188 votes
Accepted

In-universe, is Aslan actually Jesus?

Yes. There are a few quotes by C.S. Lewis relating to Aslan and Jesus. In a letter to a young girl named Sophia, Lewis writes, "I don't say. 'Let us represent Christ as Aslan.' I say, 'Supposing ...
Jack B Nimble's user avatar
81 votes

Is Kirk’s comment about “LDS” intended to be a religious joke?

No, the point is that Kirk, despite having an interest in 20th Century history, is still largely ignorant of the finer details. He's dredging up half-forgotten memories in what the original script ...
Valorum's user avatar
  • 677k
79 votes
Accepted

Why isn't the religion of R'hllor, The Lord of Light, dominant?

The religion seems to be gaining power, as the priests gain actual powers. This is an interesting question, and I suspect that it'll be explored more in future books and that it's deliberate that all ...
user56reinstatemonica8's user avatar
78 votes

How many Gods are in Game of Thrones?

In the "modern day" era of the Song of Ice and Fire there are quite a few different religions, but figuring out how many "gods" there are is a bit tricky. On Westeros (the continent where most of the ...
KutuluMike's user avatar
  • 103k
74 votes

What religious references are there in the Matrix trilogy?

I did a little bit more research, and found something interesting. Agent Smith’s vehicle has a license plate on the front, which contains a Bible verse, as seen below: That verse, which is Isaiah 54:...
OKprogrammer's user avatar
  • 1,875
71 votes

If there are students of other religions at Hogwarts, why are only the Christian holidays celebrated?

I don't think it's really as complicated as some of the other answers (and comments) suggest. The British, by and large, consider the secular celebration of Christmas to be part of their cultural ...
Harry Johnston's user avatar
64 votes
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What religious references are there in the Matrix trilogy?

Some references: The two other leads in the Matrix are both religious references. Trinity is the Christian conception of the godhead three-in-one. Morpheus is the Greek god of Dreams. The Oracle is ...
TenthJustice's user avatar
  • 39.6k
52 votes
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Are hobbits religious?

Doubtful Tolkien wrote in a footnote to Letter 153 that Hobbits had no practice of worship or prayer: There are thus no temples or 'churches' or fanes in this 'world' among 'good' peoples. They had ...
Jason Baker's user avatar
51 votes
Accepted

What does Aslan mean about being a bridge builder in our world?

To add on to what NKCampbell said, consider this from CS Lewis' Mere Christianity (emphasis mine) An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with ...
Machavity's user avatar
  • 51.4k
50 votes

Why did Tolkien describe religious cults in Numenor only?

Tolkien himself covers this quite bluntly in Letter 165. I will try not to say to much and let the quotes do the talking, however we will later see the details are more greatly fleshed out in the same ...
Edlothiad's user avatar
  • 77k
45 votes

What does Aslan mean about being a bridge builder in our world?

In context, I believe the river is death. As you correctly note, Aslan is Jesus, not an allegory for Jesus or another member of the Godhead, he's just Jesus. And unfortunately for humanity, there is ...
TenthJustice's user avatar
  • 39.6k
41 votes

What religious references are there in the Matrix trilogy?

In addition to the references given in another answer, there are other references to Neo as a Christ figure: His last name is Anderson, which means "son of man" -- a name that appears in ...
Null's user avatar
  • 69.5k
40 votes

Is Kirk’s comment about “LDS” intended to be a religious joke?

The dyslexic comment indicates that he was aiming for 'LSD' and arrived at 'LDS'. No Mormons were harmed in the creation of this joke.
bmargulies's user avatar
  • 2,050
40 votes
Accepted

Old site with the religious affiliations of most science fiction writers

You're probably looking for this. It's a wayback machine (web.archive.org) link (from 2019; thanks to @Nzall), as suggested by @lucasbachmann. (The earliest working snapshot is from August 2000.) ...
Ben Bolker's user avatar
  • 2,196
39 votes
Accepted

An average heaven where everyone has sexless golden bodies and is bored

This is Philip Jose Farmer's "A Bowl Bigger Than Earth " which was first published in If, September 1967. Your description is spot-on. (Here's a link to an online version.) It's been ...
Mark Olson's user avatar
  • 40.3k
34 votes
Accepted

What makes the Lord of the Rings a Catholic work?

Catholics (and Christians generally) see the universe as the handiwork of God, and therefore essentially Good. However Satan introduced Evil and seeks to set himself up as better than his creator. The ...
Paul Johnson's user avatar
  • 6,220
34 votes

Why isn't the religion of R'hllor, The Lord of Light, dominant?

R'hllor is very prominent on Essos, where the religion is based. There the red priests are born and gain their station; only a few have come to Westeros. For example, Thoros is from Myr and ...
CHEESE's user avatar
  • 18.6k
31 votes

In-universe, is Aslan actually Jesus?

Appears to be "Yes" I haven't found a primary source for this, but numerous secondary sources claim that Lewis once wrote: '[Aslan] is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, "...
Jason Baker's user avatar
30 votes

If there are students of other religions at Hogwarts, why are only the Christian holidays celebrated?

There are three main elements here. There are were no Jewish students at Hogwarts. Bear with me before you start yelling. One day, JKR waved her magic twitter-wand (long, long after she'd finished ...
Valorum's user avatar
  • 677k
30 votes
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Short story: member of 'atomic priesthood' reminisces

Short version: I think this story is almost certainly "Aspic's Mystery" a short story by Arsen Darnay. Originally published in Analog in 1976, it was later anthologised in "Space Mail, ...
Clara Diaz Sanchez's user avatar
26 votes
Accepted

Did any Star Trek actors have issues with the anti-religious nature of the series?

It is unlikely that any of the well-known actors made such statements. Your premise is not entirely correct. Roddenberry's thoughts are well known, but they didn't always translate to the screen. The ...
Z. Cochrane's user avatar
  • 6,378
25 votes
Accepted

Who or what do the members of the Abbey worship?

From The Unofficial Redwall FAQ: Is there religion in Redwall? No. Although the terms "abbey", "abbot" and "abbess" are usually associated with the Roman Catholic Church, Brian Jacques has said ...
FuzzyBoots's user avatar
  • 216k
25 votes

Looking for a Neal Stephenson passage on religion as inoculation / vaccination / prophylactic

I think the OP is conflating the passage from Cryptonomicon which @JohnRennie posted, and a passage from chapter 61 of Snow Crash between Hiro and Juanita: "Why? Why doesn't [the cult of Asherah]...
gowenfawr's user avatar
  • 25.7k
23 votes

How many Gods are in Game of Thrones?

Some other gods: The Great Shepherd or lamb god is the deity of the peaceful Lhazareen. They are taught that all men are one flock. The Old Man of the River is a lesser god of the Rhoynar. He is the ...
Schullz's user avatar
  • 1,642
23 votes

Do the Calormenes worship any gods other than Tash?

The Calormenes regularly refer to "the gods" collectively, but Tash ("the irresistible, the inexorable") seems to be supreme. It suggests that "the gods" are comparable ...
DavidW's user avatar
  • 121k
23 votes

Science fiction short story about teleportation and a tiny civilization

This is "Prominent Author" (1954) by Philip K. Dick. The story itself is a precursor to THE CRACK IN SPACE (1965) in that a businessman takes the ‘jiffi-scuttler’ short-cut through space to ...
Unrelated String's user avatar
22 votes

What makes the Lord of the Rings a Catholic work?

The Letters give a few examples of how Tolkien saw his work as specifically "Catholic" (rather than Christian in general), or recognised that others did so. Letter 153 includes a footnote ...
Blackwood's user avatar
  • 21.1k
20 votes

Originator of the "Gods Require Belief" Trope

TL;DR: The trope is almost as old as fiction itself. The ancient Babylonian flood myth, The Epic of Atrahasis, which inspired the better known Epic of Gilgamesh and the biblical flood narrative, was ...
Wad Cheber's user avatar
  • 69.4k
20 votes

In-universe, is Aslan actually Jesus?

Since nobody else has quoted it yet, I think this is the most relevant passage in the actual text, from the very end of The Last Battle (abridged slightly): 'There was a real railway accident,' said ...
Harry Johnston's user avatar
20 votes
Accepted

If there are students of other religions at Hogwarts, why are only the Christian holidays celebrated?

Out of universe J. K. Rowling is a Christian and as thus she wrote the books about Christianity. To me the religious parallels have always been obvious, but I never wanted to talk too openly about it ...
ibid's user avatar
  • 88.6k

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