The Philosopher Kings (Thessaly, #2)

by Jo Walton

Why did people convert, both historically and in the City of Amazons? Why was my village Christian? Why did Botticelli convert? He wasn’t an idiot. Anyone can see he thought hard about things.” I blinked. “Botticelli was always a Christian. What made you think he converted?”

this implies that people born to a religion can't think about it or be converted 😞

“I think what’s so appealing, both then and now, is the idea of forgiveness for sin. If you’re genuinely sorry for what you’ve done, you can be forgiven and your wrongdoing taken away.” “You give up responsibility for it?” She was frowning hard. “Yes. You’re washed clean of it.” “Without making restitution to people you harmed?” she asked. “It’s the spiritual side of it,” I said, feebly. “But you’re right of course, it’s between you and God, not you and whoever you wronged.” But Ikaros had come to apologize to me. My forgiveness had been important to him, not just God’s forgiveness.

she almost seems to get it but not quite. I would say restitution is part of repentance.

“Banning it gives it too much power. And it would be impossible to keep it out entirely now that it’s the official religion of the City of Amazons, if we’re going to have any contact with them at all. Forbidding it might make it seem attractive to rebellious Young Ones,”

.c1

“I think we ought to allow it but laugh at it, and keep showing how silly it is. Because it is silly. There are a whole lot of absurdities.

.c2 a very anti-christian position

“Letting them in and ridiculing them seems like a terrific strategy. Forbidden fruit is sweet, but nothing is appealing if people mock it.”

tree of Life

“I know nobody is supposed to talk about their lives before they came to the City, but everyone does.” “I don’t think we were wrong to make idealistic rules,”

And there is no such thing as omnipotence, and omniscience is extremely overrated. As for omnibenevolence, I’m sure you realize by now that we’re doing our best. And time is a Mystery, by which I mean you are welcome to make up your own theories and I’ll be grateful if any of them come close to being a useful analogy.”

The sun isn’t literally a winged chariot with two fiery horses. It’s literally a big ball of fusing hydrogen. But metaphorically and spiritually, it’s a chariot. My chariot.

Echoes of Voyage of the Dawn Treader: "Even in your world, that is only what stars are made of, not what they are."