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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 5727110" data-attributes="member: 8835">good point.  People are wierd that way.It sounds like Atheism might not mean the same thing in D&D-land compared to real life.  That might be OK.In D&D-land, if Thor is a God, it's impractical to say you don't believe in Thor to the priest of Thor you are talking to, and then 'poof!' Thor appears and asks you why you don't believe he exists and would you mind holding his hammer for a minute?But it may be reasonable to question things that people take for truth that can't be proven. Thor's not a god, he's a 50th level Fighter!  Odin didn't make the universe, he just showed up and got XP to level 75!If nothing else, atheism tends to be anti-religion.  The world may be populated by super powerful beings, but I'm not going to worship them because I don't think they have any bearing in my life.I could see a farmer who has this outlook and thus could be an atheist.  Maybe he's never gotten any benefit from a cleric, etc.  Maybe he lives out in the boonies.I could also see a farmer family who believes in the gods and prays to them for health, thanks them for a good harvest.  And perhaps, the act of praying does indeed grant them some benefit (like good crops, general health) that could justify the overall "pleasantness" of D&D peasant-life vs. realistic medieval peasant life.I also recall another thread where Celebrim describe ancient greek gods as super high level NPCs who were generally jerks and would yank people's chains. As such, clerics and such basically flattered them with offerings to appease them (get them to leave us alone) or avoided their name to avoid attracting their attention.  thus Zeus wasn't necessarily a good guy, just a high level NPC who liked slumming with the ladies and zapping a Lightning Bolt down now and then.</blockquote>

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