Religion in FFX: Good or Bad??

[Hella]

Religion was a major part of Final fantasy X, right? Did you think it was giving us a negative image of religion in general?

I'm doing a paper on it for school, and would love some responses on what people thought about the religious themes in the story. What did you find strange/blasphemous/correct/logical/whatever about it?

P.S: Don't be bitching about Seymour in it or something, or how easy it was to kill Sin. This is a serious question I'm asking!

Oh, and if anyone replies, may I quote your words if they're particularly interesting? Just answer yes or no in the end.

Thanks for your time!

[Bahamut2000X]

I think they gave it a somewhat of a negative response seeign as how everyone did what the "church" told them to and thus became racists and lived off of a false hope.

[Hella]

Thank you!!

Do you think that kind of image would be influential on younger players?

[IamTidus]

I think it left a negitive impression. In FFX the churches pretty much made up the laws as they were needed and benafited them. They made all the people fallow it blindlesslly not knowing the truth behind it all. (SPOILER)it was all a lie in there reality all yevon was was a mindless summoner who did nothing but summon Sin. FFX showed that religion was a scam that was made up to explain the unknown, Ya Know?

[Saraneth]

well, I didn't realy pay attention to that part of the game but now that you mention it, I think that just tells me not to be a religous fanatic like Wakka because it could all backfire on you (SPOILER) like how yunalesca had just told Spira that the Final Aeon would take away pain at the cost of one life. This seems to me like many of todays religouns. I can also see why they sacrificed Summoners. It was for the collective good of Spira. Not the soul good of the Summoner. Sad isn't it?
Yunelesca is a bad girl. Shame shame. anyway, I don't find any problem in religoun being icorpirated with the plot. ::shrugs::

[Hella]

You guys are the biggest help, you know that? Tell me anything you like, I need personal opinions here! Don't be shy (or if you are....vote in the poll!)

Thanks heaps.

[Prodigy]

It's creates an image that I'd like to see more of: it is showing that religion is a bad thing.

I hate religion - it's such a terrible thing in society. The only good thing about it is the moral values that it brings but these do NOT need to be drilled into people via the means of religion.

[Shuin]

Yevon betrayed Spira and summoners. Even maester abuse they own power. Temples are control by Yevon but except all Fayths.

[PhoenixAsh]

I think it showed the way organised religion can be. It's a good thing that we are starting to live in a world where kids can be shown religion in a different light.

Organised religion can be corrupted, it can inspire fear and hatred of others, and it isn't neccessarily based on truths. I was very impressed by the way Square handled this.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

on the contrary to most of you, but i think it showed religion (in the sense of a belief) as a good thing. What i think it showed negatively was blind faith in the authority of religious leaders. organized religion is a strict sense of ritual in relation to teachings passed down as law from one generation of priest to another. This is good because it brings a sense of hope and faith into the followers lives. It is negative however, because following teachings based one teachings can be inaccurate and off from the original intent of the foundsers of the religion.

My examplanation for this is as follows. Teh CAtholic religion is based largely on the influence of the pope, if not entirely. but who was the pope taught by? anotehr pope. in this succesion of leaders with almost complete control, i belive the true intent of christianity has been givin up for ritual and law. the way one must follow a religion is to get a feel for the central tehme of the religion, then pick up it text, in this case, a bible, and learn for themselve how it should be followed. it moral code and major points.

In FFX i belive this was shown heavily. Wakka was the typical zealot. he belive EXACTLY what the yevon told him, without using his own judgment most of the time. He assumed, "maester said this" and often this would have lead to incorrect decisions. but in the end, he altered his views of yevon to encompass the central themes, diligence, hoppe, faith, peace, and the evil of sin. He followeds his own methods to encompass these themes, and in this way, was still following yevon when he defeated sin. he just followed his own path of Yevon, rather than the ritaul ahnded to him by the Maesters.

(*on a personal note, i am a dedicated christian, un named by denomination, marked by faith in the bible, not priests, pastors, or the Pope.)

[Hella]

Thank you all so much!! I can now write my paper with some workable material. You all rock!!

[Shimka]

You want to see if it have a negative impact on young players.........Well, I bet I'm the youngest player here that's qualifyed to post a forum......I been playing for a while.......even though I agree it does show you a very "different" side to religion.........I haven't exactlly being affected to do anything dramatic............yet

[the blitzer]

It may be possible that Squaresoft where showing there opinon of religion. They also have based it on facts. As Monks in the middle ages took complete advantage of religion to boss people about, but let they betrey their own teachings just like Yevon. I mean one of the comandents is thou shall not kill. Yet before modem times it seemed alright to kill none christains. Like in the Bloody Crusedes. It's even in the Bible, where Joshua and his men broke down a city wall and kill innocent people. On what seemed like Gods orders. So Squaresoft are probally trying to say beware of relgion. They could exploit us. I think that had something to do with wakka being so trusting of yevon and hated the Albed but then found out that the albed was good and Yevon was bad. Yevon made people hate the Albed. Just like Monks made Christians in the middle ages hate non-Christains.

[§håd0w]

religion is for squares

[Intrepid]

I saw corruption with the Yevon religion.