050. Video | January 26 | Midday

[suchselfishness]

[ Rhode's sitting out at some cafe, bundled up with a little scarf and earmuffs and holding a magazine in her other hand. She seems to be paying more attention to the people walking by than the communicator, though. ]

You know... Watching the natives- And most of the guests, too, I suppose- I can't help but notice that religion isn't terribly important to a lot of the people in this world.

There are churches and books and all of that, and I suppose people in other cities might be different, but in Death City, most people don't really go to services every Sunday. A lot of worlds might not have religion at all, or something like that, but with the number of worlds that are similar to this one, I wouldn't think that things had changed that much.

So do other worlds not have religion, or ones that aren't like Christianity and Catholicism, or that don't have things like church? Or do people just not do that sort of thing in this city?

Comments

[video]

[gunsmokeangel]

Maybe everyone who usually goes just winds up oversleeping?

[Vash gives a sheepish grin, then thinks about it for a second.]

There's a lot of churches where I'm from, but a lot of demonstration. Some people are Catholic, some people are Protestant, and some people are in those crazy cults you see running around. I've never joined one, but sometimes I like to go sit though the sermon.

[video]

[suchselfishness]

They manage to get up for their training at godforsaken hours every other day of the week.

[ Her tone is a bit dry for that comment, but it's back to decent within moments. ]

Why would you want to sit through a sermon if you're not part of the church?

[video]

[gunsmokeangel]

No wonder they need to get their rest in!

[Vash pauses to give Rhode's question a moment of thought.]

It's something about the atmosphere. It's comforting, even if you aren't a member they still let you feel like you're welcome even just a little while.

Video

[jokeralwayswins]

[An image of a casually seated Hisoka pops up on the screen, his chin resting on one hand. The hand visible in the footage is bandaged up to the elbow.]

[Amused smile]

Perhaps the people of this city believe religion is futile?

Video

[suchselfishness]

[ Hisoka gets a frown from her this time; Kuroro told her more about him, and she's feeling much warier about talking to him now. But on the network, it's not dangerous... ]

Enough of them believed in it at one time or another to build a church. And other parts of the world have all kinds of landmarks from different religions. You don't build monuments to something you think is futile.

Video

[jokeralwayswins]

[Shrugs, indifferent to her frown]

But not any more it seems. You don't see new monuments being built, just old ones crumbling from decay. Fools put their faith in religion. Perhaps people are becoming less foolish the more they see prayers don't save them from dying at the hands of kishins eggs.

[Voice]

[expendablepride]

Where I came from, people prayed to spirits to keep them safe and all that. Some places had shrines, some had a church. Not sure if it had a name though... [He didn't care to enquire, really.]

What's that Christianitism thing like?

[Voice]

[suchselfishness]

There's religions like that in the Far East, where I come from. And in this world too, I suppose.

[ She hums thoughtfully, trying to figure out how to describe it. ]

Christianity believes that there's one God, and He created everything in the world. He sent His Son to earth to save humans from their sins by dying,. There's a whole book they follow, if you want all of the gritty details, but that's the basic idea of it.

[Voice]

[expendablepride]

So spirits exist here too?

[And that religion... The idea holds far too many similarities with what he left behind in his world. It's a good thing he rarely uses the video function on his comm; nobody can see his eyes narrow in thought.]

Sounds like a big deal, but I'll pass. You believe in anything, little miss?

[ombrasolare]

There is a cathedral here, I believe.

And even back home, while most of my acquaintances attend service very often, the majority of people on the planet do not.

[suchselfishness]

Oh, I know. I just don't see many people going to it.

Why do more of your acquaintances go to church than other people? If one part of the world does it, I would think there are other places where the same thing is true.

[ombrasolare]

Let's just say that some of my acquaintances have a rather heightened awareness of their incipient mortality and the questionable state of their own immortal souls.

Is it your experience that such things are based on faith or on fear?

video;

[hexappeal]

Some worlds do, some don't. Some have lots. Some have only a few. In my experience, most worlds have several -- and people will have a religion but they are not religious exactly.

video;

[suchselfishness]

You say that like you've been to a lot of worlds.

video;

[hexappeal]

I've been to a lot, but I don't think in the grand scheme of things it would be considered such.

With infinite dimensions, infinite worlds, infinite realities... you'd need more time than forever to see and experience them all, you know?

[video]

[shendefeng]

My world is only different in the fact that we dragons exist. Otherwise, there is Christianity, but I personally think it is all just stuff.

Also, we did not have Catholicism, as you mention it, in our part of the world. I think that Laurence was more along the lines of the Anglican faith, if I am not mistaken.

As for this world... who knows? Perhaps their adherence to faith is not as strongly bonded into their daily lives as it might be in different parts of this world, or at least as you would have known it in your world.

[video]

[suchselfishness]

... Didn't the dragons affect how Christianity started, though? And the rest of it?

This world is a hundred years or so ahead of mine, so I suppose a lot could have changed since then.

[ voice ]

[radiantwingedone]

Those who were once worshiped, or at least revered, have become hunted. There seems to be a religion of a goddess, but it is localized to the capital of the empire and seems to be based upon a fairy tale and implications that the emperor is so because of some sort of divine favor. [ Not answering the second because he's been avoiding talking to people. ]

[ voice ]

[suchselfishness]

So the gods in your world are physical creatures, not... ideas or spirits?

[voice]

[trageteas]

Everyone is welcome at Death City's church; if they are choosing not to, I prescribe it to a lack of interest or belief.

[voice]

[suchselfishness]

But that's my point. Most people go to church every Sunday in my world, so I'm curious to know what's so different about this world.

[Video]

[frozenheavens]

So do you go to church?

[Video]

[suchselfishness]

Of course not. You have to get up far too early for that nonsense.

video;

[ioudas]

I'm Catholic. I love God, I think when he was making me, he said that I would be made in the vision of his only son whom he sent down to save all of humanity, Jesus Christ. That's how much he loves me. [his sarcasm is biting.]

video;

[suchselfishness]

You're a disgrace to that vile Church and the human race as a whole.