The Silent Types and religion

[Lunah]

So I think one of the most interesting aspects of the characters in Gundam Wing is how each of them view themselves versus the world. Whether they believe there is something greater than them. I started this debate a bit in the admin section, and some people had really interesting ideas.


I'm really focusing on Trowa and Heero, because they seem to not have a religion. In my opinion they don't have one because they've never had the ability to think about it, much like, realistically, neither of them would form any sexual relations during the series due to their inability to think about it (even though I think Trowa is sexually experienced via mercenaries, I don't think he was really turned into it).

So, neither of them have had the gift of thinking about whether there is a god.

Here's the question I pose to you:
Had they led normal childhoods, would they be religious, or is it a part of their nature to be relatively atheistic?

[pyrochan]

It is my feeling religion has nothing to do with having a 'normal' childhood, but everything to do with who raised you.

I think had Heero grown up with Odin as a normal parent roll, no he wouldn't be religious, and same if Trowa actually grew up with the circus or with Cathy etc (cos I don't think Cathy's religious, though correct me if I'm wrong)

[Lunah]

Cathy's pretty Cathy. She doesn't seem distinctly religious, though she's portrayed as a normal character and the average person does have some belief in a higher being, so...

And that's not necessarily what I mean. Is being atheistic part of their personality or background?

[pyrochan]

Background, but considering who raised the characters, even removing war etc, I still think they wouldn't be religious.

However if they grew up in a family with a particular religious belief the chance that they would be religious would be significantly higher, though not a gaurentee.

[iceya]

It's all a matter of who you're raised around and what someone eventually wants to do or not do with their own lives. If you look at it, in one aspect, you could say that they've done quite the opposite in some cases - Duo is a favorite of mine for this. He is "raised" by a nun and a priest, and in the end ends up becoming the God of Death to counter the lack of the Kind/Christian God that those around him were killed while believing in. The only thing consistent in this world that you can obviously see and be afraid of, or even not be afraid of as long as you acknowledge it is Death, in Duo's mind.

It could or could not be religious, perhaps more..spiritual really. To me "religious" entails also you tend to be apart of a group of people who form a religious group or basic religion. *shrug*

Religion and spirituality are two very different things, especially in the world today.

[linkworshiper]

I'm not sure religion really pertains to anybody but Duo to be honest. If any of the other characters have a particular faith, it is not something that defines he or she nearly as much as it does Duo, whose entire character is practically built on it.

But if we're talking about what Heero or Trowa would be like if they were normal, if they knew each other, I totally think they'd be broskis. (Well, they really already are, but hey.) But it is hard to say, as they might end up totally different if they weren't pilots since your history is what makes you who you are. I was about to say that Heero's overconfidence and brashness might show a bit more in a regular setting, but at the same time, would he have had experiences that would have given him reason to be that way? I mean, in series, after being trained so acutely, obviously he's going to be pretty sure that nobody can do shit better than him, which is why the fact that he gives Duo ass tons of credit for his abilities and that he nominates Quatre as their leader is such a big deal.

I think I am rambling a little though XDD

[iceya]

Eh, I'd say Duo is pretty rough about that. XD He'd be an interesting person to discuss with when it came to religion.

But I agree, I don't think still any of them are religious or really ever would be, spiritual, maybe. But it's all up to you as to what that means.

[zethsaire]

Wufei obviously shows much more dedication to his religion in fanfiction then in the series, but he defiantly has a strong spiritual connection. He respects the elders of his colony and honors his wife, which suggests he follows the Chinese tradition of ancestor worship, which was the basis upon which Confucianism was based.
There is also Taoism, which contains the concept of yin and yang, painting the female half, "yin" as the weaker force, which is consistent with his belief that women are weak.
Many Chinese people practice more then one religion, so he could actually believe in both Taoism and Confucianism...who knows?

As for the rest of them...I'm not sure!

[linkworshiper]

When I say Duo's character is built on religion, I am not referring to whether or not he is a faithful believer, which I think he is not. However, the fact that he parades around in a priest's collar and grew up in a church is reason enough to say that it is a vital part of his character, whereas it doesn't really matter for anyone else in the show.

I'm not sure that Wufei has been given a particular religion? Dedication to one's ancestors hardly denotes religion, but rather tradition. If you wanted to say that he practiced Confucianism, I would hesitate to really label that as a religion but more as a philosophical school of thought. And whoa there on Taosim, which translates to 'the middle way': the very principle upon which the Tao is based is a perfect balance of two forces, darkness within the light, and light within darkness (this is one of my favourite motifs for Heero and Duo, actually). The Yin Yang symbol illustrates this, showing two shapes within a circle that are identical in size and shape, and each with a trace of the other in the center... the Tao is the path through the middle, and that is one's ideal path through life.

And really, despite some of the similarities between the two, the two are based in completely different mindsets, so it is very, very unlikely that someone would be a dedicated practitioner of both. Taoism is more spiritual whereas Confucianism is based more on discipline and morals.

[Lunah]

Quatre is pretty spiritual - spirit heart counts, and he definitely seems to believe in something greater than them. All three of them are, which is why I find the other two fascinating. xD

[zethsaire]

Eh, you're probably right on the Wufei thing. I knew ancestor worship wasn't really a religion per sey, but according to Wikipedia (the source of ALL true knowledge) it had ties to confucionism...so that's where I was going with that.

And I don't know much about Tao at all...but I knew that Wufei clearly defines a distinct difference between men and women, strength and weakness, justice and injustice....

In most fanfics I've read, Wufei has been more taoist in origin, struggling to find balance within himself. But again, haven't done much research on either of those religions.

(I grew up protestant, and anything, but ANYTHING different, including Catholicism, was considered "satanistic". I'm trying to be more religion conscious, and learn more about lots of different religions, but I'm a bit behind in that department I think.)

[iceya]

You're behind in the religion department?
Damn, Zeth, I grew up Mormon.
*chortles*

And on topic, I'm not sure. It was confusing, at times, I think, in the series to try to place people in certain religions. Considering that it was obviously done by Japanese, you could possibly safely assume there are some odd stereotypes running around in there.

[Lunah]

Explaining the Christianity put on the American?

I haven't finished watching the series, does Quatre ever really say "Praise Allah" or anythig of the sort, or was that added in the fandom world?

[iceya]

That and the perception of the Chinese or any other culture, obviously, or lack thereof in numerous cases (considering what various people are supposed to be - I mean, whut? People are anywhere from Italian to French, Nordic, and more, and none of them show many differentiating traits, really, besides Duo being "Loud/Boisterous American" and Wufei being "Stick Up Ass Chinese", if you'll pardon the really rough stereotypes, as we all know that's not -quite- what they were). I understand the whole "world economy" and "everyone is more connected" thing, but still, there are nationalists in ANY society and the European bit, like with Romefellar and some others could've been played up more (but then again my version of the ideal GW is everyone speaking multiple languages and Wufei being strictly Chinese only; god, the accents and the voices and uuuugh. So much AWESOMESEX in one area, the cross cultures and uuuuuuuuuuugh...) but I get high on that sort of thing when no one is looking.

[linkworshiper]

I think a lot of the things that fandom lols at regarding Wufei is shit that the very clearly racist-towards-China Japanese put into him. I haven't really read any Wufei-centric fics, but Wufei beginning in a more Confucian school of thought and migrating to a more Taoist one would be a very interesting and very canon approach to his character, I think.

I once tried to imply that Heero was a Buddhist in a fic a wrote (and I shan't say which one), but it didn't quite pan out, so I left the detail out. It is still a particular way of thinking that I think would appeal to him, though.

As for Quatre believing in something greater than all of them, well... for me, this is a slightly different topic, but I think the reason that is so for him is because Quatre is the only one of the five pilots fighting with a grand vision for the future. He has a want for peace and is fighting for what he believes in, whereas the others are just fighting far more circumstantially. This is why I think Quatre is the strongest character in the show; it makes me nuts that he gets boned so hard in fandom D<