Would you be an atheist in Westeros?

[David C. Hunter]

I am soooo into the Old Gods. No joke. When I buy my first house Im actually going to plant trees in the back yard and carve faces into them.

[vogorroswhore]

Which makes the question of whether I'd be an atheist in Westeros very interesting. Because while I dislike the practices of some of their religions more than some real world religions, it seems like their gods might actually exist! It's unclear if R'Hollor is a font of power that enables Red Priests to work magic or if magic exists as a naturally occurring thing in the world of Westeros and the concept of R'Hollor is applied to explain this natural phenomenon (which is what we do in our world imo). But if it's the former rather than the latter, and we may never know which it is, I would not be an atheist in Westeros because I would have proof of the Red God's existence.

Very interesting point. I too am an atheist in real life, because I do not believe in the existence of a deity. My intent in starting this topic was very broad, and I suppose it would have been more accurate to ask the forum posters if they would follow any particular religion in the book, which is of course not mutually exclusive in believing in the deity worshiped by that religion. You do bring up an interesting point about the fact that there is proof of R'hllor-induced power, which may either be due to R'hllor's existence or a mythological explanation for a "natural" (in this case, magic natural to ASoIaF) phenomenon. There is also proof that the Old Gods "exist," except that they may have started as mortal greenseers and were elevated to a deity-like existence. I would definitely be agnostic (and probably quiet about that) in Westeros because I couldn't get into any of the religions in the books, but now I am wondering whether or not I would actually be an atheist. For example, I'd still probably reject R'hllor, but it's hard to say if I'd believe in R'hllor's existence after seeing a sampling of Red God pyrotechnics.

[The King in the South]

Ehh I'm not sure I'd pray/worship, but I'd definitely show some respect to the old gods and rhillor, as there is something "unworldly" going on with them

[Gurkhal]

I'd probably adopt whatever religion that is domaint in the area I ended up and thus it will probably be the Seven. Still with Melisandre and all that around who shows divine/magical powers I think that its more likely that I would end up as godless than atheist if it really went to hell.

[The Swaggering Bravo]

Yes, I would be an Atheist in that I reject any forms of established dogma in Westeros or Essos. Remember that Atheism is only disbelief in deities, not anything supernatural, for example, Buddhism is an Atheistic religion. I'm an Atheist in real life but I may reevaluate that position if teenage girls were to start walking out of funeral pyres untouched or if dragons (Which are impossible according to the laws of Evolution) were real. And Giants, and Others, and bloodmagic.

[ForeverBallin]

The Old Gods: now we know that these are basically a bunch of gross, half-rotten tree symbionts who may or may not derive their power from eating weirwood paste mixed with the blood of innocent crannogmen.

Pretty sure that was pulp and sap.

[ForeverBallin]

Yes, I would be an Atheist in that I reject any forms of established dogma in Westeros or Essos. Remember that Atheism is only disbelief in deities, not anything supernatural, for example, Buddhism is an Atheistic religion. I'm an Atheist in real life but I may reevaluate that position if teenage girls were to start walking out of funeral pyres untouched or if dragons (Which are impossible according to the laws of Evolution) were real. And Giants, and Others, and bloodmagic.

:stillsick:

[Sevumar]

I'd probably adopt whatever religion that is domaint in the area I ended up and thus it will probably be the Seven.

I think the go-along-to-get-along attitude would probably count for a lot in Westeros and some parts of Essos. There's actually pretty good amount of tolerance for followers of the various Westerosi traditions. Religious claims of exclusivity don't seem to be popular in Westeros, so the appearance of large numbers of R'hllor worshippers is bound to upset some people.

I could see a fair number of people joining religious groups motivated by a desire to access and wield the power some of these groups have showm, rather than out of dedication to the group's beliefs. In a way, this seems like what Arya is doing in the House of Black and White.

[The Swaggering Bravo]

:stillsick:

...What?

[ForeverBallin]

I'd probably worship more than one religion, unless it claimed the "one trve God" thing.

^Nothin'

[deleted01]

Jojen got ate? wut. Clearly I missed something..

I'm agnostic irl, I guess? I believe in something but I can't say "oh yes, Christianity/Islam/Sikhism/Buddhism etc is exactly right for me", because I disagree with some principles and agree with others. I rarely pray but when I'm down it does help to just get all my feelings out to an unseen deity - religion, not insanity :P

In Westeros? Like others have said, I think it'd depend on where I was born, what my family believed in. If I lived in the North, I guess I wouldn't know any other gods but the old gods; likewise in the South for the Seven. R'hollor, not only cannot I not pronounce nor spell that, I just don't like the idea of human sacrifice to please a god. Didn't Mel admit to using tricks as well? Tut tut. I love how Martin came up with all the religions tho, they're really well thought out. Out of all of them I like the idea of the Seven the most I think, and I also like how the old gods have no names, and when their weirwoods are torn down, they have no power. Not something many religions now would happily admit..

[Fearsome Fred]

I am a Christian in RL, so if I were in Westeros, I would probably pick something that most resembles Monotheism. In the faith of the Seven, the Seven gods are thought of as seven aspects of a single Deity, and they also advocate something that vaguely resembles Judeo-Christian ethics.

Something I find curious: in the time I have spent on this board, it seems as though the posters here are overwhelmingly atheist ... or, at best, some kind of agnostic or pagan. In religion-related threads like this one, you will see a dozen posters announce that they are atheist, a handful will say they are agnostics usually with an affinity for the aesthetic of paganism and nature-worship, and occasionally two or three that admit they were "raised Catholic" or some such. And that's all that the latter will admit. It seems as though even Pretty Meris could not extract from them a confession that they actually believe any of the core traditional tenets of any one of the major monotheistic religions.

[imany]

I don't think the OP's post encompasses all the gods. According to Arya, in Braavos there are a ton of other religions that don't have much impact on the story so they aren't talked about much.

If I lived in Westeros/Essos, my religion would probably be whatever was most convenient and took the least work that still made me seem acceptable ;)

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

I don't think the OP's post encompasses all the gods. According to Arya, in Braavos there are a ton of other religions that don't have much impact on the story so they aren't talked about much.

If I lived in Westeros/Essos, my religion would probably be whatever was most convenient and took the least work that still made me seem acceptable ;)

It seems like the old gods for you.

[Aeryk Targaryen]

Of course I wouldn't, the power of Cthulhu transcends time and space! Kneel before the Great Old One and quake with fear!

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.

I am a Christian in RL, so if I were in Westeros, I would probably pick something that most resembles Monotheism. In the faith of the Seven, the Seven gods are thought of as seven aspects of a single Deity, and they also advocate something that vaguely resembles Judeo-Christian ethics.

Something I find curious: in the time I have spent on this board, it seems as though the posters here are overwhelmingly atheist ... or, at best, some kind of agnostic or pagan. In religion-related threads like this one, you will see a dozen posters announce that they are atheist, a handful will say they are agnostics usually with an affinity for the aesthetic of paganism and nature-worship, and occasionally two or three that admit they were "raised Catholic" or some such. And that's all that the latter will admit. It seems as though even Pretty Meris could not extract from them a confession that they actually believe any of the core traditional tenets of any one of the major monotheistic religions.

I'm also Christian in reality, but I think I'd go with the pagan inspired Old Gods if I were in Westeros. Then again, R'hllor worship does involve playing with fire, and I do like fire.

[Fire Eater]

In Westeros, I would go for the Old Gods since it fits my own view more IRL. I have a Taoist, animist view of the world. When I think of the divine, I like to think of something along the lines of the Force. The Old Gods make me think of the Force from Star Wars, which, like the Old Gods, flows through all things, and when livings things die they rejoin the living Force like the spirits join the Old Gods.

[Gurkhal]

I think the go-along-to-get-along attitude would probably count for a lot in Westeros and some parts of Essos. There's actually pretty good amount of tolerance for followers of the various Westerosi traditions. Religious claims of exclusivity don't seem to be popular in Westeros, so the appearance of large numbers of R'hllor worshippers is bound to upset some people.

I agree entirely. Its no sense to itch for a fight when you can have the "live and let live" harmony going. To bad the monotheists came along and put the world to the torch.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

Need I say more?

[NanChan]

An intriguing question!

In real life, I generally try to keep an open mind to all religions and tend to seek out what logic lies beneath a said ritual.

If I lived in Westeros, my religion will probably depend on which continent/region I was born in and my own family follows which. So I would not be an atheist.

I do however, find it curious that while other religions directly accept magic/sorcery as a way of life and have developed techniques of their own to yield its powers, the Faith of the Seven remains rather silent about it. Not that they don't know of it's existence but they seem to have turned a blind eye on the subject of magic/sorcery. I wonder why.

[protar]

Well I'm an atheist but that would probably be different in a world with magic and dragons etc. I think I'd follow R'hllor.

Also as a side note has anyone noticed that religion in ASOIAF is really weird? Everyone who's not a downright atheist like Sandor seem to believe in every God, and it's just a matter of personal preference. Like Victarion paying homage to both R'hllor and the Drowned God. Was that really how it worked in those days?