, belief in hell, purgatory ánd heaven. Punishment will be exacted.

[nomed]

Chiggerflea, on Jun 26 2009, 09:09 PM, said:

I don't think it matters if Erikson is an atheist or not. Would you think less/more of him if he was?

Yeah, kind of. I mean he's such a smart guy i would feel let down if he believed in any kind of superstitious, hokus-pokus, nonsense .

[Aptorian]

nomed, on Jun 28 2009, 01:48 PM, said:

Chiggerflea, on Jun 26 2009, 09:09 PM, said:

I don't think it matters if Erikson is an atheist or not. Would you think less/more of him if he was?

Yeah, kind of. I mean he's such a smart guy i would feel let down if he believed in any kind of superstitious, hokus-pokus, nonsense .

Well, that's just like, your opinon, dude.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Religion isn't nonsense. Look at Christianity-followers of that always have it in the back of their minds, and its attendant virtues-like being kind, giving charity, etc. True, not everyone's like this but there are some good things about religion.

[Aptorian]

Like the 72 virgins... Just pray they aren't all Tiste Simeon.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Aptorian, on Jun 29 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

Like the 72 virgins... Just pray they aren't all Tiste Simeon.

Now THERE is a reason to turn atheist.

[nomed]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Jun 29 2009, 12:36 AM, said:

Religion isn't nonsense. Look at Christianity-followers of that always have it in the back of their minds, and its attendant virtues-like being kind, giving charity, etc. True, not everyone's like this but there are some good things about religion.

So without religion we would have no virtues?

[RangerSG]

nomed, on Jun 29 2009, 11:56 AM, said:

Ain't_It_Just_, on Jun 29 2009, 12:36 AM, said:

Religion isn't nonsense. Look at Christianity-followers of that always have it in the back of their minds, and its attendant virtues-like being kind, giving charity, etc. True, not everyone's like this but there are some good things about religion.

So without religion we would have no virtues?

Well, without turning this into a flamebait discussion, it is debatable. Given the evidence of the 20th century that atheism can produce regimes that murder even more efficiently with no moral restraint whatsoever.

But of course, I realize that in our politically correct Western Culture, the only group it's acceptable to be a bigot against is a believing Christian. And yes, calling those you disagree with "unintelligent" or "narrow-minded" is just another example of bigotry. You'll never see the media or academia use those terms for Islamic or other believers. Only Christians, who must, by definition, all act like they were caricatured at the Scopes Trial nearly 100 years ago.

A closed system of the universe is not inherently more logical than an open system of it. BOTH have no true scientific support, since we cannot know or reproduce, by definition, what existed one moment before the universe existed, and any scientific "theory" is therefore nothing but one more philosophical argument. Having inherently no more or less logic than any other faith system.

Butcher is entirely correct in the Dresden Files when he has Harry call modern scientific materialism a religion. It's inherently nothing more than a faith system in a closed universe. Which is why you see so much dogmatism and propaganda on it in the Modern intelligentsia. Academia in the West is just as willing to stifle dissent against "heretical" believers in other faiths as the Inquisition ever was. And their methods have not always been any less ruthless either.

I don't inherently disrespect someone because I disagree with them. You've said you do. To me, that is the definition of intolerance and prejudice. The fact that such intolerance is the only accepted form does not make it right, or just, or more intellectual. It's still prejudice, by any other name.

This post has been edited by RangerSG: 29 June 2009 - 09:04 PM

[Aptorian]

I don't go around killing people just because they don't believe that E=MC2.

Violence commited in the name of god or faith, is just an excuse. A rose by any other name can still smell like crap.

[Illuyankas]

CHRISTIANS ARE NOT BEING REPRESSED

YOU CANNOT REPRESS THE MAJORITY

[RangerSG]

Illuyankas, on Jun 29 2009, 04:23 PM, said:

CHRISTIANS ARE NOT BEING REPRESSED

YOU CANNOT REPRESS THE MAJORITY

Why can't you? History shows a great many majorities that are oppressed. What were all the serfs in the middle ages? They represented 70% or more of the population. But the minority had swords and weapons. Thus the majority were very much repressed.

Now the intelligentsia has complete control of most institutions of learning, and thus can indoctrinate those they disagree with or force them to kowtow to their way of thinking to earn the favor of a degree. Control the flow of information, you control what people think. That's repression by any other name.

[RangerSG]

Aptorian, on Jun 29 2009, 04:18 PM, said:

I don't go around killing people just because they don't believe that E=MC2.

Violence commited in the name of god or faith, is just an excuse. A rose by any other name can still smell like crap.

Agreed entirely. But Stalinists and Maoists did kill, imprison, or otherwise repress others for their faith. Was that somehow preferable because the "faith" didn't recognize itself as such, but scientific progress?

[Illuyankas]

Sure, that explains all the atheist politicians, since the Christian majority clearly have no say in how things are run.

EDIT: Pretty sure you're getting 'scientific progress' mixed up with 'consolidating power base' there.

This post has been edited by Illuyankas: 29 June 2009 - 10:00 PM

[RangerSG]

Illuyankas, on Jun 29 2009, 04:53 PM, said:

Sure, that explains all the atheist politicians, since the Christian majority clearly have no say in how things are run.

Outside the US, Christians aren't a "majority." And then there's always the distinction between people who practice Christianity like they practice golf and those who actually believe and make decisions based on it. And that is an entirely different discussion. But even in the US, once you get down to the people who actually make decisions based on their beliefs rather than a tax code, you have a minority.

[Illuyankas]

I'm talking about America because that's where I hear the most complaining about being cut out of the decisionmaking loop. I still think you're worried over nothing, though.

[Aptorian]

RangerSG, on Jun 29 2009, 11:52 PM, said:

Aptorian, on Jun 29 2009, 04:18 PM, said:

I don't go around killing people just because they don't believe that E=MC2.

Violence commited in the name of god or faith, is just an excuse. A rose by any other name can still smell like crap.

Agreed entirely. But Stalinists and Maoists did kill, imprison, or otherwise repress others for their faith. Was that somehow preferable because the "faith" didn't recognize itself as such, but scientific progress?

Stalin and his fellow dictators didn't prosecute and kill various faithes and political ideologists because they were atheists. They did it because... well, gee gosh, they were DICTATORS! Can't have these radical free, thinking, non-communist god worshipping bastards in our midst spreading notions of a higher meaning and a better life when you're trying to convince the masses that their misserable existance is as good as it gets.

There's nothing worse than when religious nuts start blaming peoples lack of faith with low morals and violent behaviour. As though god is the only thing preventing people from turning in to murdering rapists with a goodkind fetish.

[HoosierDaddy]

Okay, this isn't the damned religion forum so STOP NOW. This is no longer about SE's possible beliefs and their possible affects on the Malazan Book of the Fallen. If I want to read a couple people go at it about christianity I'll go find Gem and Terez and throw throw them in a Religion Forum thread together and watch the fireworks fly. As it is, this is messing with my groove.

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 29 June 2009 - 10:05 PM

[Aptorian]

You're not the boss of me!

But yeah, we're way off-topic. The real question is, what does Erikson think of Vegetarians.