(no subject)

Lee Berman · 16 Dec 2010, 17:46 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:46:51 -0500
Subject: (urth) (no subject)
Message-ID: <SNT123-W15AD332116F21B51B93CBFCF150 at phx.gbl>

>> As mentioned elsewhere, to describe Jesus as "enlightened and
>> possessed by the Outsider" would be hideously incorrect theology.
>> However, such a description might well address the problem of His
>> having an analogue in the Briahtic universe.

> But is it not exactly the interpretation that would spring to the mind of an
> augur in Silk's hideously incorrect religion?

>Dan'l- Yes, I believe that is correct.

It could be. I can see the validity of this possible view. For me, the problem becomes
that when Silk was, in that split-second, enlightened by The Outsider, we now have to
accept that the enlightenment was not Universal Truth but instead a culturally-relative,
ethnically corrupted version of the Truth so that Silk could understand it.

It could be argued that Silk received Universal Truth but he has to translate it into
culturally relevant forms when he preaches so that the locals can understand it. This
doesn't seem quite so bad but it still suggests the approval of a corrupted message.

We might wonder- how DOES Gene Wolfe feel about culturally adapted versions of Christianity?
Is it okay to throw in a Christmas tree and Santa for the Germanics?  Mother Mary worship for
the Latin American people. Witchcraft and call and response singing for the Africans?
He might approve. I dunno.  

But I remain unconvinced that our God and Jesus Christ make any appearances in the Sun series. 
I'd need either more direct Christian references (call it a crucifix, not a "rood"=rod) or fewer 
monsters and demons.

That's really the crux (heh) of it, for me.  The Sun series is all about what the universe would
be like with no Christ. Answer- We'd really have pagan gods ruling us, vampires among us, foul, 
predatory monsters in the oceans, ghouls and human sacrifice and a lot of other nasty stuff that 
we Earthlings, blessedly, (mostly) only have in legends.

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