Author Topic: Animorphs and religion  (Read 6582 times)

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Offline Hylian Dan

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Animorphs and religion
« on: February 05, 2009, 04:43:52 PM »
Just to play Devil's Advocate to that other thread...

Isn't Animorphs irreligious to some extent? Was KAA trying to make some statement about God and Satan with the Ellimist and Crayak?

The author of that satirical article about Animorphs and Satanism actually missed a much better talking point about Animorphs and religion.

When I read this editorial by Kathleen Parker, a little red flag went up at one point, thanks to Animorphs. See if you can figure out what I'm talking about:

Quote
Meanwhile, it isn't necessary to evict the Creator from the public square, surrender Judeo-Christian values or diminish the value of faith in America. Belief in something greater than oneself has much to recommend it, including most of the world's architectural treasures, our universities and even our founding documents.

Belief in something greater than oneself...
Being part of something greater than oneself...

Hey, remember The Sharing?

On the surface it's all about family and community and brotherhood and sisterhood. It's just like the Boy Scouts, the Animorphs often say. It's about being part of something greater than yourself. But when you join them, they slip a slug into your ear that wraps itself around your brain and controls everything you do from then on.

Isn't that a metaphor?

Here's a blog post I wrote about it for a class.

Offline DinosaurNothlit

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2009, 05:27:51 PM »
This is such an incredibly good point that I'm amazed I never spotted it before.  I'll never be able to look at church the same way again.

Do you think it's intentional that K.A. makes scarcely any direct mention of religion in the books?  If she's really as anti-religion as this connection would make it seem, the neglect of religion in the main characters' lives suddenly makes a lot more sense than it ever has to me before.

Hmm.  What about Ax, though?  One could label him as 'religious.'  What's K.A. saying there, I wonder?

Offline Shock

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2009, 05:39:39 PM »
if anything, Animorphs has a little bit of Animalism thrown into it.

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Offline Chad32

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2009, 07:18:26 PM »
I have noticed the great absence of religion in the series. Shouldn't Jake be going to Mass? Why is church never mentioned during the weekend? Though I'm not sure if California is part of what we in alabama call the Bible Belt.


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Offline RYTX

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2009, 07:28:40 PM »
Why is church never mentioned during the weekend? Though I'm not sure if California is part of what we in alabama call the Bible Belt.

Lol, not even close.
I know hardly anyone who goes to church regularly, even among the "faithful"
I thought religion was down played in the series, and I'm glad. Religion's not a big part of my world, so it seemed more real to me.
Plus I think it would invite a lot of gribbing in to "God is cruel, and how can he do this to me...." Glad that wasn't a part of it
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Offline AniDragon

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2009, 08:14:25 PM »
Plus I think it would invite a lot of gribbing in to "God is cruel, and how can he do this to me...." Glad that wasn't a part of it

Which, now that this is mentioned, kind of surprises me that we didn't see any of this through Tobias.
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Offline goom

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2009, 08:19:23 PM »
hah. very nice post.
http://www.thesharing.org/

Offline Hylian Dan

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2009, 09:03:09 PM »
The Yeerks are among us...

Quote from: DinosaurNothlit
Hmm.  What about Ax, though?  One could label him as 'religious.'  What's K.A. saying there, I wonder?

We could take another look at the ending of the series:

Quote
[spoiler]"You will place yourself under the command
of The One?"
Santorelli's eyebrows shot up. "The who?" he
blurted.
I looked at Jake. At Tobias. At Jeanne. There
was a sort of collective shrug.
"I command this ship," Efflit 1318 explained,
"but I serve at the pleasure of The One Who Is
Many. The One Who Is All. We are not alone,
Rakich-Four-Six-Nine-One. We are not this ship
alone. We are the seeds of a new empire that will
far outshine the old, under the leadership of The
One." Weird to see that wild, messianic glow in
the eyes of a man you knew was really just a Yeerk
slave. It was a disturbingly human expression.

Santorelli said, "Urn, who is this . . . this
One?"
"I will invoke his presence," the Yeerk said.
He closed his eyes and raised his face.


"You have done well to come this far. You
have come to find your friend. But the Andalite is
part of me now.
As you will soon be."
Jake stared back at the foul thing on the
screen. I saw what he saw, and I felt as if my
brain was shutting down
. In that shifting alien
face was every corruption, every evil, and such
power that it seemed impossible it could be pres-
ent in just the narrow confines of the onrushing
Blade ship.
[/spoiler]

I think that KA used the Ellimist to show how even though he was this higher power, but he wasn't infallible and he was far from being all-powerful. There were rules he had to obey and maneuver around.

Quote
Do you think it's intentional that K.A. makes scarcely any direct mention of religion in the books?  If she's really as anti-religion as this connection would make it seem, the neglect of religion in the main characters' lives suddenly makes a lot more sense than it ever has to me before.

Everworld tackled religion very directly. Jalil was an atheist and April a devoted Christian. Jalil was the most intelligent of the group, and in Senna's book April came across as being the least intelligent but the most compassionate. There was also the way KA treated the various religions of Everworld. Egyptian society, for instance, went into complete decay because of religion.
[spoiler]Senna loved church because that was where she was able to practice controlling other people, because of the mind-state they were in there. Senna invents her own sort of religion to try to take over Everworld. She becomes an infallible leader, and her followers are the Sennites.[/spoiler]

Remnants treated religion more favorably, though. That series was about politics and people motivated by personal gain, so the selfless aspect of religion was treated more favorably. Later in the series there were a bunch of implied comparisons of Billy to Christ, and there was a moving scene when Mo'Steel and his mom went to pray.

I would guess that KA isn't anti-religion so much as she is against people letting their minds be controlled by others. Her books emphasize individuality over collectivism (which may be why each Animorphs book starts with "My name is...") and critical thought over blind faith, and she repeatedly tears apart the notion that any being can be infallible.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2009, 09:08:53 PM by Hylian Dan »

Offline Loligo

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2009, 09:40:10 PM »
Maybe K.A.A. avoided going too deeply into religious discussions and themes as a way of being sure to include all of her readers. Religion tends to be exclusive..."if you are a member of this particular religion, you believe this, this, and this, and not that". I'm not sure I would have liked the series as much if it had more of a religious tone. While people might believe that the Ellimist is "God" and the Crayak is "Satan", basically everyone can accept that the characters were used as a metaphor for good and evil.

Still, Animorphs isn't completely irreligious. Jake and Rachel have Jewish heritage, even if they don't practise the religion. Ax mentions that when he was posing as Jake, his (Jake's) family prayed before dinner. I imagine that Marco was brought up as Roman Catholic, though he seems to be more agnostic by the time the story takes place. The books don't say much about Cassie and Tobias ever going to Church. Actually, the Animorph who seems to be the most religious is Jake.

Whew. I started typing, and found out that I had a little more to say than I intended...

Offline dolphin4077

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2009, 11:07:01 PM »
I think Cassie's family was actively religious too because in either #14 or #19 there was a reference to a Father Banyion (don't remember the spelling).  So Cassie, Jake, and Ax were the ones who were the most religious.  I get the sense Rachel and Marco were lapsed due to their family situations; their respectively absent parents were probably the ones who thought religion was important.  Tobias would be the least religious because I doubt either of his guardians thought that was important.  However, he did mention to Ax a few about wanting some sort of meaningful ritual, and he was excited about learning the Andalite heritage.

Offline Phoenix004

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2009, 12:18:21 AM »
Besides the obvious Ellimist/Crayak conflict, I never really connected religion with the Animorphs series. I'm not sure if KA intended the Ellimist/Crayak story to be a symbol of God against Satan, and I wouldn't mind either way, but I actually really like how it was done.

People often say that God must see us like we see an Ant hill, that he's more than powerful enough to help us and simply chooses not to. However, the Ellimist shows that might not be the case. Maybe he does have the power to help and he does want to, but do to reasons beyond our understanding, he simply isn't allowed.
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Offline DinosaurNothlit

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2009, 01:41:15 AM »
To me, the Ellimist/Crayak-God/Satan connection seems pretty obvious.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was intentional.

One difference that I've found interesting, though, is that Crayak has an 'avatar' that he speaks through (the Drode) whereas Ellimist does not.  This is sort of the inverse of the case with God and Satan.  If Crayak were the good guy, I think I would equate Drode to Jesus.  But as it is . . .  I dunno, it probably doesn't mean anything.  It's just something I found sorta interesting.

People often say that God must see us like we see an Ant hill, that he's more than powerful enough to help us and simply chooses not to. However, the Ellimist shows that might not be the case. Maybe he does have the power to help and he does want to, but do to reasons beyond our understanding, he simply isn't allowed.

Another interesting difference.  Maybe K.A. is saying that we can't really know what God is doing up there?

And as a final note, I would just like to agree with everyone who said that more religious characters would have interfered with my enjoyment of the books.

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2009, 04:52:40 AM »
Good point Hylian.
In fact I think she's just atheist. Not sure, but she write like an atheist would do...
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Offline Chad32

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2009, 09:49:16 AM »
One big difference between Ellemist/Crayak and God/Satan, is that God is supposed to be so much more powerful than Satan. Whereas Ellemist and crayak are on equal footing. So it's more justified in Ellemist's case. I don't want to go too far into religion bashing, though.


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Offline Hylian Dan

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Re: Animorphs and religion
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2009, 12:52:21 PM »
Quote from: DinosaurNothlit
To me, the Ellimist/Crayak-God/Satan connection seems pretty obvious.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was intentional.
I agree that it was intentional. The Ellimist is caught up in a lot of the interesting themes of the overall story. His book shows that he is both an individual and a collective being, for instance, and that he is a "brilliant loser." A trapped kid who got in way too deep and couldn't get back out.
Quote from: Phoenix004
People often say that God must see us like we see an Ant hill, that he's more than powerful enough to help us and simply chooses not to. However, the Ellimist shows that might not be the case. Maybe he does have the power to help and he does want to, but do to reasons beyond our understanding, he simply isn't allowed.
The Ellimist does raise that question. If there is a God, in what ways are his power and influence limited? Aren't there rules and principles he must abide by, rules to the game that he plays? What are those rules, and what would be the consequences of violating them? Does he interfere in the same manner the Ellimist does, stacking the deck ahead of time, making slight adjustments when he can, looking for loopholes in the rules of the game? Is he an Almighty meddler? A brilliant loser? Is he really infallible? Who is he, exactly, where did he come from, who appointed him, why is he in such a position of power in the universe? Is he the pawn of some even higher power? Is he an individual with his own mind, a three-part being, or a larger collective consciousness made up of countless minds? How well do we understand him?
Quote from: Nohensen
I don't want to go too far into religion bashing, though.
I think Animorphs plays both sides of that field, especially in Visser and The Ellimist Chronicles, and with The Sharing and The One.

The Sharing and The One both promise deliverance through the surrendering of one's individuality and freedom. Megamorphs 4 shows how vulnerable Tobias is to their promise. His own self is worthless to him. He watches Jake intensely, hoping that somehow he could have his life. Be him, not Tobias. Later he realizes that there was no escape rope, and that he could have endured.

Visser shows how The Sharing was designed to exploit human religious, cultish behavior:
Quote
It would cater to one of the most fundamental human weaknesses: the need to belong. The fear of loneliness. The hunger to be special. The craving for an exaggerated importance.

I would make a haven for the weak, the inadequate, the fearful. I would wrap it up in all the bright packaging that humans love so much.

The Sharing would never be about weak people being led to submit to a stronger will, no, no, it would be about family, virtue, righteousness, brotherhood and sisterhood. I would offer people an identity. A place to go. I would give them a new vision of themselves as part of something larger, erasing their individuality...

I studied every cult, every movement, every great, mesmerizing leader that had ever held sway over humans.

And by the time those thirty-five humans came into the rented hall, I had adorned the walls with symbols and flags and icons. All the visual nonsense that moves the susceptible human mind.

They filed in, some in small groups, but most alone. They were stirred by the inspirational music. Flattered by the attention paid them by attendants I’d hired from a temp agency. Impressed by the expensively produced booklets we handed out. Awed by the pictures and symbols that draped the walls...

Later, after it was over, I found I couldn’t recall exactly what I’d said to this first meeting of The Sharing, not the specific words. A lot of high-flown rhetoric touching on the themes humans love to hear: that they are special, superior, a chosen few. That their failures in life are all someone else’s fault. That mystical, unseen forces and secret knowledge will give them power.

The next Saturday there were more than twice the number of humans. And already I had begun to explain that there was an “Outer” Sharing, and an “Inner” one. The humans in the “Outer” Sharing were wiser, better, more moral, superior to the average human, but not as superior as those lucky few who had entered the “Inner” Sharing.
I think this quote is very critical of organized religion, identifying the need for religion as the great weakness of humanity. At the same time, however, Visser features Eva as one of its central characters. Eva is religious, and her relationship with God is a strength, not a weakness.

I think there are plenty of real organizations that can be considered the equivalent of The Sharing. The Church of Scientology is definitely the most obvious. I tend to equate Scientologists with Controllers. Their organization is frighteningly powerful and has too much control over its members. There are members, then there are full members, then there are fuller members. They go after powerful and visible celebrities, just like The Sharing. And, Scientology's founder: L. Ron Hubbard. The Sharing's founder: Lore David Altman.

There's also the Boy Scouts, which is often compared to The Sharing in the books. The Boy Scouts promise acceptance and belonging, becoming part of something larger than yourself. They can give a lonely kid a community to belong to. They indirectly give power to members who rise in their ranks. Eagle Scout status is a powerful tool in our society. But members subscribe to the beliefs of the organization or they are kicked out.

What about gay kids? They are often the ones who feel the most powerful need for a sense of acceptance and belonging. But if you're gay and you join the Boy Scouts, you stay in the closet or you lose everything they've offered you.

Quote
"Place your right hand here," Bill said.
I placed my hand in what could only be a
shackle. A handcuff. My insides were churning
now. I was placing myself totally in their power.
What was I doing? What was I doing? ...

Bill suppressed a smile. "You want to leave
The Sharing? You want to leave all of us? All your
friends? After all we've done for you? Okay, To-
bias. But what will you do, then? Where will you
go? What's your future?"
My heart was pounding. "I don't know," I said
desperately. "I just. . . I . . ."
"There is no 'I,' Tobias. What are you? One
lonely, messed-up kid. No one loves you. No one
cares. No one but us. Put your head in the har-
ness."
Quote
Hard to imagine humans welcoming seven-foot-tall goblins into their local Boy Scout troop when they couldn't even manage to tolerate some gay kid.

Are some religious organizations similar to The Sharing in certain ways? Is religion a source of strength or an exploitation of weakness? Is it both? Where is the line that divides the two?