Weapons and Armor: Prayers

[Admin]

Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:27 am

Turtleman wrote:

I believe that the Old Testiment is very Christ centric and applicable to this forum. In the New Testiment, Christ is often quoted referencing the Old Testiment showing how the Old Testiment (especially Isaiah) testified of him. The Gospels teach of Christ using references to the Old Testiment and how those prophesies were fufilled by him. It was the prophesies of Christ that caused so many of the religious arguments concerning the location of Christ's birth and what he would do in his ministry. Based on Old Testiment books, many of the people were actively awaiting his coming as the Christ and the Messiah. I believe that all of the Old Testiment prophets knew of Christ and testified of him.

That being said, I recognize that there are many parts of the Old Testiment that dealt with the then and now issues that came from gross ignorance and transgression of the Law of Moses, which was given because the people refused to accept the higher laws of God. Much of the Apocrypha has ideas of men rather than God sprinkled in and must be read with the spirit to understand the difference. One would have to be very careful in use of Old Testiment scripture that could be taken out of context in this forum.

[Admin]

Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:48 pm

MG wrote:

I think that the OT is definitely applicable here, as Judaism itself was simply the forerunner to Christianity, a temporary solution awaiting Christ's fully redemptive and permanent solution. (According to the book of Hebrews) Echoing what you said about that, Mr. Sorensen.

I do think, though, that we need to establish here what we are going to do. Are we only going to use certain parts of Scripture, or certain "Bibles" (aka, are the Book of Mormon or the Qur'an or similar texts included or not), are we going to say "anything goes" and make up biblical-sounding things if we can't find something applicable, or is there somewhere in between that holds the line? I just want us all to be on the same page here. EJ? It's your call, darlin.

[Admin]

Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:25 am

EJ wrote:

She says "darlin" and "your call" in the same post? This *must* be my extra special forum (gosh, they never call me darlin or let me make the decisions over on the Magic the Gathering forum ROFL!). I love it here.

Okay.

Luz? It's okay. This stuff is confusing. Just keep in mind that when we tease about me being a Terrapyre, it isn't actually true. I'm a NTC. Terrapyres follow the Living Word. These religions are truly separate. As a matter of fact... I don't think Terrapyres consider theirs a *religion*... (see below). l And as for the treatment of angels in the ancient human texts? Like Jeff mentioned, those humans kinda put some of their own stuff in there so we're just going to ignore those parts and stick with our mythology.

Jeff, I agree with you. The OT is certainly Christ-centric and, when taken in context and considered carefully, has a lot to offer Terrapyres.

Abbie, you're right. We need to decide now and just write it in stone (LOL! Oh, I slay me.) But before we all vote some scriptures off the island (XD) we need to consider this:

Terrapyres see the Living Word as their *faith,* not their religion.

The Living Word is a title given to describe the living scripture that lives within each Terrapyre to some degree. It is actual memories of Christ, His actual words, visions He has sent, events in which His hand has intervened, etc.

A Terrapyre might turn to the "trappings" or "comfortable ritual" of a denomination (an organized religion) that they could wrap around their Living Word (their faith) but, in their hearts, they would know instinctualy what is true and what is man's own parables/interpretations/etc. (I know we've covered this a bit before.)

So, that all being the case...

Any scripture that is quoted by Terrapyres would be scripture that has come to them, through the Living Word, as memories of and/or visions from Christ Himself or those who walked with Him or who, in great faith, prophesied His coming, or who preached, in great faith, after He Ascended.

I can also say that in the haunting story "Blood Trade," by Luz, for the battle anthology, Maria (who has crazy nonlinear skillz and wild Living Word all throughout her) says that Christ appeared to the Aztecs (am I getting this right, Luz? Launa?). Luz worked very closely with a Spanish translation of the Book of Mormon for a lot of the background details of the story.

However...

There is no Terrapyre book of stories and histories of humans. So the Living Word would not draw on the lineage that led to Christ, the Old Testament eye-for-an-eye stuff, or any extensive histories or human peoples, or, as I mentioned above, any of the human beliefs about angels.

I think it would be safe to lift choice verses from any scripture where Christ is the center, the focal point. I would love to see the King James version used but I know that some authors find the International Good News more accessible and even more poetic. I don't have a preference.

The two smallish things I care strongly about are: I would like the word "Christ" used as opposed to Jesus. Christ meaning the divine spirit who came here from heaven and lived among us, as one of us, but was not one of us and knew it and shouldered that knowledge.

The other thing (purely selfish) is I would prefer to see He and Him and Himself as opposed to he, him, himself when referring to Christ. The way I was raised, and how I believe, is to not show reverence in this way is like swearing. It truly bothers me and I would be very disappointed if Terrapyres didn't embrace this.

Sound good? *shy smile*

So... how about we draw from (little bits here and there! Rewritten to provide more "truth" and details, etc.) the New Testament, the Old Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Apocrypha... anything else?

And yes, we also craft verses for the Terrapyres as well as parables like Christ may have told. Always keeping in mind the foundation of who and what Terrapyres are and what they accept.

EJ

[Admin]

Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:08 am

AreaneCreator wrote:

Sounds good, EJ. And yes, you're right. In Blood Trade she cast Aztec as Lamanites, I believe. Either way, Maria calls herself a Jaredite, and speaks of Christ coming to the Nephites and Lamanites, so the Book of Mormon is pretty much considered historically acurate. Meaning, it happened. So it's usable

[Admin]

Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:09 am

EJ wrote:

Okay then Because I, for one, am *not* going to argue with Maria *shudder*

Btw, official writers? If you are under contract for a novel or novella, you need to contact Jennifer ("JenDiMarco") for a copy of "Blood Trade." The story will be published in "Crusade" in February, but if you need it now, Jennifer can send you a copy. Because it handles the first true contact between Terrapyres and Celestials, it may very well be vital to your work -- especially if you're writing in time vastly prior to Prime Time.

EJ

[Admin]

Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:47 pm

MG wrote:

Okay, so we're looking for Christ-centric Scriptures, tweaked as necessary (the spirit of things, thought not necessarily the exact words...am I right?).

Thanks for clearing this up, Edgey. :3 And yeah, it's your call because it's your game, your world. We just live in it (and love it).

Religion is a system; faith is a belief, a knowing-without-seeing. It's the difference between learning about someone and knowing them.

[Admin]

Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:14 am

EJ wrote:

You are 100% right... would have given you 110%, Abbie but there's just one thing I gotta disagree with: This is your world too, honey. Seriously. The writers here -- and you specifically! -- have added so much to this universe. It may have been my original *idea* but it is most certainly *our* world now

Edgey <3

[Admin]

Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:43 pm

Erik Egan wrote:

"It's the difference between learning about someone and knowing them."

This entire conversation has been really helpful. The characters I like to write about are two Terrapyres who are pretty alone in the world. For a number of reasons, they know no other Terrapyres and Awakened as Raws really late. Needless to say, their relationship to both faith and religion is different from that of many Terrapyres.

Abbie, I found your summary to be much deeper and more insightful than I imagined. I now have it taped to be laptop.

Thanks everyone.

Erik

[Admin]

Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:11 pm

papa nurgle wrote:

Also something to think about is nonlinear memory and Prayers. What about those Prayers that come from the future. Living Scripture could just as easily come from the future as it does from the past. Whenever I think about the use of Prayers as a weapon, I invision them being just as much a weapon of faith as they are of the Living Word. I remember reading one time that thousands of people can dream up a vampire, but it only takes one child to have faith in the wooden stake to kill it. I see Prayers kind of the same way, thousands of us see our reality as the norm but one Terrapyre with faith in the Living Word can speak and change the laws of this reality (even if only for a few moments).

As for the Magic the Gathering forums, EJ, you know that with Magic, as long as you sound the most convincing, the rules can be whatever you say they are

[Admin]

Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:30 pm

MG wrote:

Agreed!! Good insights Mr. Sorensen. I keep accidentally typing Mrs. and though you wouldn't know it (thank you backspace key), sorry. xD

I think it totally matters how much a Terrapyre understands the Prayer they are using (if we're talking in terms of a weapon), and is able to identify with it. Visualization, how it has struck them (like reading something in Scripture and being totally, totally struck/enamored with it, and then turning around and causing the same sort of...arrest...on a Celestial. As though they are overwhelmed with it).

Also the idea of something becoming real, like bending the laws of nature, I'm right there too. It's like magic but different - it's not some mystical "force" [*cackle* "Use, the Force, EJ"], but rather a living, breathing entity, the very Word of God, as though Christ himself wields the weapons of nature against a Terrapyre's foe. That is the power they bring to the table, that strikes back the Celestials who think carelessly of these passionate 3D beings.

Whoops, how did that turn into a monologue about Terrapyre awesomeness? xD LOL.

[Admin]

Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:48 pm

Turtleman wrote:

Thanks MG for the agreement. However, I think you may have been referring to the papa nurgle comment (Mr. Sorensen is Turtleman) rather than a comment I made quite a while back. By the way, you don't have to be so formal when talking to me. You can call me Jeff if you wish (unless you feel uncomfortable speaking to old people like me using first names or feel it disrespectful).

[Admin]

Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:43 am

MG wrote:

LoL! Sorry, I got you guys mixed up. Now I'm really confused. >.<

And lol, I didn't know how you wished to be addressed, so I figure the title was better safe than sorry.

Papa nurgle, whoever you are in real life, that was meant for you, not Mr. Sorensen, who is the Turtleman. And I'm a bit confused, but who are we kidding, this is normal.

[Admin]

Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:23 pm

MG wrote:

LoL. Parents are like that a lot.

Youuuu can call me Abbie. Since I'm the same Abbie you are friends with on Facebook, the (strange?) one from Wisconsin. xD When people refer to me on here as MG it makes me wonder if they know who I am (since the MG abbreviation is from another forum that as far as I know only me and Launa from this group of peeps are actually from). And if you understood all that, you get a cookie. Seriously, you deserve it.

OFF TOPIC.

Praying is good.

[Admin]

Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:47 pm

Brianne wrote:

Abbie!! I know you from RB.org too!

Geez. =] j/k

Prayer. Just do it.

(*grin*)

[Admin]

Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:24 am

EJ wrote:

We need to talk about compiling something of a Bible for Terrapyres. It wouldn't have many (if any) of the same books as the Bible as we know it... and it would be fragmented... quite a task really but I think I have some ideas about how to tackle it. Any one game?

EJ