The Hammer or the Cross?

[Green Knight]

Of course one has to remember the grass is always greener, and as D&D players we are as a group enthralled with the medieval/nordic mythology.

Nevermind that many gamers are prejudiced against Christianity and Christians. I've met far more gamers who're hateful towards Christians then I've met Christians who're hateful towards gamers.

Apart from that it IS hard, for me at least, to think of any possible religion that could have caused as much pain and suffering as christianity.[/B]

Oh, I don't know. Islam comes to mind. Or how about the Aztec gods which, I believe, demanded human sacrifice.

Pretty hard to see through the blinders of religious hatred, though, isn't it?

Anyway, back on topic, I go with the hammer. Not specifically the Norse pantheon, but in game terms, polytheism is always more interesting than monotheism. Nice to have a deity for every flavor of player.

 

[Black Omega]

I vote for the Cross. but mostly I vote for keeping this -on-topic-,please. This is not a thread about the merits of modern day religion.

 

[Jezrael]

I vote Hammer, it has a certain nobility, all the gods know they're going to die but keep fighting against Ragnarok anyways.

 

[A2Z]

Hmmm. I read Hammer and Cross and King and Emperor but I didn't know there was another book. I'll have to try and find it. How I read the first and last book and didn't realize I was missing one I'll never know.

Oh. It's hammer by the way.

 

[Henry]

It depends - if you are talking within the context of Harrison's book series, I'll defer to you, and pick hammer. Leading by example is far more effective that "instructing the masses."

If you are speaking historically, the closer comparison would be between hammers and fishes - in which case I'd pick hammers in a D&D context, because as Green Knight says, polytheism is more fun in a traditional D&D campaign.

Historically, I'd pick the fish - because early followers and teachers had a place in the community as teachers as well as productive citizens who lived through example first and instruction second.

P.S. - Historical trivia: Did you know that when Christianity was introduced into Scandinavian cultures, the people who kept the old religion used holy symbols that were made to represent either a cross or a hammer? That way, they could pay lip service to the Christian priests, and worship Thor at home in private!

 

[CrusaderX]

The Cross.

And yes, let's try to keep bigotry out of this thread, please.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Oh, I don't know. Islam comes to mind. Or how about the Aztec gods which, I believe, demanded human sacrifice.

Pretty hard to see through the blinders of religious hatred, though, isn't it?

Anyway, back on topic, I go with the hammer. Not specifically the Norse pantheon, but in game terms, polytheism is always more interesting than monotheism. Nice to have a deity for every flavor of player.

Hmmm, you might have me with Islam but I doubt it. It's just that the suffering christianity caused was so widespread, it effected every continent. Alot of religions had human sacrifice, but still did they kill as many as the crusades, or burn as many witches, 'convert' as many indians with the rifle, torture to death as many heretics, oppress as many peasants, and so on.

I agree, sometimes people are so blinded by their religion that they can't see a plain truth. They just get angry and jump do defend their god(s) without even considering the validity of what offended. Luckily I don't have that affliction, I just look at the numbers.

Having your own, personal god would be alot of fun and probably make you feel more secure. I know I wish I had a god of students to pray too, he could help me with this 8 pager i gotta do here.

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

P.S. - Historical trivia: Did you know that when Christianity was introduced into Scandinavian cultures, the people who kept the old religion used holy symbols that were made to represent either a cross or a hammer? That way, they could pay lip service to the Christian priests, and worship Thor at home in private!

Yes, as a matter of fact I did.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

B[size=+3]U[/size][size=+1]M[/size]P.

Sorry, burped in the middle.