Question Why is religion portrayed as evil in novels?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by bumm805, May 30, 2019.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. hongzu

    hongzu Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2019
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    50
    Reading List:
    Link
    Religion is absolutely legal in China. The Chinese government only prohibits cults( In order to avoid unnecessary disputes, I suggest that we not discuss the criteria of cults. ) and illegal missionary activities( Missionaries outside religious sites, missionaries outside religious sites, etc. ) .
    The main religions of the People's Republic of China include Taoism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism and Islam, the main villains in fiction are Buddhism, Protestantism and Catholicism.
    Buddhism, the religion with the deepest influence in China, I think that's why it left a bad impression on many Chinese people: Buddhists in modern China are anxious to regard all advanced scientific, philosophical and sociological views as Buddhist thought; Buddhist temples changed from religious places to shops of incense and amulets; Unreasonable Buddhists release poisonous organisms in public places, freshwater organisms in the ocean, and invasive species in the natural environment at will… If we consider Tibetan Buddhism, a relative of Chinese Buddhism, the first thing we can think of is the barbaric serfdom and the sacrifice of living people.
    Protestantism & Catholicism, let's discuss it together. Traditionally, they do not conform to the traditional Chinese concept; In real life, they make many Chinese extremely disgusted. Because many nowadays Protestants and Catholics in China are not preached by real missionaries, these so-called missionaries may not have learned any normal religious texts at all. After these people's preaching, the religious ideas Protestants and Catholics learned were almost completely distorted. This leads them to preach to others in an almost intimidating way, and if you ask any question, they will think you are preventing them from saving others( Just half a month ago, I stopped a middle-aged woman from preaching to a minor in a square because she tried to intimidate the child with describing hell. But because she did not spread cults, so the police I called can only criticize and educate her. Although I think she had broken the law. ) .
    I personally do not discriminate against any religion. My grandmother was a devout Buddhist in her lifetime, after her death my family will still remain vegetarian on certain days. One of my former teachers was a Buddhist and he was very kind and helpful. A Protestant friend of mine often does voluntary work and plays games online with us in his spare time…
    Religion doesn't mean anything, people generally don't like or hate other people because of their religion, what matters is the impression they make on people.
     
  2. tides

    tides Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2017
    Messages:
    2,108
    Likes Received:
    739
    Reading List:
    Link
  3. Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale | Sublime Goddess Of Chance |

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,801
    Likes Received:
    16,649
    Reading List:
    Link
    religion has been evil in rl?
     
  4. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2016
    Messages:
    18,546
    Likes Received:
    18,145
    Reading List:
    Link
    it 's trope ~
    video games use that theme lot of time specially rpg
    those who called leader did that
    typical use anything on hand to promote something
    religion is good choice to used on such occasion
    unless your question only mean hmm sarcasms or something like that
     
  5. Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale | Sublime Goddess Of Chance |

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    Messages:
    2,801
    Likes Received:
    16,649
    Reading List:
    Link
    Religion has been evil and humans have done horrible things in the name of God. It's fact.
     
  6. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2016
    Messages:
    18,546
    Likes Received:
    18,145
    Reading List:
    Link
    those leader teach it follower no? leader teach good thing then follower become good

    human also do good thing on name of God that also fact
     
  7. firefox1234

    firefox1234 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2019
    Messages:
    277
    Likes Received:
    193
    Reading List:
    Link
    Religion is a easy target and it doesn't help that they're rl examples of being evil, just read todays paper....
     
    Wujigege likes this.
  8. baka8roukanako

    baka8roukanako Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2018
    Messages:
    690
    Likes Received:
    633
    Reading List:
    Link
    CCP wills it.
     
    Wujigege likes this.
  9. Refulgent

    Refulgent Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2019
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    41
    Reading List:
    Link
    Organized religions can build up to be quite powerful, and when there's power... people usually abuse it.

    It's especially bad because they can demand crazy amounts of trust from followers while pretending to be virtuous and perfect, it just sets itself up practically.
     
    Wujigege likes this.
  10. Robbini

    Robbini Logical? Illogical? Random? Or Just Unique?

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2015
    Messages:
    2,886
    Likes Received:
    1,749
    Reading List:
    Link
    Not only westerners. The Yellow Turban rebellion ( I would consider that atleast partially religious) as well.

    And well frankly, any organizations that exist for as long as our current religions have, they are bound to have had some... less positive times, either due to different ideals at those times, or people who abused the ideals of the organization.
     
  11. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2016
    Messages:
    16,265
    Likes Received:
    15,755
    Reading List:
    Link
    It's a very popular trope and it works.
    1. In secular countries as already pointed out, it wins you brownie points
    2. In religious countries excluding those who will kill you for defaming religion. It creates controversy which leads to publicity
    3. Thirdly, some authors are simply just ignorant. Then again, with that Nidome author ending up as a racist. Maybe racists stories are written by racists and anti religious stories by those who hate religion. After all, it is easier to look outward and blame all your problems on something outward instead of inwards. Such stories are usually shallow
     
    dhRPGamer likes this.
  12. Ai chan

    Ai chan Queen of Yuri, Devourer of Traps, Thrusted Witch

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2015
    Messages:
    11,278
    Likes Received:
    24,346
    Reading List:
    Link
    Certainly it would. There are people who worship doors and there are people who worship mirrors. There was even an old well kami that people stopped worshipping because of the declining birth rate and nobody lived in that village anymore.

    Indeed, you should all just worship Ai-chan.

    With enough divine power, Ai-chan will be able to provide everyone with beautiful big breasted onee-san waifus. Or if you prefer flat-chested loli imouto waifu who can pass for 12 years old, Ai-chan can give you that too. Ai-chan doesn't judge. That's the police's job.
     
    dhRPGamer and Westeller like this.
  13. Varno

    Varno True Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2016
    Messages:
    740
    Likes Received:
    371
    Reading List:
    Link
    Warning: Mild humour and satire ahead, not for the stupid.

    Because any form of thought beyond more money is not very popular, or as easy to push (example: rap videos). People put up their lives and personal information online for you to veiw by googling it, and getting an abortion is called pro-choice, now.

    Well, when you were a kid, there was someone to stop you from going to the extreme. The same was true in the past, too, and in the past God is watching you was atleast enough to stop those few good, adult pilgrims from doing wet t-shirt contests, and mollys, not to mention not killing their neighbors, I guess.

    But the government has grown strong now. No more use for their former tools for control. Cameras, law enforcement, and other less ehpmeral means have been developed since the days of old.

    So, those leaders of religion, local and foreign, alike, are now being replaced by new puppet heads or powerful figures; new idols. Like Jay z, Kim Kardashian, and other's who are human like the rest of us, but their shit don't stink.

    So now we are materialist in this age. Smart phones, and movies, and celebrities, and work are now our replacement for thoughts of God and death.

    In a nutshell, fuck the government, and media, too for their mind control. Moreso the media, now that I think about it, atleast those legal documents have a higher intelectual bar for interpretation than spongebob.

    I think that I rambled too much. I'll delete it or edit this later.
     
    Wujigege, firefox1234 and kenar like this.
  14. WinByDying

    WinByDying I can count to four

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2017
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    932
    Reading List:
    Link
    Libertarianism is overrated. It's been abused heavily in the USA to fuck the "plebs" over. Good luck protecting everyone from large companies if you have a skeleton of a government. It's probably even worse than having a corrupt government. Well, the USA has both I guess. Also, sometimes you have to protect people against themselves.

    I don't see why logic dictates libertarianism is the best. I think you should look up the dictionary definition of the word nuance. And maybe logic and rationality as well.

    Some specific counterpoints:
    • A lot of governments don't do mass control stuff;
    • People have stupid opinions at times;
    • No societal structure is evil, implementation is key;
    • Religions generally don't practice or promote "the end justifies the means";
    • My government doesn't view its people as stupid or not illuminated. A lot of governments I know don't;
    • You conveniently ignore all the good things organizations have done for humanity;
    • Societal structures aren't something you can turn off. They form naturally, spontaneously;
    • Most importantly: living under a bad example doesn't mean that good ones don't exist. That's the sad part, it fosters general distrust and populism.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
    Wujigege and asriu like this.
  15. Hanten

    Hanten Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2018
    Messages:
    110
    Likes Received:
    70
    Reading List:
    Link
    It's really easy to make evil cult,
    Untill now I didn't see a single good organization in the novels I have read
    Expect crunch of golden light [it's not even serious one]
     
    Wujigege likes this.
  16. Silv0

    Silv0 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2017
    Messages:
    164
    Likes Received:
    217
    Reading List:
    Link
    Probably because historically religion is the cause for a lot of persecution and warfare.
    Also people would go to far, far lengths for their religion even if it means destruction and murder. I mean that's what the crusades were in the middle ages(which is the time period a lot of novels based on). The pope promised people that were in the crusades that they could go to heaven, even though they were destroying cities and killing people.
     
    Hanten likes this.
  17. Sparteh

    Sparteh The Devourer

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2016
    Messages:
    1,042
    Likes Received:
    713
    Reading List:
    Link
    This, but amplified. Lets just take Christianity as an example. During crusades streets of cities were literally drowned in the seas of blood. All those witch hunts was literally a law defined and approved way of hunting, torturing and killing women. Heck, church has destroyed civilizations. Dark ages can be summarized of 1k+ years of rape, torture, stealing and genocides by the church.
     
    firefox1234 likes this.
  18. Apimss

    Apimss Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2019
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    I think it's because it has a lot of reach. Religion has always been something that people turn to, so a lot of people are religious. Religion has a very important role in the world, so it is really easy to portay what would happen when it defects from it's original purpose (as it it happens in real life). There is also the fact that religion is based om faith and not on solid facts (like science), so it is really to manipulate people, since it's a believe system. Also, when we are talking about religion it is really easy to see the problems it causes (like blind obedience, absolut truth claims etc) and spin them to make a narrative, what's more, since it's not a persone (who becomes the sole villaine), but a whole organisation (kind of) it makes for a greater threath, therefore for an easy villaine.
     
    Wujigege likes this.
  19. Random lurker

    Random lurker Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2017
    Messages:
    462
    Likes Received:
    290
    Reading List:
    Link
    Because, why not
     
    firefox1234 likes this.
  20. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2017
    Messages:
    3,635
    Likes Received:
    3,513
    Reading List:
    Link
    It's possible to look at this issue from a number of different standpoints; all of which contribute to the phenomenon of evil religions. The most obvious one is that we're talking largely about fantasy novels, and the evil cult has been a go-to antagonist in fantasy stories ever since Dungeons and Dragons was a thing. And from there it's not much of a stretch to have this evil cult donning the guise of a legitimate religion.

    So what are these big evil religions based on? It's the Catholic Church! It's no surprise why either. This is a huge organization that stretches into every country and has a huge hierarchical system with secret societies and everything. It even has specialized uniforms, a (small) private army, and has done shady things for hundreds of years. Even if an author isn't interested in writing an evil religion, it's easy to take elements from the Catholic Church and apply them to all sorts of organizations.

    Finally, both Japan and China have faced their share of violent religious uprisings, and some of these are even Christian rebellions. And some of these wasn't even all that long ago - for example, the Taiping Rebellion is one of the most devastating civil wars ever fought, and it took place at the same time as the American Civil War. With that kind of baggage, it's not surprising that some of it is going to slip into the fiction as well.
     
    Wujigege likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.