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Comparative Religions--Monday, Period 3, Class #11--Starting a religion

"Hello, everyone," she greeted the class. On her desk was an empty box and a container of atomic fireballs. The box was labeled 'Papers Go Here' and the container said 'Take One'. "Once your papers have been handed in, we'll be discussing what actually defines a religion."

Yes, they probably should have done this back in the beginning.

"I've been doing some reading on cults, particularly of the nineteen sixties, and I see a tradition of a group of people, generally young, who follow a charismatic leader unquestioningly. This leader generally promises either redemption or armageddon, or sometimes both."

"So, my questions to you are: What makes a cult different from a religion? If you were a charismatic leader, what would you promise people to get them to follow you? What kind of people would you target for membership? How would you treat them? If you were a person who wanted acceptance, what would you look for in a leader?" Not that she'd be taking notes. "Why would you want to lead a group of people who were so easily led? What would you have them do?"

"Since you worked so hard on your papers and have the final next week--or maybe the week after--just discussion today."

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And drop off your paper

Adam Park, paper dropped off!

Lana Lang - turned in a very detailed paper

Adah Price. No paper. Due to being comatose and everything.

Luke, dropping off a slightly rambling but comprehensive paper.

Karal Austreben, turning in a very neat, hand-written, exactly five pages of excellent assignment.

Z Delgado, turning in a pretty decent paper, nothing spectacular, with only a smidgen of messing around with the spacing and the type of misspellings spellcheck fails to catch.

Sam Winchester, who turned in a very neat and complete paper.

Dean Winchester, who turned in a paper that was a little rough around the edges and full of personal opinion, but showed he'd done the reading and absorbed the information.

Gwynn Hood, turned in a very detailed paper.

Blackheart, turning in a paper that would no doubt insult anyone in the universe who might happen to read it.

Eve Levine, with paper!

Johnny Blaze, with a good paper despite its rushed conclusion.

Lana took copious notes.

It really was by mere chance and happenstance that Adah managed to arrive at class today. She knew that there should be something she should be doing, although she was not sure what that thing was. She tried, then, to just trust her second nature, allowing herself to just...move toward what felt right. That lead her to the school, the hallways, slowly clicking in on things that seemed familiar, seemed right, and then the class room, a blank glance around, and a shuffle toward a seat. This...this was the right class. She couldn't think on what the subject was, just that the way it was set up, the vague familiarness of the teacher, the other students, was correct, and she blinked hard, hands in her lap, staring off at some corner as she tried to focus on what she was hearing.

The focusing didn't help; none of it made sense. She wanted it to. She tried. She just ended up staring some more.

Luke watched her with worried eyes, shifting his desk a little closer in unconscious protectiveness.

The only response Adah made, eyes still on the Chosen Spot, in response to she shifting was equally unconscious, a defensive little lifting of her shoulder, head ducking slightly toward it. Movement was still an issue, and there were so many people...

Luke shifted his body away from her, serving as a silent blockade to the rest of the class.

Better? he asked, voice soft in her mind. He wasn't really expecting an answer.

Luke's expectations were confirmed, too, unless he would count a sudden, slight jerk of Adah's head and an increased frown at the floor a response. She was almost about to think this was generally a bad idea, if she weren't so determined to act as if nothing was wrong. Staying in her room wasn't going to do anything to help her improve, but being around people again was so strange, and she felt herself slowly trying to draw further away still.

"Backing off now," Luke said in his normal, quiet voice, scooting away and clearly fine with giving her as much space as she needed.

Karal was frowning a lot during the lecture. He took notes, but he didn't look very happy about it.

Z took careful notes during the lecture, thinking hard about the subject at hand.

Hopefully about the topic, but it's not mandatory

In a quiet but firm voice, Karal said, "The difference between a cult and a religion is that a cult venerates a person. A cult is steeped in arrogance, is filled with those who have been manipulated by the central figure for power. Religion is faith in a god, and both faith and god are real."

He might feel a little strongly about this.

Edited 2007-11-26 06:49 (UTC)

Luke wrinkled up his forehead. "Does there need to be a god for there to be faith?" he asked.

It was, to Karal, such an odd question,that he hesitated before answering. "True faith can't exist without a god," and it was a measure of how far he'd come since leaving Karse that he didn't bat an eye at the existence of other gods, "While you can have faith in your fellows, it's not the same thing."

Luke frowned harder. "The Force isn't a diety, though," he said, spinning his pen through the air. "It just is. Like gravity."

"But you don't worship the force, do you?" he asked. "I thought it was more like magic, something which you use to do good with."

"I was taught that other beings worshiping gods was their way of seeing the Force in the world around them," Luke said softly. "So...yes and no?"

"So the Force, by your teachings, is the embodiement of," he hesitated, searching for words, "of good will in the universe, and deities are an expression of that good will?" Karal frowned, tapping one finger against the desk while he thought. "Does that mean that those gods are not a power in their own right, or exist only as an expression of the Force?" he asked doubtfully. "Because I have seen Vkandis manifest in the world, and He is real."

"The Force is neither good nor bad," Luke said. "It just is. And from what I was told, they exist only as an expression of the Force--a way to explain the unexplainable. Jedi have been confused with gods on some worlds, but we're not."

"Oh! I didn't know that." He sat up straighter, looking very intrigued. "I thought the Force was inherently good, but if it's neither good nor bad, that makes more sense. So," Karal studied his Vkandis medal, holding it up to consider, "so maybe gods, in your world at least, are an expression of the Force, or a way for people to understand it. Like Heralds, Jedi use their gifts to make the world better, but they don't follow a specific deity, they simply serve the good."

Luke nodded. "Right," he said with a smile. "And the less said about those who follow the darker path, the better."

"There are always those who want to twist power for their own ends," he said a little sadly. "And that's what I think makes a cult so different. The person who's the head of it is only interested in what they can get for themselves, whereas religion, or using the Force or some other power for good, is about what can be done for others."

Luke nodded again. "The Sith did that. It's practically their main purpose."

"The Sith?" he said. "I've not heard that word before."

"It's the opposite of everything Jedi are," Luke said, "selfish, power-hungry...evil."

Karal winced. "There are those who say that evil must exist, or otherwise we would have no way of knowing good, but I sometimes think I'd be just as happy to take the chance."

Luke gave him a wry smile. "You should ask my father about the prophecy he had to fulfill--he brought balance to the Force."

"I think that I won't do that," he said after a minute, eyes widening slightly. "He was kind to me when I met him, but I'm not going to push that, especially not now."

"Why not now?" Luke asked softly.

"It was Molly who introduced us, I think they are very good friends, and we are no longer together." Karal held his hands out, palm up, in a helpless gesture. "I don't imagine he'd be very pleased with me."

Luke opened his mouth to say that his father wouldn't hold a grudge over something like that, then remembered who he was talking about.

"Probably not," he said instead. "I'll tell you the story myself. Just, um, not here."

"I would be interested to hear it, but no, not here," he agreed, resting his head on his hand.

Not till he pings in!

Sam was there, tightening up his notes again.

She's here, but I'm not until after 8.

No world ending today, omg

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Comparative Religions--Monday, Period 3, Class #11--Starting a religion

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During the Lecture

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Discuss With Each Other

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Talk to the TA

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Talk to Vala

OOC