THE BORE
General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: PlayDat on April 23, 2015, 09:12:57 PM
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Hi Bore! I’m taking an introductory religion course right now. Everything’s was going pretty well until I bombed a quiz worth 15% of my grade last week. Professor’s a nice guy so he’s letting me do an extra assignment of my own choosing to help boost my grade. I decided to write a short (4-5 page) paper on religion in pop culture. I’m not really sure what kind of argument I’d like to make yet, but I’m thinking of including stuff like the Marvel Asgardians or possibly some of the depictions of figures from Greek mythology in the God of War series.
I know a lot you here practically gorge yourselves on all sorts of media so I thought this would be a good place to ask for some examples. I checked with my professor beforehand to make sure it was okay for me to ask friends for examples so this should be on the up and up. What’ve you got?
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Futurama's "Godfellas"
obligatory Reaper mention
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Jesus
:hitler
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http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Chaos_Gods
Although primarily formed from hate and rage, bravery and honour are also thrown in the mix. Also in the mix are mercy (in particular, mercy for those too weak to put up a fight), courage, regret, fear, athleticism, determination, daring, impulsiveness, and struggling onwards in the face of all odds.
Tfw u realize u serve the wrong god. :ohhh
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Actually, DC (both pre and post New 52) has a rather complex setup for their mythology in which basically all religions are true and false at the same time. I feel like Wikipedia probably isn't well organized enough to map it out though. And I guess it rarely turns up in the Superman/Batman/etc. type books. (Though Batman seems unfazed by people like Deadman and the Phantom Stranger if they do show up.) Shadowpact's series is maybe the most concise way to tap into some of that since it's 30 issues or so counting the crossover thingy that spawned it and The Phantom Stranger narrates it all.
Buffy/Angel delves into a decent amount of structuring its mythos like Reaper (and DC) in outlining a sort of ambiguous view on demons/satan/god/angels/etc. and the nature of their reality/relationship with humanity. I bet that universe has a fan thesis or seven written about it.
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Serious answer, though: Lovecraft's Elder Gods/Outer Gods/Great Old Ones. The man himself wrote quite a bit about them and they've been heavily expanded upon by later authors working in his universe, so you've got a ton of material to potentially play with [along with unrelated works that were inspired by it] and it's all pretty interesting stuff.
I mean, we're talking about cosmic beings that are so far beyond the comprehension of humans that just looking at one can make you go insane.
Outside the ordered universe [is] that amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the center of all infinity—the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time and space amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin monotonous whine of accursed flutes
:bow
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The Prophets:
(http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080907194306/memoryalpha/en/images/thumb/3/36/Orb_of_Prophecy_and_Change.jpg/500px-Orb_of_Prophecy_and_Change.jpg)
The BARGE OF THE DEAD manned by the first Klingon condemned to ferry the dishonored who have to defeat Fek'lhr to get past the gates into Gre'thor.
Also, the Klingons killed their original gods because they were more trouble than they were worth.
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I've always been fascinated with gnosticism and zoroastrianism. something very essential and exacting about them I find compelling.
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You should do a paper chronicling Himu's walks and adventures in religions.
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Thinking about it some, Star Trek's relationship with gods/religion is kinda fun and probably would be easy to do a five pager on, Kirk/Spock shit on basically every religion they come across as primitive (including my favorite where Kirk exposes Archon as a computer, then blows it up and just tells the religious enforcer dudes they'll have to get new jobs on his way out as the Enterprise bails) before The Motion Picture and The Final Frontier get all wacky about it, then The Next Generation swerves all over the road about whether or not we should respect other peoples gods while endlessly mocking our own, then DS9 has the main character literally become the Emissary of gods, then Voyager is about a vengeful dark god taking control of a Federation starship and willing its crew into laying waste to the Delta Quadrant's civilizations, before Enterprise goes back to TNG's kinda-not-sure stance before the whole Vulcan storyline near the end.
J.J. Abrams take on it in his two movies is just too deep for me to analyze though, so I leave them out.
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Going full weeaboo, I'd say the Goddess of Death Etro (http://i.imgur.com/wmaa48l.jpg)
She is the one who "provided the material from which humans were made, and the one who protects the balance between the mortal world and the afterlife"
Seriously talking though, I'd say a majority of Ancient Egypt and Greek gods and goddess are my favorites. On my commutes to downtown I love reading about them.
With my favorites being Apollo, Aphrodite and Osiris.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Hope to get crackin' on this soon. I'll try to remember to report back on how the rest of the class goes. Of course everyone's free to keep discussing.
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Neil Gaiman's version of anything
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Those shitty bald dudes from Prometheus.
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It should surprise no one, but I'm an ordained minister in two religions based around laziness.
I've been a Pope in the Church of the SubGenius since I was a teenager.
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs36/i/2008/276/7/4/_PRAISE_HIS_SWEET_NAME__by_nayruasukei.jpg)
And, of course, who can forget my work in the Church of the Latter Day Dude?
(https://thoughtforyourthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/dudeism-550x778.jpeg)
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millennials out here crowdsourcing their homework smh
I'd nominate Herman Hesse's work (although he actually thought he was writing about buddhism, as opposed to writing German self-help lit playing dress-up with oriental words he didn't understand. Counts under the parameters laid out in the OP imo :spin)
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dunno but any excuse to post this badass art from ASOIAF/Game Of Thrones.
(http://i.imgur.com/YiaJR.jpg)
Three Eyed Crow/Bloodraven.
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Indian gods>>>
multi arm forms and fire swords
:rejoice
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PD's post reminded me of this in-depth look at Asura's Wrath by Richmond Lee.
http://art-eater.com/2012/01/a-buddhists-guide-to-asuras-wrath/
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http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Chaos_Gods
Although primarily formed from hate and rage, bravery and honour are also thrown in the mix. Also in the mix are mercy (in particular, mercy for those too weak to put up a fight), courage, regret, fear, athleticism, determination, daring, impulsiveness, and struggling onwards in the face of all odds.
Tfw u realize u serve the wrong god. :ohhh
I would 100% be a servant to Tzeentch.
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I've been a Pope in the Church of the SubGenius since I was a teenager.
Technically everyone is a Pope in the Church of the SubGenius, some people just don't carry their cards.
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http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Chaos_Gods
Although primarily formed from hate and rage, bravery and honour are also thrown in the mix. Also in the mix are mercy (in particular, mercy for those too weak to put up a fight), courage, regret, fear, athleticism, determination, daring, impulsiveness, and struggling onwards in the face of all odds.
Tfw u realize u serve the wrong god. :ohhh
I would 100% be a servant to Tzeentch.
Ironically the Changer of Ways is probably the worst god to serve in terms of costs incurred to benefits received.
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Grade came in yesterday. The paper brought my failing quiz grade up to a B. A- in the class. :jawalrus
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Zule
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R'hllor, the Lord of Light. :rejoice
The night is dark and full of terrors. :rejoice
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Grade came in yesterday. The paper brought my failing quiz grade up to a B. A- in the class. :jawalrus
(http://i.imgur.com/AHRAhVR.jpg)