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Religion in Avatar

  • Avatar of StarWarsGuru66

    StarWarsGuru66

    [1]Dec 12, 2006
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    What kind of religious belief do the peopel in Avatar have?.I know believe in the??spirit world and spirts but in the episode "Bitter Work" Zuko yells at the sky during the storm and say's they have never held back befor.that kinda seems to indicate a more??monotheistic??religion.So what do you think there belief system is? Montheistic or Polytheistic or somthing completely different. Just wondering what other peopel think.

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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [2]Dec 12, 2006
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    Well, the greek gods resided in the sky and yet the are not a monotheistic people(or weren't). But it could be just an outburst using the lightning as a medium for his crappy life.
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  • Avatar of Miroku_of_Nite1

    Miroku_of_Nite1

    [3]Dec 12, 2006
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    It's sort of a Animism belief, but with maybe a omnipotent being at the top.
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  • Avatar of StarWarsGuru66

    StarWarsGuru66

    [4]Dec 12, 2006
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    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Well, the greek gods resided in the sky and yet the are not a monotheistic people(or weren't). But it could be just an outburst using the lightning as a medium for his crappy life.

    I was thinking that to i didn't state it because I had already mentioned the spirts and that's similiar to polythestic religion.I thought the lighting and the sky was similiar to the??Greek or Norse but the avatar world didn't??seems to fit into either religion.

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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [5]Dec 12, 2006
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    StarWarsGuru66 wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Well, the greek gods resided in the sky and yet the are not a monotheistic people(or weren't). But it could be just an outburst using the lightning as a medium for his crappy life.

    I was thinking that to i didn't state it because I had already mentioned the spirts and that's similiar to polythestic religion.I thought the lighting and the sky was similiar to the??Greek or Norse but the avatar world didn't??seems to fit into either religion.
    The romans might fit in with the greeks since they stole their religion and changed the names(i.e.Zues=Jupiter, ares=mars)
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  • Avatar of mblizzow

    mblizzow

    [6]Dec 12, 2006
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    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt. i think he was using the storm as something to yell at to vent his frustration out about life and his relationship with his father, who i think he blames for his mother's dissapperance.
    Edited on 12/12/2006 6:18pm
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  • Avatar of ardron

    ardron

    [7]Dec 12, 2006
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    Avatar has many Eastern and New Age ideas. For instance, the chakras, reincarnation, and the spirit world.
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  • Avatar of Miroku_of_Nite1

    Miroku_of_Nite1

    [8]Dec 12, 2006
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    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.


    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [9]Dec 12, 2006
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    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it
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  • Avatar of ardron

    ardron

    [10]Dec 12, 2006
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    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.

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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [11]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 11/23/06
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    ardron wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.
    *Deep voice* Oh yeeah.
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  • Avatar of ardron

    ardron

    [12]Dec 12, 2006
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    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.
    *Deep voice* Oh yeeah.

    Lets keep going!

    *Smooth and slyly* I dig you dog.

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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [13]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 11/23/06
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    ardron wrote:
    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.
    *Deep voice* Oh yeeah.

    Lets keep going!

    *Smooth and slyly* I dig you dog.
    Coolness party! "Were on a mission from God" If you don't get that you ain't cool.
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  • Avatar of ardron

    ardron

    [14]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 08/05/06
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    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:
    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.
    *Deep voice* Oh yeeah.

    Lets keep going!

    *Smooth and slyly* I dig you dog.
    Coolness party! "Were on a mission from God" If you don't get that you ain't cool.

    LOL, Yeah.

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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [15]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 11/23/06
    • level: 15
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    • posts: 6,908
    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:
    confucioussayhi wrote:
    ardron wrote:

    confucioussayhi wrote:
    Miroku_of_Nite1 wrote:
    mblizzow wrote:
    well for a long time china and that part of asia had no organized religion, japan still doesnt.
    If by long time you mean since Communist regimens came into power in Asia then yes. Most mainland Asian countries practiced Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, and rianism. Japan is known for Shintoism.
    ^Dig it

    Totally.
    *Deep voice* Oh yeeah.

    Lets keep going!

    *Smooth and slyly* I dig you dog.
    Coolness party! "Were on a mission from God" If you don't get that you ain't cool.
    THE BLUES BROTHERS! Man, they're the stuff. Like totally. Fine, *brooklyn accent*Don't talk the talk, unless you can walk the walk.
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  • Avatar of confucioussayhi

    confucioussayhi

    [16]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 11/23/06
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    John Belushi-RIP
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  • Avatar of ardron

    ardron

    [17]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 08/05/06
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    It is my personal pleasure to give you this retarded fact. The first waterproof diapers were invented by a women that cut up her shower curtain to wrap around her child.

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  • Avatar of PrimoNation

    PrimoNation

    [18]Dec 12, 2006
    • member since: 10/12/06
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    ardron wrote:

    It is my personal pleasure to give you this retarded fact. The first waterproof diapers were invented by a women that cut up her shower curtain to wrap around her child.
    ?? too funny!

    with that said... I didn't read the posts but I would have to comment that religion in a show is what you see in it.?? Some christians may see this show as being total blaphsemy, stating it encourages reincarnation with spiritual and magical powers.?? Other christians may focus on the family values, good versus evil and love can conquer all theories throughout the storylines.?? However, the characters themselves have chosen to be non-denominational in their speech and the writers have skirted the issue quite well.

    When Zuko was screaming up to the clouds about always getting the worse, he did not use the word God, Lord, or even Father (which could have been used as?? slip referring to his father indeed).?? And when Sokka was given his little speech in the same episode (Bitter Work) he mentioned an all powerful being so to speak as well, and I quote, "Okay karma person or thing, whoever???s in charge of this stuff..." however we have never heard them speak of an over all being thing other than these two episodes.?? We see Iroh bow at his son's grave and "pray" in a since by telling him they will be together soon... but that could be described as simply talking to one's grave as well.?? We know that they are true beliefs in??an afterlife??in this show by this episode??but I think they do quite well with leaving it open for interpretation however you see fit.

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  • Avatar of ilovemudding

    ilovemudding

    [19]Dec 13, 2006
    • member since: 12/05/04
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    • rank: Sweat Hog
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    StarWarsGuru66 wrote:

    What kind of religious belief do the peopel in Avatar have?.I know believe in the spirit world and spirts but in the episode "Bitter Work" Zuko yells at the sky during the storm and say's they have never held back befor.that kinda seems to indicate a more monotheistic religion.So what do you think there belief system is? Montheistic or Polytheistic or somthing completely different. Just wondering what other peopel think.


    I can't speak for all Asians, but among the Chinese, an outburst like this isn't really uncommon. Disgruntled people tend to blame the heavens for obstacles in their life. People also give thanks in the same way by lighting incense and facing the sky while praying.

    Of course, scenes like Zuko screaming at the sky aren't really something
    you see in everyday life, but they are fairly common in Chinese drama serials and
    period dramas.

    Ancient Chinese are also polytheistic, believing in a pantheon of deities, with the Jade Emperor reigning supreme. The series probably avoided using too much of real world religious references due to its sensitive nature, and just adopted a more vague approach.

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  • Avatar of Nalesnik

    Nalesnik

    [20]Dec 13, 2006
    • member since: 11/25/06
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    StarWarsGuru66 wrote:

    What kind of religious belief do the peopel in Avatar have?.I know believe in the??spirit world and spirts but in the episode "Bitter Work" Zuko yells at the sky during the storm and say's they have never held back befor.that kinda seems to indicate a more??monotheistic??religion.So what do you think there belief system is? Montheistic or Polytheistic or somthing completely different. Just wondering what other peopel think.


    I think the whole Zuko yelling at the sky was not at a god or gods. It was just him against the world. he was yelling at the world in general, it he never had any luck, so why would he have luck now, and not be struck by lightning. That was one of my fav scenes in avatar.
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