Sham War

Dave Lebling · 09 Aug 2010, 22:49 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: dlebling at hyraxes.com (Dave Lebling)
Date: Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:49:30 -0400
Subject: (urth) Sham War
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W57FF1CA7E85F62A38246EACF940 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W57FF1CA7E85F62A38246EACF940 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4C6085FA.1090801 at hyraxes.com>

Gene Wolfe seems well-acquainted with his religion, and therefore would 
have no difficulty answering the question. He answers it himself in 
TBotLS. There are many events in life and history which would trouble a 
believer, and I doubt that he is unsophisticated enough to be overcome 
by them, although he may ruminate now and then on the question of God's 
Plan, or on theodicy. TBotNS is, looked at the right way, five volumes 
on those topics.

In any case, it is quite clear that the hieros, hierogrammates and even 
Tzadziel are not God, although they fill some of the roles God fills in 
our universe. The question "who would Tzadziel want to win the Ascian 
war?" is not at all equivalent to "who would God want to win the Korean 
War?"

-- Dave Lebling, aka vizcacha

Lee Berman wrote:
> You miss my point. I would guess that, as a participant, Gene Wolfe would 
> care very deeply about who won the Korean and Cold Wars. The question is, 
> who did God want to win?
> Surely the Cold War stalemate and Korean division that dominated most of
> Gene Wolfe's life would be disturbing to him. If ever there was a war God would
> play favorites on it would be the war against the godless Communists. Yet
> they were not vanquished (esp. circa BotNS writing).

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