Religion and beliefs

Use this forum to discuss the September Book of the Month "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.
User avatar
Elizabeth Gipson
Posts: 13
Joined: 09 Apr 2018, 08:46
Currently Reading: The Witch of Endor
Bookshelf Size: 21
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-elizabeth-gipson.html
Latest Review: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner

Re: Religion and beliefs

Post by Elizabeth Gipson »

I think they put too much thought into it personally, because if no mortal has the ability to change a lifeline, then why can Catrin do it. That is saying Catrin is a goddess in mortal form then. But I do think there is some godly intervention somewhere because the power has to be generated and gifted from somewhere.
User avatar
Miercoles
Posts: 445
Joined: 20 Sep 2017, 10:12
Favorite Book: The Prize
Currently Reading: The Second Eve
Bookshelf Size: 60
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-miercoles.html
Latest Review: Business Basics BootCamp by Mitche Graf

Post by Miercoles »

Historically, people have used spiritual beings, like gods and goddesses, to explain the existence and behaviour of things which they cannot otherwise explain. It allows communities to come together to share similar beliefs and set rules for behaviour. For many this is a source of comfort, strength and a place to go to when other things and people fail them. For some it is a source of fear, as there are both negative and positive aspects to believing in higher beings. Most people do acknowledge their spiritual side, even if they are not members of any organized religion.
User avatar
Keevan
Posts: 101
Joined: 25 Aug 2018, 23:10
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 24
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-keevan.html
Latest Review: Ripcord Recovery by T.T. Sawyer

Post by Keevan »

CommMayo wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 11:16 To me, it felt as if there really were no gods or goddesses, just everyday people pretending to interpret messages from their gods. While there were elements of mysticism, I never got the feeling that actual gods were at play shaping the destiny of the characters.
I agree. I also didn't get the feeling gods had anything to do with destiny.
User avatar
Aloha6
Posts: 9
Joined: 05 Sep 2018, 18:56
Currently Reading: Rebecca
Bookshelf Size: 33
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aloha6.html
Latest Review: Timewise by Robert Leet

Post by Aloha6 »

I believe that in every society, people in general would revere mystical symbols such as Gods and Goddess as an plausible excuse for explanations that went beyond their level of comprehension. In ancient time periods, there were so little understanding of how the world works so they try to classify the differences in roles of each God or Goddess. Today, more than half could be explained by scientific discoveries. The metaphysical aspect of "dreams from Apollo" could probably be explained as somebody who has precognition or vivid dreamers who are more aware of their surroundings and let their subconscious break down what they see and interpret their meanings.
User avatar
ea_anthony
Posts: 609
Joined: 19 Jun 2018, 03:22
Favorite Book: Praying successfully
Currently Reading: Prisoners of Geography
Bookshelf Size: 650
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ea-anthony.html
Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles

Post by ea_anthony »

AliceofX wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 01:55
Don Pwai wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 00:22 I do not think there are societies that still believe in gods and goddesses.
Tell that to the 1 billion Hindus.
Let me also add 60 million Nigerians (that's about a third of Nigeria's population).
Ignorance promotes divisiveness, knowledge encourages diversity. :techie-studyingbrown:
User avatar
Bookcool123
Posts: 78
Joined: 22 Jul 2018, 01:09
Currently Reading: The Relik
Bookshelf Size: 16
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookcool123.html
Latest Review: The Engine Woman's Light by Laurel Anne Hill

Post by Bookcool123 »

The writer just portrayed a wide viewpoint of the gods that govern man's destiny. It is just taking a big picture out of a microorganism under a microscope.
User avatar
Rafaella Michailidou
Posts: 352
Joined: 02 Aug 2018, 11:35
Currently Reading: Dark Places
Bookshelf Size: 71
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rafaella-michailidou.html
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman

Post by Rafaella Michailidou »

Ancient Gods resemble humans a lot. They did what they did out of personal feelings and they were not so overpowered. I think something like that happens here as well.
“All the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk.”
― Lemony Snicket
User avatar
Amy+++
Posts: 1138
Joined: 12 Apr 2018, 17:49
Favorite Book: The Mister
Currently Reading: Last Chance Cafe
Bookshelf Size: 219
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amy.html
Latest Review: The Chauvinist's Guide to Modern Romance by Morris Rollins
Reading Device: B01CRGNO4S

Post by Amy+++ »

I agree, I also didn't see the Gods playing a big role in the book.
User avatar
Sharill Rasowo
In It Together VIP
Posts: 1193
Joined: 25 Aug 2018, 08:54
Currently Reading: Worldlines
Bookshelf Size: 210
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sharill-rasowo.html
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

Post by Sharill Rasowo »

I firmly believe that there were no actual "gods" but people putting out messages to suit their beliefs, especially in this book.
User avatar
Katherine Smith
Posts: 1463
Joined: 30 Mar 2017, 10:56
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 524">Nancy Drew</a>
Currently Reading: The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe
Bookshelf Size: 504
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-katherine-smith.html
Latest Review: "Whisky tango foxtrot...copy" by John regan
Reading Device: B01KVZV52A

Post by Katherine Smith »

The gods and goddesses in the story are an important element because it reflects the times before the monotheistic religions were founded. I think that in the story it appeared as of the characters were just pretending to interpret messages, but knowing about ancient history helped me see past this. I think that we do this to a lesser extent now by using the Bible/Koran/Torah to help interpret what God/Allah/Yahweh wants us to be.
Latest Review: "Whisky tango foxtrot...copy" by John regan
User avatar
Jennifer Fernandez
Posts: 226
Joined: 09 Jun 2018, 21:30
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 69
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jennifer-fernandez.html
Latest Review: The Enemy In Me by Jacob Newell Campbell

Post by Jennifer Fernandez »

Don Pwai wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 00:22 I do not think there are societies that still believe in gods and goddesses. They are a things of the past. There is only one supreme being.
There are a lot of people who still believe in multiple gods and goddesses. Christianity and God are just one of the many religions in the world. No one can say who is right or wrong. And, just like in the real world, I think the people in this book were only assigning meaning and interpretations to the events around them. The dreams could also be caused because they were already thinking about it. Sometimes I fall asleep thinking about a problem and then I dream about it.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. - H.P. Lovecraft :techie-studyinggray:
User avatar
kwame1977
Posts: 432
Joined: 10 Jan 2018, 14:16
Currently Reading: The Vatican Protocol
Bookshelf Size: 150
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kwame1977.html
Latest Review: Learn to Play Guitar by Gareth Evans

Post by kwame1977 »

Religious beliefs are relative. They can enhance the society or causes harm to it. I strongly believe religion perceptions and beliefs are born with and a person has a choice to make changes to it. It would be difficult to answer the question above as it sounds more spiritual.
User avatar
chelhack
Posts: 815
Joined: 16 May 2018, 08:40
Favorite Book: My Trip To Adele
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 381
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chelhack.html
Latest Review: E-M-P Honeymoon by Dorothy May Mercer
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by chelhack »

I believe that depends on how you look at it. Meaning in reading the book the whole base behind the God and Goddess being part of the story is to be the driving force of and or behind the action of people. But I would not say that in real life that this would be a factor in mankind
Chelsea N. Hackett
User avatar
KRay93
Posts: 393
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 09:49
Currently Reading: The Bourne Identity
Bookshelf Size: 98
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kray93.html
Latest Review: Non-Disclosure by George Dapra

Post by KRay93 »

The intervention of gods and goddesses in the story has its weight, but it is more about mortals' interpretations of their wishes than anything else. Perhaps the case of Apollo and everything related to the Raven and Catrin is the most specific case, but the rest of the story felt quite "human" and down-to-earth outside of the presence of supernatural elements.
Bushra Nasim
Posts: 39
Joined: 27 May 2018, 20:36
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 4
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bushra-nasim.html
Latest Review: Manifesto for a Cancer Patient by Colleen Huber, NMD

Post by Bushra Nasim »

DancingLady wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 10:43
CommMayo wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 09:37
Don Pwai wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 00:22 I do not think there are societies that still believe in gods and goddesses. They are a things of the past. There is only one supreme being.
But don't modern societies fall on the same crutch with their God that the ancient ones do? We rely on people of the cloth to interpret God's teachings for us. These priests, bishops, pastors, rabbis are all giving us their interpretation and leading us where they want us to go. Historically, God was used to support slavery and the refusal to give full rights to women. Now it is used to control women's medical decisions and if a person can marry the person they love. Honestly, I see no difference between those villagers watching an animal being slaughtered for a sign from the gods and a person who won't bake a cake for a couple because their pastor said the Bible claims that homosexuality is a sin (it isn't, by the way).
This isn’t exactly true. Christians do not have to rely on the clergy to interpret the Bible for them. We have the Word in our own hands and the Holy Spirit in our hearts teaching us. Pastors and teachers are important and used by God, but everyone is responsible to check the words of the teachers with the scriptures themselves and make sure that the person they are listening to is speaking truth.
You are right. In Islam, we also have our Holy book, Quran, which is an open guidance for every Muslim and mostly, we don't have to rely on clerics to interpret it for us. However, clerics are an important part of society to seek religious help.
Post Reply

Return to “Discuss "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner”