Religion And Culture

Tabitha Falkayn says that, in High Sky Choth, they keep mostly to the Old Faith. If I lived on Avalon, would I join a choth? Probably not - although Tabitha did not "join" since she was the third generation of her family in High Sky and was brought up by Ythrians. Choth membership would not automatically mean acceptance of either the Old or the New Faith.

In the Emberverse, Sam Aylward:

"...gave the predominant religion the same grave formal courtesy he'd always extended to the Church of England, but neither moved him much."
-SM Stirling, The Protector's War (New York, 2006), Chapter Seven, p. 183.

- although he concedes that:

"...it's a good religion for farmers. The festivals all make sense that way." (ibid.)

We can appreciate each other's festivals. My neighbors say, "Happy Christmas," and I say, "Happy Eid." I heard of a Christian missionary who was concerned because his parishioners shared festivals with their neighbors of other faiths. On Avalon or in the Emberverse, I would continue to meditate while participating in local festivals although not in the animal sacrifices of the Old Faith. The Buddha taught that the best sacrifice is an offering not of flesh to the gods but of fruit to the poor.