-copied from here.
I compare that passage with this one:
"'Holy Avatars of the Spirit...'
"Raj forced himself not to wince; technically that term included him, now. I am not worthy! something cried within himself."
-The Forge, CHAPTER EIGHT, p. 121.
In accordance with his received religious beliefs, SM Stirling's and David Drake's character, Raj Whitehall, believes that he has become an Avatar, indwelt by the Spirit, because he is now in mental contact with a self-conscious strategic computer which he can only understand to be an angel of the Spirit. However, each of us is in fact indwelt by God/the Spirit/the cosmos/our glassy essence/potential Buddhahood/Brahman-Atman etc and none is individually worthy.
Raj's wife converses with a Druze and I knew nothing about them until I googled here.
I am signing off for this month. CHAPTER EIGHT contains some violence which I prefer to skip past!
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I'm a bit surprised you've not heard of the Druzes before! They are fairly prominent and numerous in both Israel and Lebanon, after all. And regarded as heretical by both Sunnis and Shias.
As for the violence in Chapter Eight, my view is that since fictional violence is not real, and no real people gets hurt, it should not bother you or me.
Sean
Sean,
I have heard of the Druzes but did not know anything about them.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Nor I. Except for how they are regarded with hostility by Sunnis and Shias.
Sean
Sean,
They have a very interesting approach, incorporating several scriptures and philosophies.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Which reminds me of how the Bahais, another sect regarded with ESP. fierce hostility by Muslims, have similar ideas.
Sean
Sean,
The Druze sound more interesting and substantial.
Paul.
Paul: well, the Druze are -older- than the Bahai.
Sean: one of the aims of fiction is to make you care about the characters -- the violence -should- be disturbing!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
You made a good point. The gruesome violence I've seen in some of your works had me thinking a certain detachment would be one way of reacting to that violence. But you want readers to EMPATHIZE for the victims of your villains or the casualties of war. I will keep that in mind.
Sean
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