Religion in your writing

[prizzley]

If you don't have religion in your world it seriously limits your swearing!

 

[Montero]

I've written my world's own 'Biblical' style stories about each of those events, they maybe seen as offensive by some as they are intended as humourous.

I read somewhere a while ago, that someone (gosh what a lot of hand waving) read various of Jesus's parables in the original Aramaic to a bunch of shepherds etc in that region. They laughed a lot. Not at the translator, but to them the stories had humorous punchlines which don't seem to work for anyone else.
(Can anyone place this a bit more accurately than me? Could have it entirely wrong.)

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

I don't mind religion too much in books. Tara K. Harper's Wolfwalker series has a moon based religion that pokes fun at faith healers and that didn't bother me. The only thing that has bothered me was the author's words over His Dark Materials series. That was because he--either said or implied--wanted children to embrace atheism. Something that is fully in the parents' court.

 

[Esfires]

The HDM series is a bit of an exception, as the author had an almost malicious intent in writing it. Most authors have their pro- or anti-religious bias come out in their work as an innocent side-effect of their perspective. I usually don't mind it either way unless the author is obviously pushing an agenda.

 

[WmPreston]

My "Old Man" stories use Christian motifs and explore Christian (though not expressly Christian) questions. They raise issues analogous to theological issues if not identical, and anyone with a background in Christian thinking will know what I'm up to, but that's not necessary to appreciate the stories. It's yet another layer.

Amazon UK link to the two earlier stories: http://tinyurl.com/95u8upq

Cheers,

Bill

 

[Grimbear]

I'm an atheist, but although I am not a believer, and think generally of all religions as on the same level as each other - ie the stories are kind of fun, but there's no greater merit in say for example Protestantism than in the stories of Zeus and Hera, I have included made-up (they all are, but you know what I mean) religions in stories.

It might be surprising that I would, and also that I don't portray these religions as evil, or their followers as such.

Most of the people I have portrayed as religious are 'good' people and I treat the religions as if they are real. Also, the religions are incidental really - I use them more as markers of cultural differences between characters. I have never portrayed a militant religion
or a religious war.

I don't think anyone should be scared of tackling any subject. People should be able to say what they think, without fear of reprisal. I would never interfere with anyone's personal belief and would expect the same courtesy from them.

People who want to be offended will find something to be offended about, regardless.

 

[allmywires]

I don't really care if I cause offence.

I think this is the most important part. I always say I'm not anti-religion but anti-organised religion, and I think that comes across in my WiP's as-yet-fragile theological structure. I'm reading up on ancient Roman history (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) and the transition from the pantheon to Christianity, which is extremely interesting to me. Religion is such a fundamental part of our history you cannot ignore it in creating a fantasy world. I love the idea of the misinterpretation of myth and reality, which I personally think is interchangeable with modern religion. I have my views and they are mine: if someone gets offended with my work, they can put it down. If I'm reading a book with a religious agenda, equally I have the right to put it down and never think about it again. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[MstrTal]

In my Urban/Contemporary Fantasy WIP I have a very, to me, interesting slant on almost all the major religions. In my Post Apoc Dystopia scifi (not really sure of the genre of this one yet) I am basing the main religion off of Country music lyrics.

 

[kshRox]

Some of the biggest questions are theological / philosophical.
How can you take religion off the table just because some may choose to be offended?

(imho) It is ridiculous for some people to try and silence others because they believe they have some right not to be offended by the thoughts, ideas or beliefs of others.

Some great (imho) speculative fiction movies with religious themes -

- Gabriel
- Constantine
- Prophecy
- Contact

Some great SF/F where religion plays a central theme

- Lord of Light
- Creatures of Light & Darkness
- Dune
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
- Stranger in a Strange Land

 

[prizzley]

Some of the biggest questions are theological / philosophical.

Some great SF/F where religion plays a central theme

- Lord of Light
- Creatures of Light & Darkness
- Dune
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
- Stranger in a Strange Land

Religion/ ritual are inextricable from daily life in many societies eg Always Coming Home by Ursula le Guin

 

[Parson]

In my Urban/Contemporary Fantasy WIP I have a very, to me, interesting slant on almost all the major religions. In my Post Apoc Dystopia scifi (not really sure of the genre of this one yet) I am basing the main religion off of Country music lyrics.

So, as a CW fan from way back, (Hank Williams anyone?) and at least for the foreseeable future, I'm intrigued. Would you like to talk about this. (Obviously, not on this thread).

 

[JoanDrake]

Some sort of religion, even if it's non-religion, is almost necessarily going to be in your culture because religion has been and remains the major source of governmental authority in culture. Even in the US, the concept of separation of Church and State is itself, a religious idea, just as is democracy, due process, elections etc.

This is not to say that Freedom, Atheism, Reason, Science etc ARE religions, just that they can be seen as such and, from the standpoint of most organized religions, often are seen this way though few I know of insist on it as a point of their doctrines.

The American version, in fact, is much closer to the Ancient's beliefs concerning religion than the Medieval. The Romans, frex, were, contrary to popular misconception, actually very tolerant of a great diversity of religions throughout most of their history, as long as you sacrificed to the Emperor as well. The fact that the Christians wouldn't do this is the reason they were martyred, not because they denied the reality of Jupiter and Venus. Sort of like the people who want to arrest those citizens who burn the flag, yes? (not that I do, either burn it or want to arrest anyone, but it's the same sentiment)

According to someone very few citizens of Athens or Sparta would say they loved the gods, but most all of them respected them

The thing I think you must remember is that religion is really a matter of GOVERNMENT, and if you are going to make it any significant part of your plot then you are going to veer into politics at one point or another, it simply cannot be helped.

Btw, Pullman has said that HDM was a rewrite of Paradise Lost with God's Kingdom re-envisioned as a Republic.