An Interview with David Weber, Part 4

[rainbowhiker]

His philosophy seems all too correct and I love that voice in a time and world where few people take a stand in their own convictions as well as in the world they're writing about, as in this case, in fiction. Standing for something is so few people in my sphere seem to do. They want to go the way of whatever is popular at the moment, whether it be clothing styles, inking your skin, or use of language, their are so few of them that can stand up and say, 'I'm not doing that. No. It's not for me.'

[dorkf1sh]

I disagree Joey. Yes, according to Christian theology you choose to go to Heaven or Hell. Just like you choose to have that cigarette or to abstain. We say yes and no many times a day to choices that, ultimately, destroy or preserve us, choosing pleasure or not as our personal values dictate. It's all about the magnitude of the choices.

[joeyecw]

I disagree, to an extent, with his designation of slavery and suicide bombing as "misuses" of religion. Society of the day does tend to define any given religion, yes, but even Weber himself is misusing his religion by stating we should be free to chose to not believe as well as believe. Such a thing, according to his religion, sends you to hell.

Still, it's an interesting, if not entirely original, take.

[iwebber88]

@joeyecw No, what he is saying is that a man is given the chance to believe or not believe. It's a theological statement based on the idea of Free Will. People, as thinking creatures, are allowed to think in their own form and give their own opinions. It's a personal choice. He is saying here that a person who does not believe in his religion is no different than people who do. That's a Christian belief that has been ignored for centuries. He's not talking about any Hell, either.

[Iceworm72]

This is a very useful look into the role of religious influence for good and bad in history and in stories. I especially appreciate the focus on the need to recognize consequence of an action that the individual has made.