The General Religion, Mythology, and Theology Thread

Yeah, they call her that, but SEELE's naming schemes suck.

NGE is danger and disease wrapped in darkness and silence. And also ridiculous amounts of ridiculously confusing faux symbolism. I've been watching the Rebuild movies lately, and they still don't seem to bother to explain a damn thing. Which may have been the point. Even Anno admitted that they added all of that in just because it sounded cool rather than making a lick of sense. Which I guess explains the series in a nutshell.

edited 23rd Feb '17 6:56:13 AM by kkhohoho

Supplementary materials explain everything: Aliens. It's all aliens.

Well, that makes everything just peachy, don't it?

You're not saying anything new. When he says he just wanted things to look cool, he's fucking with you. The symbolism is real and consistent, it's just relegated to a very supporting role to Eva's core, which is a psychodrama about humans being fundamentally alone, and in spite of that and fundamental existential terror, their deserving to exist, and life being worth living.

I like this piece on it.

The literal plot explanation is a lot less interesting than the symbolic emotional message. It's a bit like in Steven Universe, where what matters is characters, emotions, and themes of love and acceptance and individuality and grief: the minutiae of gem lore are only interesting insofar as they're relevant to that core.

Plus, "it's Aliens" is a Voodoo Shark.

edited 23rd Feb '17 7:08:56 AM by TheHandle

So what if I don't give a crap about the characters or the symbolic emotional message?

edited 23rd Feb '17 7:12:39 AM by kkhohoho

Technically, a Voodoo Shark is an attempt to Hand Wave a Plot Hole that creates more Plot Holes. The "because Aliens" explanation doesn't actually create new plot holes. It's really more Doing In the Wizard.

edited 23rd Feb '17 7:16:12 AM by M84

It opens a lot more questions than it closes. Who made those aliens? Why are they the way they are? Why do they want to make contact with "Adam" and "Lilith"? What is SEELE's agenda which we never get to see? What is going on through "Lilith"'s head at any given time, or any other "angel" for that matter?

Then you're shit out of luck, looking for a princess that is in another castle. It's like trying to rob a stock exchange.

edited 23rd Feb '17 8:25:59 AM by TheHandle

Here's the thing though. If NGE were just a show about fucked up people dealing with isolation and loneliness, I would respect that. Hell, I might even adore it. But that's not all it is. It's also a Humongous Mecha show about giant robots fighting eldritch monstrosities with a plot that hinges heavily on Judea-Christian mythology. Even if that's the least important thing about it, it's still there, so at the very least, there should be some effort put into it to have it be compelling and make sense. Even Steven Universe, which you were so keen to mention, still has a plot that, while being in the background much of the time, does make sense and is actually very interesting and compelling when you think about it. It just doesn't get much use. But NGE's plot is a hot mess, and while some might be able to look the other way, I'm not so willing to turn a blind eye to it. Basically, if the giant robot show parts don't really matter, then why make it a giant robot show?

edited 23rd Feb '17 8:41:48 AM by kkhohoho

Technically it's not really a Humongous Mecha show. Evas aren't mecha. They're clones.

http://wiki.evageeks.org/First_Ancestral_Race

edited 23rd Feb '17 8:46:11 AM by M84

My point still stands.

"Deep and meaningful"

Regardless, for some it made perfect sense, for others it did not. In terms of religion (what this thread is about) some messages are only for those who can instinctively grasp it. Nobody is trying to win friends in these.

Did I accidently walk into the anime thread?

In what is probably a futile attempt to return on topic, I contend that my spiritual beliefs are the only rational choice I can make, given my point of view.

...I'm sorry.

So do you think that I should do the same, then? Trust my intuition in the absence of evidence, even though according to your intuition, mine is apparently inferior?

edited 23rd Feb '17 9:43:11 AM by Corvidae

It fits him, so find something that fits you. There's a reason why there are scores of pantheons.

Alternatively, you could go with atheism. It's what I did.

There are the various existential beliefs, which demand that you recognize that existential angst and challenge you to give your own meaning to life.
No one can choose for you and no dogma will ever be good enough, but you're free to navigate them. One (or all) of those is supposed to be an upside.

"So what’s the difference between Atheism and Pantheism? As far as disbelief in supernatural beings, forces or realms, there is no difference. World Pantheism also shares the respect for evidence, science, and logic that’s typical of atheism.

However, Pantheism goes further, and adds to atheism an embracing, positive and reverential feeling about our lives on planet Earth, our place in Nature and the wider Universe, and uses nature as our basis for dealing with stress, grief and bereavement. It’s a form of spirituality that is totally compatible with science. Indeed, since science is our best way of exploring the Universe, respect for the scientific method and fascination with the discoveries of science are an integral part of World Pantheism."

http://www.pantheism.net/

This is basically where I'm at right now. It's a pretty happy place.

I maintain that "supernatural beings don't exist" is not a statement of belief, but merely a word definition.

True dat.

Is that a "yes"?

It means, "do what you want".

edited 23rd Feb '17 1:14:13 PM by TerminusEst

Or you could go with "apatheism." That's what I did.

It's all about tailoring your response to your audience.