Standard Wolfean Riddle

David Stockhoff · 18 Aug 2010, 03:56 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:56:45 -0400
Subject: (urth) Standard Wolfean Riddle
In-Reply-To: <DF7F91952E774F05AD3450A2E7CD6BF1@jill>
References: <SNT123-W5497A07FE8CCA10102DCD2CF9B0 at phx.gbl>
	<DF7F91952E774F05AD3450A2E7CD6BF1@jill>
Message-ID: <4C6B59FD.9070701 at verizon.net>

Actually, early Christianity certainly did offer an earthly paradise in 
Christian community. But, you're right---once it became the state 
religion and became Catholic, it deferred paradise until after death.

Gerry Quinn wrote:
>
> From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>
>>> James Wynn: "What happened to Christianity in on Urth?" Answer: There
>>> was a Catholic Church and there were saints, but there was no Jesus.
>>> Urth is in a gnostic iteration of Briah and Severian is its Christ.
>>
>> This is essentially my view also. I'm not sure if I would have included
>> the Catholic Church on Urth, but Dorcas does mention a "rood".
>>
>> I think it is an interesting thought experiment to consider what the
>> Catholic Church would be like without any Jesus. Perhaps Wolfe also.
>>
>> From a Christian perspective I find it pretty depressing to think that
>> after tens of thousands of years of Christ influence Earth would
>> turn out as bleak as Urth.
>
> By the standards of SF dystopias it - or the Commonwealth at least - 
> might be regarded as almost pleasant!
>
> But in any case, surely Catholicism has never promised an urthly 
> paradise? Times are hard at the moment, largely because there is a 
> black hole at the centre of the Sun.  And in the past there have been 
> tyrants.  But hard times have often come to Earth or parts of it over 
> the last 2000 years, and probably will again.
>
> - Gerry Quinn
>
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