1. Smoke

    Smoke New Member

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    Indifferent Christian?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Smoke, Mar 22, 2011.

    I can't remember what it's like to just go to church and not question faith.

    Before the story begins, she's a relatively normal woman, doesn't go to church every Sunday but shows up often enough and donates to the annual bakesale. She doesn't pray.

    She's trapped in a world where christianity doesn't exist, and she knows that the local deity is evil.

    So far her only line about it so far is "If I believed that I could get to heaven from here, I would rather die than become a vampire."

    I'm wondering what other subtle cues I could use for her. If she's giving insight on how someone could have blind faith, what topic might she talk about?
     
  2. wolfi

    wolfi New Member

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    umm not sure what you want really, do you want her to be a Christian or just any type of religion?
    if Christianity dose not exist there then she cant be one
    since Christianity is all about Christ


    the problem is I don't know her, no idea how she talks or what she says
    can you tell me a bit about her?
     
  3. Smoke

    Smoke New Member

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    Saying that my character can't be Christian because she's in a world where it doesn't exist is like saying she can't be Christian because she's from Wyoming and Jesus lived in the Eastern Hemisphere. She's a real-world insert into a fantasy story.

    She's very tolerant and guarded with her speech most of the time. Occasionally she will lose patience and blurt out something unfortunate, usually followed by an apology that's more begging not to be hurt than true regret.

    Here's one of her conversations, if that helps.
     
  4. SeverinR

    SeverinR New Member

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    I wasn't following what you were saying in your OP.
    You said she is trapped in a world where Christianity didn't exist. I would say it is hard to be Christian when Christianity doesn't exist.
    But actually Christianity as we know it does not exist(in your story).
    She is one of the enlightened humans, that can see past the evil diety and know there is a good God.
    I would say she uses biblical quotes that apply to the situation, but make sure to include that she isn't getting them from the bible because the bible has not been written yet(in that world). Like God is speaking to her, she is not perfect but tries to live by the Good Gods ideals. Depending on how confrontational she wants to be, she might just offer suggestions of how to be a better person, rather then be in your face brimstone, smiting people with a cross.(although the cross would not be the symbol unless Jesus was crucified and it was covered up.)
    Evil dieties do not take kindly to people casting doubt on their ultimate power thing so unless she wants to be a martyr she would probably keep it low key.

    "Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!" "
    Ghostbusters-1984
     
  5. Arathald

    Arathald New Member

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    Honestly, I don't see what this has to do with Christianity besides that it happens to be a mainstream religion.

    I'm very unclear on your question. What are you trying to show? Does she have blind faith, and you're trying to show that? Or is she exposing someone else's blind faith in a critical manner? I'm not sure where you're going with this.
     
  6. Anonym

    Anonym New Member

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    More clarification/coherency plz. What do you mean by "trapped" in the world? She's from ours? What's your question exactly? How to imply that she's an indifferent xtian?

    I imagine the philosophical overtones of xtianity might be easier to pull off subtly, at least compared to quoting strictures or something like deontology. Discussions of salvation, repentance, faith perhaps - universal but still very xtian themes. It also depends on one's denomination I imagine. Caths and Prots think quite differently in some ways.
     
  7. Smoke

    Smoke New Member

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    This story starts as a standard "sucked into the television" fanfiction, like Pleasantville or Monster Rancher. However, it's not a conversion fic. I'm not trying to preach to fictional characters about the benefits of christ.

    It's a contrast thing. Something fundamental to the way she approaches the world is unique only to her, when she's used to being among people who share that commonality. The morals and ways of thinking are different in those two worlds.

    Probably the most useful way of expressing her religion is in loosely referencing parables. She's been taught tolerance, she would just shrug when confronted with a muslim or a jew. The exception is that she'll use "squidcult" as justification both for and against hating someone's related attitude. (She's friendly with one of the worshippers and recognises that changing his belief away from it is a delicate job.)

    As for what branch, I never thought about that, and I guess I'm going to go Presbyterian or Methodist since I've got a crude understanding already. Making her Unitarian would undermine the whole reason for giving her a one truth religion.
     
  8. wolfi

    wolfi New Member

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    but your first post did not say this all it said was she was a Christian in a world where there are no Christan I have no way of knowing this
    (i will give you it can be read that way but was hard to understand)

    so i was right in saying if she comes form a world where Christ dose not exist then Christianity dose not exist
    But if she dose come form OUR world then that would work

    thats why I asked for more information

    It dose help think you

    Have her do "good things" but have them a bit mis guided

    since she dose not go to church much I'm going to assume that she is like most Christian l that don't really know whats in the bible they kind fo assume

    so have her say things that are true but have some flaws
    as to what, well i would need to know what she was talking about
     
  9. Ellipse

    Ellipse Contributor Contributor

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    How did your MC 'wake up' to realize the world religion was wrong and discover the right god?
     
  10. Anonym

    Anonym New Member

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    Is religion/mythology the only thing different about either world? Are they otherwise culturally, economically, ecologically, ect the same? If not, religion is probably only one facet of the 'contrast thing'. Nice theme by the way.

    Speaking of which, why is it important to allude to her faith? Practically.
     
  11. Smoke

    Smoke New Member

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    I apologize to wolfi for my greater-internet snark. The fandom I'm working with is Soul Reaver, mostly derailing the journey of the fifth game. http://www.dark-chronicle.co.uk/def/script/index.php

    Bringing Samantha's religion into the story was pretty much a weird decision. I realized that one line I gave her while talking about death was very me, and that talking about heaven (or referencing some other popular non-reincarnationist belief) would be more normal and have more punch.

    I also let her say "that sort of racist" in reference to at least two vampires. She recognizes that there is a difference between fighting over skin tone and the natural angst of predator vs prey. She just gets offended at the idea that she's automatically trusted as soon as she's turned.
     

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