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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fuindordm" data-source="post: 254717" data-attributes="member: 5435">Re: Re: Commandments vs. SpiritualityI think this is entirely valid, and the world you described is also a logical one.  In a fantasy setting it offers some intriguing possibilities. For example, do the stories people tell carry any tangible power (as for example, they do in Earthdawn)? Do the holy men perform miracles? If so, do this power come from their own enlightenment (e.g. Hindu mystics) or the faith of those receiving them (Jesus)?More worshippers?  Seriously, if gods are entirely independent of their worshippers why do they interact with people at all?  You have the Greek paradigm of bored immortals playing games with the puny humans to amuse themselves, true, but I think it makes for more interesting stories to assume that the gods want *something* from the societies they interact with.  Whether it's souls for their army, the creation of an earthly utopia in their image, more personal power through focused worship (the FR model), slaves, or just amusement--if you have gods, I assume the gods have reasons.  If they're getting what they need from that society, I think it's safe to say that they would promote its central ethics.  Or perhaps they experiment with different societies to try and improve their return.That could be an interesting plot line.  God of big city has brilliant idea, lays down new commandments.  Hilarity ensues. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":-)" title="Smile    :-)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":-)" />Because deities act in their own self-interest,see above. The fist question to answer is what the deity wants out of its worshippers.  The answer follows.  Sure, there might be a deity that just revels in watching people do horrible things, and lays down horrible commandments to promote it. One would hope that in such cases there are also good deities to protect people from Big Bad.  Otherwise you're basically living in Hell, and that's no fun, is it?  And some moral codes certainly are incomplete in which case people turn to other supplemental sources or drift to the deity with the more satisfying moral code as you said.Any or all of the above. Or they might forget about spirituality altogether, until a prophetic figure comes along to remind them of what they're missing.Worship also takes many forms.  There is propitiation (sacrificing to prevent something bad happening to you), adoration (loving a deity for its gifts and intrinsic perfection), gnosticism (trying to grow more spiritually connected with a deity through direct mystical experiences), to name a few.There are an almost infinite number of possible fantasy religions.  Here's your recipe for a god:1)What does the god want of its followers?2)What kind of spiritual experience, if any, does it provide?3)What kind of behaviour does it expect?4)How do the worshippers worship the god?5)What does the god offer in return?e.g. Odin:1) to recruit the strongest warriors2) none that we know of3) virtues of loyalty and courage4) propitiation5) an exciting afterlife, with free beer!Now, if there is anything missing in the religious experience that the god doesn't provide the worshippers will surely turn to other sources. The typical viking worships Odin as above, but might also (especially after settling down) turn to their wise woman for ethical guidance or community rituals for spiritual communion.--Ben</blockquote>

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