If you lived in Westoros, what religion would you find most convincing? (If any)

[ASRAIL]

I'm an atheist with a crush for demons, dark angels and death so for me it's the Many Faced One. As one of my country's greatest rulers have said: "Even if a man live a good life he must die..." so it's a good idea to be on good terms with Death. Plus having the chance of becoming a badass ninja style assassin brings additional bonus points.

[Gurkhal]

The Seven makes some sense to me, but I'd probably adopt whatever religion is most popular in the place where I end up.

[Waarg]

The Old Gods appeal to me the most. One thing that has always turned me off about religion is the scriptures and rules and a whole set of morals you have to follow. The Old Gods have none of that. It's quiet praying in the woods to trees that are thousands of years old. I'm also very intrigued by how the Old Gods are linked to greenseeing and skinchanging. And all the stories about the Children of the Forest fascinate me so much.

[Danelle]

Well it depends. If I was born in the North I would likely believe in the Old Gods. If I was born in Riverlands or Westerlands, the Seven. If I was born near the river Rhoyne, I would worship Mother Rhoyne. If I was a lhazareen I would follow the Great Sheperd.

There are many religious people in the books. Catelyn is a devout worshipper of the Seven. Selyse thinks of herself as a follower of Rh'llor, Jon believes in the Old Gods.

For each character religion is important for different reasons.

For Catelyn it is a memory of Riverrun and part of her Tully heritage.

For Selyse is a new life, better than the one she had in the westerosi society.

For Jon is part of his identity as a Stark and proof that he is Eddard's son.

But I think that the most interesting approach in religion in the whole asoiaf is the one proposed by Jaime Lannister, and I agree with him to a certain extent:

If there are gods, why is the world so full of pain and injustice?

Bad and awful things happen in Westeros, some people deserve such a fate, others not. Sometimes believing or not believing to a god doesn't matter at all.

Jaime Lannister worshipped the Warrior, when Catelyn spends a night at a sept she has something like a vision and sees familiar faces on the face of the Warrior, including Jaime Lannister. For him though, the Warrior is an aspect of himself.

I like this approach because he is pragmatic. He prefers to face the reality instead of praying to gods who may or may not exist.

So to answer the question, I would most peobably follow Jaime Lannister's approach in religious matters.

[chris_cam84]

i think i would go with the old gods mostly because im not a fan of organized religion that way you can pray or whatever on your own time and they dont want money or burnt babies

though summer isle religion sounds pretty damn good

[Lady Flandrensis]

The old gods. I don't like egotistical gods.

[armidil0]

Well, I'm atheist, so I would go with that. But the Old Gods are nice. R'hllor is crazy, and the Faith is getting too fervent.

Also, is it ever mentioned that any of the solstices have an importance to the Old Gods?

And one more thing, I'm surprised that the believers of the Old Gods don't attribute any other God to just being apart of their religion.

e.g. Storm God is an Old God because didn't the CotF call upon a storm to create the Stepstones? or flood the neck? Or the flooding of the Neck could be attributed to the CotF calling on the Drowned God, another Old God. Maybe R'Hllor is an Old God for the power of Fire, and Others are the side of Ice. CotF, skinchangers, weirwoods, Greenseers, ect would be the varying aspects of the wooded or landlocked part of Nature. If the Old Gods really is a kind of worship of Nature I'm surprised no one has ever at least had this thought (from what I can recall).

But i don't believe there are really any gods in ASoIaF, just magic that people are trying to explain because they don't fully understand it.

[TheWildWolf]

Definitely the Old Gods. I think they hold the most power, but just havent shown its extent just yet. And who wouldn't want to practice a religion that just involves chilling by a tree

[Im no Ser]

The Faith of the Seven doesn't get much love on this thread...and I've always wondered what it's in-universe appeal is supposed to be.

It doesn't seem to promise much, if anything, after death. No merit-based afterlife or reincarnation is mentioned (beyond "May the Father judge him harshly").

It's strictly hierarchical, with a belief system that seems to reinforce social hierarchy (e.g., the father rules, the smith works), but seemingly without the spiritual resilence within Taoism. It doesn't promise change or social justice.

[Brandon Martell]

Rh'llor is the most intolerant religion in the ASOIAF world, that's for sure.

The Seven may have more power than we think, though. Anyone remembers the first Davos chapter in SoS?

[A Wolf at the Door]

Like many said before me, the Old Gods are the most appealing. They are not this omnipotent, egoistical, jealous and revengeful beings. And being their follower doesn't include anything more than just sitting before a tree, contemplating, or praying if that's what you feel like doing. So I would probably choose them if I lived in the North. If not, I'd probably stay an atheist.

[SkyBry]

The Old ones for sure.

Like the idea and the purity of the weirwood trees. Without any indoctrinated crap!

[alittlebirdallgrownup]

The Sumer Isles!

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

Realistically, whichever gods where prominent where I grew up. The gods of my ancestors, if you will.

Personally though, I would believe in most of them and none of them (confusing, I know). They've all - or mostly - proven themselves in some way, but they all seem to be many sides to the one entity, like the many faced god. So I don't think any of them are exact in their worship, but are all valid methods of worshipping a deity that you know little to nothing about.

[hughie]

R'hllor is the only god who actually appears to be able to do anything: visions, resurrections, neat tricks with swords etc. Mel clearly believes in what she's doing.

Am I right in thinking that the Faith of the Seven hasn't yet produced any significant manifestations, miracles or visions? A lot of people pray to the Crone, Maiden etc. But does anything come of their prayers?

[armidil0]

Am I right in thinking that the Faith of the Seven hasn't yet produced any significant manifestations, miracles or visions? A lot of people pray to the Crone, Maiden etc. But does anything come of their prayers?

Idk, I feel like if anything does come from them, it's fate or luck related. Like Davos running across Saan after the Blackwater, I feel could be attributed to the Faith, but then again it could be incredible luck.

[King Tyrion I]

As for me, I can't decide on which if I had to choose between the Many Faced God (monotheism), the Seven (who seem like Avatars to me) and the Old Gods.

But I'd definitely rule out R'hllor - for me.

[Vampire Squid]

The Old Gods - of the faiths detailed, it's probably the closest to my real-world beliefs.

[TheMysteriousOne]

The Faith of the Seven doesn't get much love on this thread...and I've always wondered what it's in-universe appeal is supposed to be.

It doesn't seem to promise much, if anything, after death. No merit-based afterlife or reincarnation is mentioned (beyond "May the Father judge him harshly").

It's strictly hierarchical, with a belief system that seems to reinforce social hierarchy (e.g., the father rules, the smith works), but seemingly without the spiritual resilence within Taoism. It doesn't promise change or social justice.

There's the seven hells and seven heavens

[AsharyaTarstark]

I'd probably still be an atheist.