A serious conversation about religion. Witcher. “Opium for the people”.

The trilogy about the Witcher was passed by me, the whole world with its terrifying ambiguous complex moral and moral elections was carefully studied. I admit, this adventure affected me quite strongly, on my worldview.

If earlier, in childhood and youth, the picture of the world in my eyes was like worlds from an epic The lord of the rings And Star wars, then after the witcher everything changed dramatically. In the first two there is a world where there is a dual system of the world: Good is evil or The dark side is the bright side, There are people who adhere to one or the other side, there are also people who have not yet decided on their final choice.

That is, on the one hand, there is always the personification of good – Gandalf or Master of Yoda, on the other, the absolute destructive evil is Sauron or Darth Sidius, and the main character is always located in the center, for whose soul there is a struggle, which is inclined to one side, then to the other – Eneken Skywalker or Frodo Frilitative. It is important to say that the hero is the personification of the viewer: a young, eager for adventure, emotional, striving for good.

The witcher gives a completely different picture of the world, during the passage, I realized with game examples that people are much more complicated, there are no kind and bad, the world cannot be divided into black and white, all people Gray. Why gray? Then that everyone is guided by their interests, and for the sake of them is ready to conclude a deal with conscience and go to negative actions, perhaps even guided by “good intentions”. No one denies that all of us, people, strive to one degree or another to the good and the “bright side”, but it cannot be unequivocally said that we will not use the “short and dark path” to achieve our goals.

Two wolves fight in every person. One wolf represents evil – envy, jealousy, regret, selfishness, ambition, lies. Another wolf represents good – peace, love, hope, courtesy, truth, kindness, fidelity.
The wolf that you feed always wins.

I was 16 years old and this simple truth has become a revelation for me. The world in my young eyes has become much more complicated and easier at the same time. Relativity of morality and morality.Here is the influence of video games on a person, society, a system of values.

Opium for the people

Why did I decide to make out this quest? I myself don’t know for sure, I just feel a huge tendency to this topic and is terribly interesting to understand. I am also deeply convinced that behind the quest there is not just a couple of hundred lines of code and dialogs, but an idea, a pure idea. And what? -So we will try to find her.

The original Polish name of the quest is very close to ours – “Opium dla ludu”. In our way, an “opium for the people”, and this is a direct reference of the Citacus of the teachings of Karl Marx. Let me remind you that the teachings of this philosopher for our country played their Special ambiguous role. Also, many times in its works, this passage was quoted in.AND. Lenin. The English name of the quest – “A Greedy God” is a greedy god, and this historical reference and ambiguity are completely lost here. God is greedy, that’s all.

In general, there are several different opposite theories about the meaning of this quote, here are a few quotes:

Religion is an opium of the people. Religion is a genus of spiritual sivuhi, in which the slaves of capital drown their human image.

Marxism always considers all sorts of religious organizations, as organs of bourgeois reaction, serving as the protection of operation and stupefying the working class.

It is difficult for us to live in the 21st century opium, since we are sure that opium is a dummy drug. And this is so, but not everyone knows that opium was used for medical purposes as an analgesic, was written out by suffering insomnia, and was freely sold, and was also a source of inspiration of some famous writers (like morphins). Therefore, there is a place for such an interpretation of this quote:

Here is such a turn, everything is not as simple as it seemed at the beginning. There are already two polar positions in my head regarding the name of the quest, and we have not yet revealed to those religions, cults, worship. But I will definitely say that in our society this quote has become the main pillar for all sorts of militant atheists, who with particular fury interpret Christianity as fingering people, which, of course, for all sensible people is a ridiculous joke.

Let’s get back to the witcher

Geralt in essence, is a pragmatist and agnostic, denies religious teachings, relies only on his own forces, and not on the Almighty, and this is due to his magical craft, but respect the various beliefs of people. Although I note that the witches have their own cult – the cult of purpose. In fact, faith in an inevitable rock or fate. Let’s move on to the assignment itself.

Record in the diary:

Wandering in the forest wilderness Velen, Geralt stumbled upon the altar. Next to him were two preoccupied peasants. When the Witcher asked what was worried about them, the men told that the deity they revereable with the plum -thrilling in the name of the Vysbog rejected the gifts brought by them. The Witcher, although he was not particularly religious, promised that he would stand up for God -fearing villagers. It turned out that surrounded by incredible honor of Vysobog is an ordinary Sylvana or, as ordinary people call it, the devil. The cunning beast convinced the men of her divine power and had lived in contentment for many years, eating sacrifices.

The main object of interest in this story is Vysbog / WSZECHBOG / AllGod. Fore vile, dirty gluttonous bull -like creature. The Witcher immediately begins with aggressive positions, having the intention to deal with the next Bestia.

As the peasants explain to us, the contract was such – donations and obedience in return for custody and protection from troubles. Of course, guardianship and security is only conditional, abstract and not material. Later, because of the war, the villagers could not present the same good gifts as before, therefore, Voskogog is angry.

We players understand all these factors and are united in our opinion with the Witcher. We are ready to get a sword and crumble into the cabbage of this attacker, for the sake of a good purpose – to free the slaves from lies, from such a skilled form of slavery. But everything changes when we learn about the otigog more.

– You have a good fed at the expense of these poor fellows ..
– So at the expense, I help them, bless, let go of sins, give advice. And believe me, people need it. I would continue to take care of them, but they do not comply with the contract.

And the arguments of the https://bookmakersnotongamstop.co.uk/review/golden-genie/ beast, like seeds that fall into the soil and germinate in our mind. We are starting to doubt, now we do not want to chop vicious nonhumans, we want to figure out the situation. Understand the situation, motives. We try to find out more.

– You have been sitting in this hole for a long time?
– About a hundred years. It was winter, I took refuge here, broke the fire – so large that the flame on the crevice set fire to the bushes on the mountain. I sang from smoke … And suddenly I hear-some peasant. The voice is from nowhere, – shouts, – miracle! Well, so I became a deity.
– Rather, a parasite.
– Maybe so. Only who, in this case, Freya and Melitel? After all, they also give nothing in exchange for sacrifices and prayers. You can at least chat with me.

And this time the monster desoles the attacks of Geralt. Freya and Melitel are the most common ancient cults that are worshiped in the North and Skelig. And we feel the shake of the position of the witcher. A serious dilemma opens in front of us: to kill Vysobog, come to terms or try to agree.

a) murder.
Turning the terms from the real world can characterize the current situation as a local pagan cult. Idolatry. Imaging the Idol of Supernatural Forces. From this position, Vsebog is naturally parasite, which manipulates peasants and forces them to give them food. Therefore, the aggressive position of Geralt in relation to beast is logical, and the murder of an overflow is a logical solution.

But will the peasants be grateful? No.

b) humility.
We stand up to a position that says that the otibog is right and his demands are justified, because he is engaged in a difficult matter – helps to solve the problems of the villagers, although with a bit of “divine” arrogance and majesty. The matter is noble, this is not for you to dig a bed, here you need a mind.

What people say? That you need to devastate your pantries.

c) contract.
Geralt forces the whole threat forces the Vysobog to behave more modest, and he saw the silver sword behind his back the Witcher agreed. Compromise. As they say, the wolves are full and the sheep are intact. But whether this fits into the concept “if I need to choose between one evil and the other, I will not choose at all”?

The reaction of the common people – joy, gratitude to Vysobog for mercy.

Why exactly the last choice is the right? Why you can’t kill him? Because we think with our supposedly “rational” categories, and Geralt too. But our diet does not fit into this situation at all, these peasants Vera Necessary, If it were even a faith in a wooden pillar, and we begin to understand this during a conversation with the Non -Bog. These villagers feel protection and help in him. And who are we to climb to them with our instructions how to live, break their way of life? And do they need such a liberation?

This ethical-modal choice that we make in relation to two NPCs is not simple. Because we are changing, this dilemma laid out an imprint on us, on the players. If we get through this problem, we will understand that religion and faith are not a gift from heaven, it is not a magical fulfillment of desires, but life with happiness, with solid confidence that everything will turn out as it should.

And in some strange way

Such a conversation about the quest from the game flows into the conversation about the reality in which we live. Such a role of art to show things from our world from a different angle, affect certain conflicting topics. And this conversation on an acute topic is relevant after all, because for some reason we now have a religion, especially in the youth environment, is considered something funny, useless, unnecessary and obsolete. It is fashionable, to be so, a kind, “knight” chopping heads of the idols of the old world.

But is it true? Everyone defines himself. And I think, after this blog-thoughts, you will repeatedly think about your choice.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The best comments

The desire to make a minimum of effort to help someone? In the game, you are a migacolor, which in any case will not deal tightly with their problem, and therefore there is no sense in these reasoning. Choose any option, since the future is still unknown to you and what it will lead to we do not know.
Another thing is if you decided to tightly deal with any problem. The decisions are not divided into humility and revolutions as correct or not, they are divided into what path you can go, depends on your determination and capabilities (and rather on the first than the second). You do this not for the “approval of the peasants”, but for your goal. There are enough personalities in history who went against society to correct its vices and won. Another thing is to clearly see your goal and strive effectively for it. Nowadays, too many mother revolutionaries have divorced, with Ketchup banks and dull calls on the Internet. And if you do not have enough confidence to take the bull by the horns and solve the problem here and now, then your path is humility and passive help. Do not understand me wrong, this is not something bad, but a completely normal path, no one says that your life should be filled with the struggle with society.
As for the quest, you can kill it, and the peasants may pray to a pillar that will not demand large offers from them, or maybe they will take up the mind.
Leave it as it is and people will live the same as they live, in the end stability, no matter what it is, is preferable for many.
You can compromise, but you still will not follow its performance and everything will return to your circles.
And about religion, then it is necessary to clearly divide religion and religious organizations into. The librarian who ragged you does not make literature worse. It is only sad that all the jambs of some priest some people (although why some, most) belong to religion as a whole.

Many smart and mature comments that have arguments. I will add my three kopecks.

I understand that the situation is given as an illustration, but I will prefer to deal with the situation.

We have a full -fledged parasite that feeds on the resources of the village. He is not a deity and does not know how the peasants help. In any case, I did not understand how he protects against troubles, what he does, what advice gives. And whether the payment for these services is proportionate. Take the Witcher: He kills the monster. They pay him money or give something, but for a full and clear service. In this case, it is possible to canonize Geralt as a wandering God, who travels around the world and gives his will wherever. But Geralt is not a deity and does not call himself such. He knows that the mutant and does not mislead anyone, although, according to Laura, he is really a deity. No creature is able to kill him, since Geralt is either stronger or smarter. Wild Gon eventually suffered a defeat from his sword. And yet Geralt is not a deity.

Let’s go down to the peasants. Like a parasite in the body, Sylvana settled, which, as is characteristic of the parasite, devours the body in which it is located without caring that the village may have problems. If he really played the role of a deity, he could really influence the life of the village – the peasants would continue to supply him with food and drink for their good. But nevertheless, Silvan was greedy. He created a conflict that attracted the attention of the Witcher. And even realizing that before him his potential death, a specialized killer of his counterparts, he does not cease to build himself a deity, giving out excuses.

To kill him is to tear out a parasite. Who at least once in his lifetime knows perfectly well that after the excretion of a bred and dumbfounded parasite, the body is exhausted, it is no longer supported by a parasite that overeat the body.

To put up with him – wait for residents of the village for meat for meat. Когда вся деревня будет уничтожена из-за паразита, который не знает, что своей прожорливостью он истощит поставщиков питания.

To agree is a controversial moment at which it is worth paying attention that Sylvana is not burdened with morality, not afraid of the witcher, does not have a glimpse of the limit. The witcher left, sailed in Skelig and what would prevent Sylvana to just assume the whole village and go to another area, after which Geralt will never find him again. And if he finds, then Sylvana will simply turn on the fool “so I was not”.

In two cases, there is a risk of the inhabitants of the village due to confidence in the fraudster. In the case of the murder – the path of a clenched fist (Jade Empire, if anyone played, they will understand) when the village falls into a crisis, but if they survive it, they will become stronger.

As for religion, it is a part of psychological growing up, education and help necessary for people. Now, with the development of psychology, the importance of religion is blurred, since alternative ways of educating people of high moral qualities appear. Moreover, some currents of religions have become the instruments of the same “Sylvanas” who simply do not care about the life of followers.

I will write separately: religion – this was an important part of the lives of people who made people morally, now some of its aspects continue to do this. But the religion system has been living too long and should either develop and transform into modern realities, or become atavism, not wanting to understand that the current social foundations, requirements and rules are contrary to the doctrine, which simply has become irrelevant. What way to choose – to solve religion to religion. How to follow and what to believe in is to decide individually to everyone.

As for Geralt, in fact a strange thing, he never killed safe monsters, in the first book there is even a story about Diavol, so that his impulse to kill this is a rather strange game in the game.
And about religion, I think that it needs to change in order to be relevant. Looking at the history of mankind, it is worth noting that religion (at least I speak for Christianity) for a very long time carried an important moral and cultural message. And if the Catholic Church tries to change in modern realities, then the Orthodox remained in the same place where it was, conditionally, a hundred years ago. Because of this, she remains the lot of the elders, leaving and, will be frank, not very smart people. Plus, it is worth saying that there is an extremely small group of peers (+-20 years count), which are believers. Very rarely met such.

I agree, the game is painted in sufficient details of both good characters and monsters. And it delights.

Good or evil, bad or good – this is not a characteristic of an object: a person, an act, event, but the attitude of each individual subject to it, based on his own worldview and beliefs. As they say:

In fact, given that opium acts as an analgesic and fights with symptoms, and not with the cause, it turns out that this is not a polar position. Yes, they come from different sides and reveal the meaning wider, but are not opposite. Given that all analogies are false, everything is quite smoothly fits into one concept, because it is necessary to take into account the context.

Therefore, the aggressive position of Geralt in relation to beast is logical, and the murder of an overflow is a logical solution.

This is a selfish and impulsive solution. Logic here only somewhere passed by. Because it is proposed to destroy an important social element and without offering anything in return. Well, how the villagers are freaking up and they cut each other and neighbors at the same time? Or another such rogue will come and will already ask for much more tough offers? And Geralt himself, for such radical measures, they will not try to impose on the pitchfork?

And he is not necessarily correct. After all, we still get into the system with our unwashed hands. Geralt and Dofig player specialists in the management of the population in order to interfere in the work of a professional? Here, too, a deep study of the situation and special training are required. Without this, all the same selfishness turns out – I think that it should be so bad, it should be a little, but not so, because this is my opinion.

And who are we to climb to them with our instructions how to live, break their way of life? And do they need such a liberation?

But this is another question. Very important and slippery. We are nobody. But some visiting Metropolitan or Comrade Lenin could easily strangle the bastard in the toilet here and give the population a competent training manual for the maintenance of LPH and moral standards and morality. That is, theoretically, radical intervention can bring serious benefits. Fortunately, this is a game and here it is supposed to “train on cats”.

It is basically fashionable for youth to fight with windmills. Therefore, the opinion of such a “specialist” on religion and politics, as operators of all sorts of colens, “is very important for us”. Another thing is if people, even young, use a system scientific approach. And the prerequisites for the overthrow of the “old idols” are quite serious.

Figa, horned people on the screenshot on my Batya look like a scribe! And so, an interesting thought. In many quests in a witcher, you can find references to various modern cultures. So, for example, a quest with a baron. It was necessary to give the name of the troubled soul of the child.
Indeed, in many cultures, it is believed that a person gains certain properties that affect fate, based on the meaning given to him by the name.

Maybe so. Only who, in this case, Freya and Melitel? After all, they also give nothing in exchange for sacrifices and prayers. You can at least chat with me.

About Melitel, a man bends slightly. She even talked and helped Yennifer in books. Let once.

Thanks for the cosmically cool comment!
The thought about the participation of the arrogant metropolitan or comrade Lenin in this situation terribly liked it, I did not even think in this way.
An interesting analogy with the war against windmills, but this war, although it is useless, but everyone has it. And from my bell tower, ridicuating religion, like a trend, among young people develops in a completely serious scale.

I completely agree. But this is the simplest choice that can be made – to blame the librarian. But easier – does not mean correctly.

And, in general, I am delighted that at first glance it is not a significant and passing story can be discussed so detailed, disassembled from different angles.