ThePwener wrote...
Humans are probably the most culturally diverse out of them all. I myself believe in God, but accept that evolution is a fact in the ME universe and that there is no God either, as there are other alien races that came after and before humanity which do not know of Jesus Christ.
What surprises me the most is the fact that this did not cause a riot by the Catholic Church and every other major God believing group in Earth. Every 50,000 - 100,000 years the Reapers descend upon the Milky Way to eradicate every trace of sentient life that evolves and achieves space flight. This alone proves that evolution is real in the ME universe.
That's because the mainstream religious organizations realize that it's silly to try and "not believe in" evolution. You would be hard-pressed to find another theory in biology which is so well supported by evidence as well as all-encompassing. You might as well argue against the sun rising in the East. Some organizations may not have formally declared that they have no problem with it, and some others may know that they will never be able to do so, but they know they'd just look silly if they spoke out against it.
Also note that Catholicism is actually quite intellectual for a Christian denomination - you will find more debate and less emphatic affirmation of belief there than in most protestant denominations. Nowadays, the only problem the Catholic Church has with evolution is the idea that it's an unplanned, random process. As I see it, they have accepted evolution as far as they can without compromising the foundations of their faith. Pope John Paul II. said in 1996: "Today, almost half a century after publication of the encyclical [Humani Generis by Pius XII in 1950], new knowledge has led to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis".
In ME1, Shepard can be asked by Ashley Williams if he believes in God. Shepard can respond in a manner of ways, but what surprises me is that she only mentioned the grand expanse of space as her proof when alien life with they're own religions alone should be enough for atheist groups in Earth to refute the existance of a God in a massive scale and cause everyone to doubt.
Atheist groups would not need alien life and alien religions to refute God's existence. The famous catchphrase "We're all atheists - I just believe in one god less than you" is valid even if restricted to Earth. Those religions that lost followers after First Contact, that were those who claim that man is the crown of creation - a claim profoundly refuted by seeing cultured and intelligent non-humans, and even worse, nonhumans with quite similar value systems. Revelation religions who claim human exclusivity like Christianity and Islam, they have problems. Others like Buddhism and Hinduism, not so much. They can integrate the non-humans into their worldview without any problem.
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As for your main point: no, I do not think that religion should play a bigger part in ME. I'm quite content that it has only a medium presence - still quite high for an SF universe btw.. I find the development away from strongly-held religious beliefs which was described for Earth quite convincing in the face of the discoveries made and the cultural and technological development. Religious beliefs will continue to exist, but they are likely to be more low-key and more encompassing, less restricted to a single culture and less likely to outright challenge scientific discoveries.
In ME1, Shepard can make a statement about her/his religious beliefs or the absence thereof. It's good to have that opportunity to flesh our Shepards out, but I do not want to be confronted with it more than I already have. The prophet on the presidium, Thane's beliefs, the geth's "religious impulse", Mordin's aesthetic appreciation of reincarnation. Then the various biblical references in certain loyalty missions.
It is quite enough. I do not want more.
Modifié par Ieldra2, 09 août 2011 - 11:27 .
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