Xenogears and religion?

Fei was a reincarnation of Abel who was rather Adam like, and there was the obvious Cain kills Abel thing.

Isn't the phrase that Grahf says when he (SPOILER)gives new found power to gears come from the bible. Also, Babel tower is pretty obvious as to the Tower of Babel in the bible, Tower of Babel was made to get closer to god, same thing with the Babel Tower in Gears, and wasn't the origional tower of Babel struck by lighting and smashed?

Actually, Babylonian engineers could not build things level, so after it got so high, it fell over and killed a bunch of them. They left it at that.

The actual Babel Tower myth - the people of all the nations got together and tried to build a tower that could scale the heavens. God didn't like this, so he made all the people speak different languages so the couldn't cooperate properly.

Even though it's just a creation myth, it still speaks volumes about the world we know. Our national differences is the only thing keeping the people of this world from standing tall and shaking the heavens.

That being said, the Babel Tower in XG has nothing to do with the Babel Tower in Genesis, aside from the fact that they're both really tall towers with the same name.

Well weren't they both towers used so their builders can get closer to god?

No. The Xenogears tower was used for something entirely different. I'd tell you, but it's a major spoiler.

And no, the Bab-il Tower in FFIV doesn't share anything significant with the Babel Tower either.

Xg was heavy on the religious overtones and such. But i dont think It was bashing Christianity. To me, Xg showed the dangers of doing things in the name of God. The members of the Ethos blindly followed its leaders who would have them Killing Wells and other monsters because their leaders told them that was Gods will. Where as, the Nissan Sect only seem to ask their memebers that they have faith. Never really asking or expecting anything outta its memebers. I think XG was trying to convey one of those "man in the mirror" type moments. And seeing as how the world is today with all that stuff going on in the middle east, i think the point it was trying to make should be comming across strong.

Haha, "Nissan."

Zoom Zoom

Moving along, there are a lot of allusions but that is all they are and nothing more. The other thing it does in terms or religion are make points about them. As stated about the Ethos and Nisan. I don't think they represent 2 sides of the Catholic Church but 2 sides to religion in general. All religions can BECOME corrupt just as they can do the opposite.

I do rather like their one winged angels symbol.

I'll agree with the Ethos/Nisan thing. Though I don't think it was really trying to slap religion in the face, or offend believers, or give any kind of warning. Though it does make you think. The makers was merely inspired by real events. It's how inspiration works. If you're offended by anything religious in this game, it's time to take a long hard look at the history of your own religion. Though I do admit it's more aimed at christians, and probably one group in particular. But yeah. Babel Tower was more of an homage just to help top off the religious undertones. I found it all quite fascinating, very believable, and very inthralling. That, along with delving into certain characters' minds (especially in disk2) made the game supremely deep for me. I love a game where I can actually enjoy being smothered by the plot, which is amazing considering most of it's pretty hard to understand, especially on the first playthrough.

[VARIOUS SPOILERS OF DIFFERING DEGREES BELOW. DON'T READ THIS POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.]


The Tower of Babel was given that name because of its in-game origins; it was one of the self-contained isolation pods the Eldridge was using to transport Deus, Kadomony, the Razeal tree, etc. So it still carries the same connotation of trying to reach God/heaven (The Eldridge in the latter case). Really, just the fact that Babel is part of the Eldridge is enough to justify the name.

Also, the religious allusions in Xenogears are (almost) all relevant, but you must look at in the context of the falsifying of God; the entire Xenogears 'testament' is a product of a falsified mythos. Miang Hawwa is called Miang Hawwa because she is, literally, Eve in the Xenogears world. Similarly, Elhaym is called Elhaym because she is, literally, a manifestation of divinity. The Deus system is called Yahweh because it functions as a literal holy trinity. Etc. It's all part of the mythos.



But the non-Christian references are somewhat less relevant, though still full of flavour ( but the Yggdrasil still holds the world together!).

ALSO SPOILERS!!


It's even more interesting if you look at the overall picture instead of the religous aspect of their current lives. True, all the humans were biological parts made to become the bigger piece of their God. To hide that the "church" was formed to give a false idea of hope. But, above that, this "God" was also made by real humans who most likely follow a religion like Christianity of their own. The name "Lost Jerusleum" being evidence that they do. Perhaps the real humans were Christians. When the Eldridge crashed and the Dues program began, Cain covered it up with a "mock Christianity" rivaling the one the real humans truly believed.

http://www.gnosis.org/gnintro.htm :)

I think it partially denounced letting leaders of organized religion push their beliefs on you, but I don't think it was altogether anti-religion. I say this because at the part where Billy learns the truth, his father (I think) says to him that "God is in each and every one of us." (paraphrased). It's a way of saying that he doesn't need an organization to tell him that it exists, that it's of his free will. Think Dogma (movie).

Of course, that's not the only tie to religion; just pointing out the fact that it's not all against the idea.

To say that Xenogears was anti religion means you didn't fully understand Xenogears. (Not that I fully understand it in the least bit.)