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The portrayal of the Sparrows


C.T. Phipps

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It is shown as a contradiction to the Seven Religion undermining the very themes they are based upon.

Instead we have this convulted attempt protraying modern zealotry based upon Fundamentalism, the church is the law, bow before us nations. As we have today the church still dictates our very cultures across the globe in most types of religion. Until we break those roots, civilizations will never find freedom. You are your own god, nobody, needs to tell you that much instituationally. Let them keep their covens privately, if it makes them happy, just don't let me hear about it publicly.

On earth you are a few hundred years too late. Martin Luther already went there. With all the good and all the bad which came from it.

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It could've been fascinating, the script writer could've research the various religious movements of the middle ages: the Franciscans and Dominicans, the Beguines... So much research they couldve done to add depth and nuance. To be good writers.


Also kind of weird that Martin took inspiration from Martin Luther, who went against the papacy (whilst the High Sparrow makes himself High Septon) and was against the peasants revolt (whilst the Faith Militant is basically a peasants revolt)


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On earth you are a few hundred years too late. Martin Luther already went there. With all the good and all the bad which came from it.

I am sick of it sick to death of it. We live in an archiac dark age. No matter who you kid the renaissance never happened we are still grounded in false tradition.

Some people may tesify to their faith and belief, although honestly do you think they need a manuscript to dictate their consciences?

Better off without these covens when people cannot accept their own sense of responsibility

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If you guys are interested in some real life 'faith militant', 'high sparrow', type stuff, listen to 'Prophets of Doom' by Dan Carlin on his Hardcore History series. It's about some crazed Anabaptist protestant fundamentalists that take over the city of Munster in Germany in the 1530s in the wake of Martin Luther starting the reformation. It is absolutely insane - quite reminiscent of some of this sparrow stuff, though possible even more scary/crazy if you can imagine. It is available on his website or on iTunes.



http://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-48-prophets-of-doom/



https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/show-48-prophets-of-doom/id173001861?i=151937069&mt=2



*Meant to say - it's real life!


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The peasants have never had a place at the top of the food chain and never will. The purpose of the Faith is to move the story on, not establish a right-on Westerosi political agenda. They are bad guys. If anything, it should be the biggest signal yet that the story no longer requires the Boltons. Next season will be about reclaiming KL and environs from these nutjobs. I imagine fire will be heavily involved.

Except that in the books the Faithful were not trully bad. The High Sparrow a zealot but the Faithful's actions were targeted at the excesses of the Nobles and not at mundane sexual "sins" . The book Faithful were well situated in a medevil society instead of the series Faithful which is the Westboro Baptist church in sackcloth

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It is true that in the books we do get a better understanding of the motivations of the sparrows as a popular movement of the small folk in response to their tyrannous treatment by the nobility, and hence they are all about re-modelling society in a fairer way (which is quite like Saint Francis of Assisi, the Anabaptists during the reformation, etc). However, in the books they do still appear be concerned about sexual sins, including those of the nobility, tying it in to the general narrative about the corruption of the ruling class. The whole of Cersei's plot against Margaery, and the basis on which The Faith arrest Margaery, revolves around accusations of adultery and fornication. Further, a major part of the case against Cersei herself is her fornication with one of the Kettleblacks. So they might not go into homosexuality, but sexual morals do seem to be a part of their theological mindset.


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The show did a great job with the High Sparrow's portrayal. He's an honest and simply devout man who you don't want to fuck with. The Sparrows themselves are all just lunatics, rather than being devout and annoyingly pious with a dangerous side, they're just complete nutjobs running around threatening people with weapons. I'm not sure why they chose to make that distinction. The High Sparrow carries himself nothing like his followers, some of whom he is close with. They went way too overboard with the violence and head carving.


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the faith is portrayed very accurately from the books. Yes, they are scarry. 0 tollerance policy for sinners and we are all human as are the characters. When the king and two queens can be neutered like this. Yeah, they area problem. You have to admit though, Cersei had it comming to her.


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The show did a great job with the High Sparrow's portrayal. He's an honest and simply devout man who you don't want to fuck with. The Sparrows themselves are all just lunatics, rather than being devout and annoyingly pious with a dangerous side, they're just complete nutjobs running around threatening people with weapons. I'm not sure why they chose to make that distinction. The High Sparrow carries himself nothing like his followers, some of whom he is close with. They went way too overboard with the violence and head carving.

Did they? Wasn't the FM in the books carving the seven pointed star in their chests like the Andals invaders of old? And weren't they attacking brothels and other establishments?

I think that's the different between seeing it on tv and reading it on a book among hundreds of other characters.

Hey so a quick question, if one doesn't follow the seven pointed star can they or will they still punish one accordingly? That is to say will they punish one for breaking the seven pointed stars laws and rules?

Interesting question - Westeros typically was religiously tolerant and two of its kingdoms don't follow the Seven. I don't see the FM making inroads into the North or the Iron Islands. Maybe the minority of R'Hollor worshippers who might be in Southern Westeros?

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Hey so a quick question, if one doesn't follow the seven pointed star can they or will they still punish one accordingly? That is to say will they punish one for breaking the seven pointed stars laws and rules?

Yeah that is an interesting question. In the books, the only religion that we hear of that really across the board condemns other religions is R'hollor. The fact they even say "by the Old Gods and the new" shows that the two religions can co-exist peacefully. I don't remember that the subject of what to do with an Old Gods believer ever came up in the books. That would be a great question to ask GRRM!

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You can't stop the children of the revolution, on no!

Until they get greyscale, or burnt, or turned in into snow zombies :D

Agree with the posts that say the show faith is very simplified but the show Sparrow maintains some depth.

The show is trying to tell the story of the slow rise of the faith purely through Lancel and the High Sparrow. Considering the last time we saw Lancel he was a skinny pretty boy and now he looks like he has juts finished doing training with the Marines or something, it has an effect on how he is perceived.

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They are taking on the exact same role as the Catholic Church in mediaeval Europe. The Faith Militant are The Knights Templar or some such.

As the main religion of Westeros they are wealthy and huge in number and that is their power. The main threat is that they can choose to legitimise (or not) any ruler. If The High Sparrow declared Tommen Baratheon unlawful ruler he'd be in very big trouble indeed.

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Yah i don't buy this high sparrow's occupy wall street philosophy bullshit on show!

Church and religion had very prominent role in medieval society but the clergy were just another class of nobles, this approach of social and peasant focused philosophy didn't developed until modern or industrial period.

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Yah i don't buy this high sparrow's occupy wall street philosophy bullshit on show!

Church and religion had very prominent role in medieval society but the clergy were just another class of nobles, this approach of social and peasant focused philosophy didn't developed until modern or industrial period.

That's what it is in the books too.
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