[Video 4]

[seasaltkey]

[Roxas pops up on the network, a green and yellow scarf around his neck with his Dedenne peeking out of his coat. Neither will complain about the cold. This is a first for both of them. The backdrop is clearly Ecruteak.]

So when's it supposed to start snowing again? Does anyone know?

[Vivi squeaks the same question. He wants to play in more snow!]

Oh yeah... do they have a Pokémon Santa here? It's Christmas this month, and I've never seen a Santa before other than the weird ones that are ringing bells. And if it's a person instead, isn't Santa supposed to ride around on a sled pulled by reindeer? Stantler are like reindeer, so I guess he'd have those here... how does he deliver all those presents in one night? Is there more than one Santa?

[These are pressing questions, people. Please enlighten the blond and his tiny squeak.]

Comments

[a_sin_for_him]

You can say that easily, with your knowledge and understanding of natural laws.

Imagine being a primitive human, one who barely understands his own existence, let alone why a moving fire in the sky makes day or sometimes the sky gets angry and shouts and weeps. Ancient peoples had to explain these things somehow, without science or the capacity to understand intricate, unseen connections between phenomena. So it all became magic and gods and things to be appeased or entreated to with celebration and ceremony.

In winter, the darkness can last for longer than the light. Nothing grows. It's difficult to travel. Imagine not understanding why, and only knowing that for some reason, the day waits longer and longer to come, and you grow colder and more frightened. I imagine it must have been comforting, to think it was some godly man in charge of it, and that as long as you burned things and sang, he'd bring back the normal day.

[seasaltkey]

[He's never had to think about things like this in his tiny little life. Everything he knew was things others taught him or he observed. Religion and ancient cultures wasn't one of them.]

So they were afraid of the darkness... and did that to try and chase it away... I didn't know people thought like that. So what is a god exactly?

[a_sin_for_him]

They created all sorts of legends to explain everything. The changing dark, the weather, earthquakes and volcanoes...

That is a question with no easy answer. A god, in concept, is a powerful force much greater than physical beings that controls the unseen aspects of life. Religious people believe gods or a god made the universe, made mankind, watches over us...

Some cultures think gods are like people, only with powers beyond our comprehension. Some people think they're like animal spirits, that exist on some other plane of reality. Some people think they're so far beyond our understanding that we can't even begin to conceive of their form or thoughts.

[seasaltkey]

That... sounds like what people do here with Legendary Pokémon. Are they gods, too? Or just super powerful?

[a_sin_for_him]

By some definitions, they could certainly be considered gods.

I don't consider them gods, but I'm of the mind that whatever great force governs the universe is beyond our comprehension. Anything that lives on the same level as us, is constrained to one dimension, interacts with us in ways we can conceive and understand.... To me, that's simply a very powerful being. Not God.

[seasaltkey]

[All this god talk just makes him think of one thing:]

So do I have to believe in a god?

[a_sin_for_him]

No, of course not. Plenty of people don't.

[seasaltkey]

If I don't, won't the people who do not like me?

[a_sin_for_him]

Only foolish people you wouldn't want as your friends anyway.

I believe in a god. I don't care one way or another what anyone else believes, what does it have to do with me?

[seasaltkey]

[That's good to know.]

So it shouldn't matter what other people believe, as long as they don't judge you for what you believe in... that makes a lot of sense.

[a_sin_for_him]

No, it shouldn't matter at all. Whether someone believes in a god or gods, or which ones, is a personal matter. It can certainly be interesting to discuss and debate, but purely from an academic standpoint.

[seasaltkey]

[He nods and gives Lust a smile.]

Thanks. I learned a lot!