Sfdebris.net

I just wish modern sci fi writers stop acting like our main characters are somehow the most important people ever and nothing ever happened without their involvement.

You wouldn't be reading anything about the happenings, if it wouldn't happen to the protagonists, regardless of how unlikely it is.

Madner Kami wrote: ↑Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:21 am You wouldn't be reading anything about the happenings, if it wouldn't happen to the protagonists, regardless of how unlikely it is.

I mean they don't need to be the cause of everything that happens allways.

So you want to read or hear about a story that happens to someone else, who the book or movie or series does not depict? I'm curious how that would work out. A (literal) Bard's Tale?

clearspira wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 10:43 am BTW, I did discover one other thing on my Wiki binge: the original ending for this episode had Palamas fall pregnant with Apollo's child. And it isn't at all clear that she wasn't raped.

KIRK: "Yes, Bones? Somebody ill?"
McCOY: "Carolyn Palamas rejected her breakfast this mornin."
KIRK: "Some bug going around?"
McCOY: "She's pregnant, Jim. I've just examined her."
KIRK: "What?"
McCOY: "You heard me."
KIRK: "Apollo?"
McCOY: "Yes"
KIRK: "Bones, it's impossible!"
McCOY: "Spock, may I put a question to this gadget of yours? I'd like to ask it if I'm to turn my Sickbay into a delivery room for a Human child–or a god. My medical courses did not include obstetrics for infant gods."

That brings two questions to mind:

1) Were Apollo and Palamas out of sight of Kirk and the others long enough to have engaged in intercourse? (consensual or otherwise)
2) Is there any place nearby that would afford them the kind of privacy one would typically want when having an intimate moment? (somehow I doubt Apollo's McTemple is large enough to have a decent master bedroom inside)

If you are someone's prisoner, then it is always rape. The power disparity rules out meaningful consent.

PapaPalpatine wrote: ↑Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:18 pmThat brings two questions to mind:

1) Were Apollo and Palamas out of sight of Kirk and the others long enough to have engaged in intercourse? (consensual or otherwise)
2) Is there any place nearby that would afford them the kind of privacy one would typically want when having an intimate moment? (somehow I doubt Apollo's McTemple is large enough to have a decent master bedroom inside)

Apollo is a literal god. Virgin births aren't exactly uncommon, when it comes to religion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraculous_births

Madner Kami wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:17 am

PapaPalpatine wrote: ↑Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:18 pmThat brings two questions to mind:

1) Were Apollo and Palamas out of sight of Kirk and the others long enough to have engaged in intercourse? (consensual or otherwise)
2) Is there any place nearby that would afford them the kind of privacy one would typically want when having an intimate moment? (somehow I doubt Apollo's McTemple is large enough to have a decent master bedroom inside)

Apollo is a literal god. Virgin births aren't exactly uncommon, when it comes to religion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraculous_births

Perhaps, but I got the distinct impression that Apollo fancied the more traditional method of procreation with Palamas.

Madner Kami wrote: ↑Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:35 pm So you want to read or hear about a story that happens to someone else, who the book or movie or series does not depict? I'm curious how that would work out. A (literal) Bard's Tale?

No there a different between starting something and finishing it.

Artabax wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 10:50 pm

AndrewGPaul wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:08 pm I know Star Trek has been a little inconsistent on the subject, but does driving the last member of a Space it’s to suicide count as genocide? I mean, it’s not like he was a threat to the Federation - a “no entry” sign was good enough for the Guardian of Forever or the Talosians.

My vague understanding of Mediterranean religions before Christianity (apart from Judaism, perhaps) is that they were based on worshipping the gods “or else”, whereas Christianity was more about worshipping God “to get a better deal” (unless you count eternal damnation as “or else”).

Wrong. The OR ELSE fits monotheism more than Paganism.
Inquisitions, Crusades, Jihads and Genocides are common for One-true-God-ists, because they CARE about the ONE true Faith TM.

When the Roman Empire wanted to conquer a new province, they often started worshipping that provinces Gods more fervently than the locals did.

Why would Pagans care? Our Clan worships Zeus properly, by definition. If the Clan in the next valley also worships Zeus properly. That is nice, but if they do it wrong, so what?

That’s more about the religious organisations than the actual religion, I think. What I meant was that Christianity and Islam offer a benefit to worship - you get the benefit of going to heaven (which unfortunately logically justifies the inquisitions, crusades, jihads and the rest; if you don’t believe what I believe, then I believe you’ll go to hell. Going to hell is worse than anything that could possibly happen to you in life, so whatever I do to you to make you change your mind is for your own good. Aren’t people wonderful? ).

Whereas the Roman, Greek and Egyptian afterlives weren’t really a benefit. The purpose of worship was to ask the gods to do something in this world or to stop them from acting spitefully.

And wasn’t the Roman persecution of Jews and Christians because those groups wouldn’t worship Caesar properly? It’s one thing to believe in extra gods, but refusing to believe in the ones the state says are already there is dangerous to one’s health. Good for the arena animals, though.