02-20-2002, 06:19 PM | #11 |
20th Level Warrior
Join Date: November 3, 2001
Location: Texas
Age: 54
Posts: 2,830
|
Sazerac, I agree with you. All we need in RPG'ing is another media firestorm about something that 99% of us don't give a hoot about, anyway. In my roleplaying, I always use Helm as a Christ-figure, so I don't feel guilty when I invoke Him.
__________________
Lady Galadria,Goddess\' Equal of the O.R.T.; [img]\"http://havak.db-forge.com/portraits/bitmaps/wlf180L.bmp\" alt=\" - \" /><br />\"Romance at short notice was her specialty.\" - Saki <br />Founder of the IW Branch of the Anti-Anomen Society |
02-20-2002, 06:30 PM | #12 |
Manshoon
Join Date: March 1, 2001
Location: Ireland
Age: 46
Posts: 201
|
Wasn't there a Babylonian god called Bhaal? Sometimes the RPG's could be based on gods of ancient religions, and unless the guy said he was worshiping a god from DnD world, maybe he was unaware that the god he believed in was also from a game?
[ 02-20-2002: Message edited by: andora20 ]
__________________
\"He looked right through me, with soniforous almond eyes, don\'t even know what that means, must remember to write it down\" |
02-20-2002, 06:51 PM | #13 |
Ironworks Moderator
Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Monroe, LA
Age: 60
Posts: 7,387
|
quote: Andora, could you change your color scheme? Black on dark brown is a pain in the rump to see! [img]smile.gif[/img] Actually, the name of the god was B'aal, which was the Phoenecian god of agriculture. B'aal was demonized when the Hebrews returned to Israel and began to convert the Philistines and other races in the region to the worship of Yahweh. Some of the best stories in the Old Testament (Samson & Delilah, Ahab & Jezebel, Elijah, etc.) concern the old B'aal worship. B'aal, from what I can tell, originally wasn't an evil god like Moloch, to whom the indigent tribes sacrificed their children. (Notice that Moloch is the name of a type of Demon in AD&D as well, sort of like a Balor).
__________________
"And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..." |
02-20-2002, 07:33 PM | #14 |
Mephistopheles
Join Date: August 30, 2001
Location: deep within the sylvan splendor....
Age: 60
Posts: 1,443
|
It's ok, Sazerac. I took no offense at all (seldom do around here--we're all loons to some degree about something).
Evidently this guy was very definitive when he claimed to worship D & D god(s). Who knows. But I agree that this would just about be all we need to send the fanatic fringe into spasms over rpging! Lavi, haven't you learned yet there is no such thing as coincidence? [ 02-20-2002: Message edited by: Garnet FalconDance ]
__________________
"Nature tells every secret once." Ralph Waldo Emerson |
02-21-2002, 10:05 AM | #15 |
Fzoul Chembryl
Join Date: August 30, 2001
Location: somewhere
Age: 54
Posts: 1,785
|
You don't have to feel guilty to role play in a game a bit. It's just imaginary adventures. It's just like reading an interactive book. Have fun! The problem is when people blur the boundary between fantasy and reality. It happens a lot, and not just to RPG players. As a matter of fact, I would say the world of porn and deviant sex has a lot more crazies than RPGs could ever have. The problem occurs when someone sees their reality as so burdensome, that the fantasy world becomes the real one to them. They want it to be real so badly that they convince themselves that it is so.
__________________
Master Barbsman and wielder of the razor wit!<br /><br />There are dark angels among us. They present themselves in shining raiment but there is, in their hearts, the blackness of the abyss. |
02-21-2002, 11:12 AM | #16 |
Avatar
Join Date: November 13, 2001
Location: madrid, spain... made in argentina
Age: 47
Posts: 569
|
quote: larry, i dont think its quite the same. i mean, tolkiens languages are based upon deep cultural significance and based on real languages, and have nothing to do with religion. plus the books that give them background are not rpgs, they are real books with meaningful stories. tolkiens languages (there are many, not only elvish) are so complicated, and so well thought out, many experts single them out as a perfect example of a creation of a language from ground zero, from one person. even those that are less developed by tolkien due to lack of time (well, he died) are amazingly complex. take adunaic, for example. he managed to create an entire language set with distinct rules with just a couple of words and phrases. simply genius. regarding the people that study these languages, the main difference with the person worshipping ad&d gods, is that they dont worship tolkien, nor the languages, nor the gods in lotr. they are just scholars or tolkien fans who took it upon them to study a language that they liked. btw, anyone who wants to know more about this subject, go to this page. its the most complete and serious work on tolkiens invented languages. http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf
__________________
no |
02-21-2002, 12:43 PM | #17 |
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
Join Date: October 29, 2001
Location: North Carolina
Age: 61
Posts: 3,257
|
Just out of curiousity, Garnet, which D&D god(s) did this person claim to worship?
Since "Lady Luck" is a commonly accepted concept in American society, I can see how someone might blur that with worshipping Tymora (I think she's the goddes of thieves and luck). Larry, learning Tolkien elvish is no different than a "Trekkie" learning the Klingon or Romulan language. As Garnet pointed out, it's a great way to "talk in code" with someone else who understands the language. (BTW, Garnet, I think the idea of you and your HS boyfriend writing to each other in Hobbit is just tooooo cool). Saz, I knew immediately who you were referring to as the "religious lunatic fringe". I was soooooo tempted to begin this thread with a "tongue-in-cheek" response from a "mad-as-hell, Bible-thumping Southern Baptist"....but that would triviliaze how truly unfortunate this entire situation is. I'm saddened for the person in question because of his apparantly delusional state of mind...and I'm saddened for gamers because - as you pointed out - it is EXACTLY this type of occurrance that "fans the flames" of AD&D being labeled a social taboo. It's ironic that...when Gygax first came out with the game...it was considered a revolutionary product and several schools actually incorporated it into their Advanced Curriculums because of the creativeness and imagination it inspired.
__________________
[img]\"http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/cerek/cerektsrsig.jpg\" alt=\" - \" /><br />Cerek the Calmth |
02-21-2002, 01:04 PM | #18 |
Ironworks Moderator
Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Monroe, LA
Age: 60
Posts: 7,387
|
quote: I actually know as many religious people who like AD&D as those who don't; many who are regular players. The struggle for good vs. evil has long been a theme in religion, and AD&D lets people play that out. I've seen Baptist lay and youth ministers and Catholic priests play the game, and are fine with it. Like I said, it's the lunatic fringe you have to watch out for. The 1/2 of a percent of the population out there that yells at the top of their lungs so you think that it's a lot more than what it is. They're also the same ones who ban (or burn) books and records because it doesn't "jive" with their blinkered world view. Ah well...
__________________
"And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..." |
02-21-2002, 04:21 PM | #19 |
Mephistopheles
Join Date: August 30, 2001
Location: deep within the sylvan splendor....
Age: 60
Posts: 1,443
|
Sorry, Cerek, he didn't say exactly which one(s) as this was not important to the thread in question, merely an illustration of sorts. Too bad. One thing I've learned and constantly amazes me--actually commented to Budha this morn on it as I was relating the info--was that if it had been a discussion bere, it would have not only digressed but been a great deal more in-depth and thought through!
Yep, it was cool to correspond in hobbit. Recently I dled dwarven runes just for a goof (well, they're handy for story writing, too, as background info) and was telling the kids how I used to actually use a 'made-up' language in rl. They all thought that was just too weird and mom had obviously lost her last marble. Heck, I *love* to use the phrase "what in the nine hell do you think you're doing?" and watch people try to figure it out [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]
__________________
"Nature tells every secret once." Ralph Waldo Emerson |
02-21-2002, 04:30 PM | #20 |
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
Join Date: August 31, 2001
Location: Land of the Britons
Age: 37
Posts: 3,224
|
quote: Heh heh, weirdness must be very widespread, I say that often to my friends and other people, and the look of confusion when they hear it's so funny. But then, I'm like that, I often start talking in slightly archaic English.
__________________
Resident cantankerous sorcerer of the Clan HADB<br />and Sorcerous Nuttella salesman of the O.R.T<br /> <br /><br />Say NO to the Trouser Tyranny! Can I drill you about this? |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Religion??? | Gromnir | General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) | 8 | 12-15-2002 04:17 PM |
Religion | Callum Kerr | General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) | 212 | 12-05-2002 10:07 AM |
Gods | Obsidian the Black | Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 Also SoU & HotU Forum | 1 | 10-25-2002 07:55 PM |
Gods | Gazza | Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 Also SoU & HotU Forum | 9 | 08-04-2002 09:59 AM |
Religion II | Cerek the Barbaric | General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) | 78 | 02-11-2002 10:46 AM |