the issue of god/religion in YW

[airspades]

i stand corrected by bluesalamander, but i meant Lucifer/the devil. a beautiful and powerful angel that fell and became evil. sorry i sometimes get a little

[Birdhead]

but i meant Lucifer/the devil. a beautiful and powerful angel that fell and became evil.

I think we all knew who you meant. But be aware that when you say "in the real world", people who are non-Christian will tend to get a little snippy because hey, bestselling religious text /=/ real world. As far as I am concerned, Lucifer did/does not exist.

Hugh Grant, on the other hand... *vastly, vastly amused*

[bluesalamanders]

i meant Lucifer/the devil. a beautiful and powerful angel that fell and became evil.

It's a pretty big assumption to say that he was "in the real world". There are many people in this forum who are not Christian - in fact, a good portion of us are atheist - and nobody who isn't Christian would consider Lucifer part of the real world.

Blue~

[the_peridexis]

listen to blue. hullo blue! and tui of course. always tui.

and as an extra comment; muslims don't belive the d is a fallen angel, but they do belive that the d exists,in arabic, shaytan.

-peri

[airspades]

sorry if i offended anyone in anyway, I'm new and learning sorry. I've be better about it next time.

[airspades]

i have a question for the older and more experienced than I : in harry potter Voldemort is refered to as YOU KNOW WHO. IN WAW may characters also refered to the lone one as YOU KNOW WHO, DD must know about Harry Potter, so is this just coincedence, or a clue to something. cause i really dont know

[the_peridexis]

I belive PM is right. I don't think that DD is hinting twords anything, or that it's a clue of any kind. Though i could be wrong. And as an extra and unneeded comment, has anyone noticed i am suddenly using caps? NOt for long of course...

-peri

[Diane Duane]

Originally posted by airspades:
i have a question for the older and more experienced than I : in harry potter Voldemort is refered to as YOU KNOW WHO. IN WAW may characters also refered to the lone one as YOU KNOW WHO, DD must know about Harry Potter, so is this just coincedence, or a clue to something. cause i really dont know

I first used the "You Know Who" reference in a YW book in 1983...when JKR was just going into college, and fifteen years before the first Harry Potter book came out. I doubt she's read my books (though the first four were available in the UK when she started writing), so I assume there's no secret message on either side.

Just so you know, though: the tradition of being cautious about referring to a supernatural enemy by his/her proper name is not original with either me or JKR. It is a mythological trope going back hundreds if not thousands of years. Many primitive peoples (and many fairy tales) hold that naming the name, or the "true name", of an entity, gives it more power or attracts its attention. (Which may be a good thing or a bad one, depending on who the entity is.) Fantasy writers have been using this trope for the better part of the last century.

And yes, I know about the Harry Potter books: but I haven't read them -- specifically because this way I can honestly deny having been influenced by JKR. (An assumption that a lot of people make who don't bother looking at our respective copyright dates. I was already working on the 5th YW book when HP1 came out.)

Best -- Diane

[Slash]

DD- But what if she did take your ideu? would you be mad?

[airspades]

I've always wondered why is it that names and words have so much power? I have always known they just did, but i'm wondering why names have power. Is it because they define a person or thing? That by speaking, you can change someone's view for the better, help heal through words?

[Diane Duane]

Originally posted by Slash:
DD- But what if she did take your ideu? would you be mad?

No, for two reasons. (a) If she ever has borrowed anything of mine, she's apparently done things with it so completely different from what I would have done -- am doing -- that I can't see a problem. (b) Because it's not my idea in the first place. This particular trope has been used many, many times by writers and storytellers before either Rowling or I showed up.

Oh, and (c): A truly creative person has no fear of giving ideas away. The more you give away, the more you get back. The idea box has no bottom. The minute you start fooling yourself into thinking that it does, you're doomed.

And by the way, your icon needs to be smaller. Please reduce it to 100 pixels x 100 pixels or less. Thanks!

[The Defender]

From an original post by Defender
Christ Figure
Okay.. I know this sounds like I'm equating YW to Christianity and only to Christianity but I think its valid since The Powers that Be and the different forms that they have taken throughout history coincide with many religions, and this includes Christianity specifically.

So my question is as follows:
If there is the One (God) and the Lone Power (Satan), and even the One's Champion (Arch Angel-<Gabrielle and Michael??&gt, then why has there been no reference to a Power that would symbolize Christ? Some might say that "The One's" personal precense in the world, such as the case with Darryl, is an equivalence to Christ, all man and yet all God. However, Jesus was fully aware of who he was, whereas the One's presence in Darryl must remain hidden for the information would destroy him.

So what do you think? Is there a Christ equivalent in the books already? Is it soon to be revealed? Or do you think the subject will never be introduced?

Sorry to lose your post attribution, but it seemed better to put it in here rather than start a new topic for it - Peter

No Problem I'll just be happy if I get some input.

Now you have your attribution back - Peter

[airspades]

i guess that train of thought makes sense. It really does apply to all religions(then again, it could be wrong)so as it applies to Christianity, the one (God) the lone one (satan) the powers serving the one (angels), darryl (idk) it makes sense to say what u said defender, he couldn't be that. ALthough he has been said to be a "saint" (a direct channel of the one's power into the world)i can't think how would be Christ, and the Hesper, who is she. the last, a low person. Until asked by the one to serve and help. Completely powerless, until she served the one and carried in the one's light. (??????? Mary???????) idk i'm confused we should ask DD.

[Peter Murray]

Of course, Christianity holds that God is a trinity of God the Father, the Holy Ghost and Christ. All three are equivalent in being God.

So a Christ figure would be an aspect of the One in the YW books, wouldn't he? In which case, there's no need to expect a separate character for him - and particularly not in books set in the present day. Maybe he'd belong in a historical YW book.

[bluesalamanders]

why has there been no reference to a Power that would symbolize Christ?

Because YW isn't Christianity? Or at least, not specifically/only Christianity. The idea of a fallen/"evil" angel/diety/power isn't unique to Christianity.

Personally (not being Christian myself) I tend to find it refreshing when there are god-type beings that are not directly analogous to the modern Christian versions.

Maybe, given the way the YW world works, this question could be turned around a little and we can ask who (in that universe) Jesus might have been besides the Christian god-figure. An avatar? A wizard who refused to hide and instead chose to practice his Art openly?


Personally, I hope the subject is not introduced in the books. There shows my general (though of course not total) aversion to the mixing of fantasy books and modern-day Western religion.

Blue~