Lorne Lanning: A Jesus Freak

Statikk HDM · #1 07-16-2001, 09:22 PM

Has anyone noticed the odd biblical connections in the oddworld series? First the obvious Magog= one of the evil factions in the war to end all wars. Many think that Magog is one entity but it really is an army Hall of nolybab= Hall of babylon Exoddus= the second book of the bible in which moses leads the Isralites out of Egypt. See? lorne really is "rippin off" alot of sources. And now one that hits closer to home Abe =The Great emancipator Aberaham Lincoln.

iliodd · #2 07-16-2001, 09:26 PM

Man, you have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much free time.

Statikk HDM · #3 07-16-2001, 09:39 PM

Here's another 1 for yer viewing pleasure Abe= the fore told messiah. He's not Lincoln for christ sakes in the game he represent the son of God himself. and the Quarma isn't Christian but it definetly is religious! How about this, The BAD ENDING IS ABE'S HELL!

Oddsville · #4 07-16-2001, 10:22 PM

Man, I have no Idea what your talking about and I agree with Iliodd!

Crazy Vykker · #5 07-17-2001, 08:36 AM

Anyway, this is a curious theory

abe22 · #6 07-17-2001, 09:49 AM

Let me say whats wrong with being religious?
And yeah I agree with lliodd you have a lot of free time

PinkHaired Mudokon CWR · #7 07-17-2001, 06:56 PM

So, What's wrong with being a Jesus Freak? Jesus is cool. Exoddus is more than Isrealites, it also has duty that Moses has to do like talk to the rock, get the ten commandments from mount siani, so I think some of the Exoddus has to do with it yeah. But I kinda think they should of take mudokons out of Necrum or something, than soul storm or they Rupture Farms because it was mostly oppressed mudokons like the isrealites and stuff

PinkHaired Mudokon CWR · #8 07-17-2001, 07:02 PM

But yeah, I kinda noticed that like long time ago, Hey, since you have free time, here's some chores for you to do for me: I want you to

wash my paramite
massage my feet
fan me
do my chores
brush my hair
do my homework
go to my job and do my work
write my work paper
beat these games for me
organize my cd's
vaccum my cat
eat my birds
brush my pizza
Put chlorine in my pool of gravy

hmm, list stops here, but I have more to come! Fwahahahahah!Communist!Fwahahahah!

[ July 17, 2001: Message edited by: PinkHaired Mudokon CWR ]

TheBlueScrab · #9 07-17-2001, 08:20 PM

Hi

I like God, Jesus and all other Heaven members.
God and Jesus is correct..löl

My favorite Heaven member after God and Jesus are Angels.
Angels are beautiful heavenly bodies.
They have beautiful white wings...

But every Human have various minds.
That´s life !!!

Bye, TheBlueScrab

Statikk HDM · #10 07-17-2001, 09:44 PM

Yo, I'm not a commie, meathead, pinko, liberal, jesus bashing shit,etc. Does anyone read newsweek, jesus freak is a term of endearment. I was just noting the fact that oddworld seems patterned after the bible. By the way I'm Lutheran and the last thing I want to happen to me is piss off God.

iliodd · #11 07-18-2001, 12:47 AM

I believe that some people here are carrying this Biblical idea too far. You can find Biblical references in just about anything. The fact is that a lot of themes and ideas from the Bible have permeated modern society, and thus, indirectly, the creative process.

The Bible is the oldest recorded piece of literature containing many of the storytelling elements which we consider basic, including oppression of races and many parts of the hero pattern (including destiny and resurrection).

Thus, it seems natural for us to attribute anything with these story characteristics to Biblical referencing when, in fact, this is often not the case, at least not intentionally.

Isn't it possible to look at the Oddworld games and to enjoy them in a secular fashion, rather that searching for divine meaning? The concept of Quarma in the games represents a secular ethics - there's no God who intervenes with big noises and lighting effects. Quarma is a secularly spiritual idea - you are not rewarded or punished for your deeds by a divine force, but rather by your fellow citizens of Oddworld.

I very much appreciate how Lorne Lanning has managed to create a hero without resorting to the typical or Biblical heroic pattern. As a matter of fact, I think there are as few parallels to the Bible here as possible.

And I doubt that this is a coincidence - Lanning is one of the most progressive people I know of, having created a viciously anti-corporate game series which manages to be spiritual without mentioning the divine. Can't we appreciate its spirituality without comparing it to other, older, mainstream models?

***Cloverfield*** · #12 07-18-2001, 04:04 AM

I have no idea what Lorne's religous beliefs are, and even if I did, that is his own business and like everyone, he can believe what he wants. BTW, I am Christian, so there is nothing wrong w/ that.

However, Lorne does derive a lot of characters and ideas from books and history... there is a huge reference library which is drawn on. I think someone mentioned, that the bible is also a historical book. In the Oddworld stories, you can also find influences from other religions and beliefs also.

Abe Babe...

ODDBODD · #13 07-18-2001, 05:19 AM

ok like alot of "save the day" stories relate to god becuase its a challenge between good and bad. I am a very religeous person and can relate to HDM, but i doubt that lorne's religeon will have any part of the OWU.

so we'll leave it for the dancing quales

LuxoJr · #14 07-18-2001, 10:17 AM

Is the Bible really the oldest recorded literature in existence? There's got to be something older than the scrolls somewhere out there.

sodd · #15 07-18-2001, 11:55 PM

"ripping off" eh????

Good writers incorporate complicated themes into their works, this is one such theme.

You could just write a story about a creature named Bob and he lives on Igoo-goo-tuk, but no, Oddworld acctually put thought into developing their story, into each name and character. I fail to see how this can be regarded as a bad thing, as "ripping off" the bible...

Take the Matrix for example.. do some research on that video... find out how they too "rip off" religeon....

Sydney · #16 07-19-2001, 05:18 AM

I doubt you can make a conclusion on Lorne Lanning's religious beliefs by analysing the Oddworld games. There's no doubt that there are some parallels to Christianity in the games, but no more than there are to eastern religions (eg, Buddhism), or Native American religions.

You can have an interest in theology without having to subscribe to one particular belief system.

abe22 · #17 07-19-2001, 05:34 AM

Abe dosn't represent god in anyway. It is a real name you know. I belive in god too. You Know Abe is just a fictional character anyway and how do you that the creatives are religious or not you don't know a thing about their beliefs so stop acusing them of riping off the bible

Joe the Intern · #18 07-19-2001, 06:00 AM

uuuuhhhhh..... thats all cool and all, but, i think you had a little too much cream in yer coffee if ya know what im saying j/k

.but seriously,i think its cool that theres a religious connection between oddworld and the bible. they made a genuine hero (so to speak) that didnt have to find bigger and better guns through the whole game (ex. Duke Nukem). the part i like most about it is the intensity and puzzlement of the gameplay. and that its mysterious and stuff. (i know ive had too much caffeine too

)

Statikk HDM · #19 07-19-2001, 06:14 PM

Ripping off was a little too strong. Lorne didn't do the blatant ripoff in the style of the flintstones kind of cloning the Honeymooners. The game does have plenty of mystical stuff going on it, so one probably could draw a religious thing in lots of the things that happen in the Oddworld game. It is nice that the the game is more than mindless shooting. Anyway,an ancindent before I shut up. A guy I knew thought that every band after The Who was just watered down who and that all musicians were stealing the whos material. That's ridiculous. Not everything is a ripoff. I concour, Oddworld has many religious aspects, but not All are Christian

PinkHaired Mudokon CWR · #20 07-19-2001, 08:04 PM

well, you really don't know if he used the bible. Hey, I think he did! It was not some coincidence. He might not tell us everything. Some things in the game i could see are like christianity, voodoo, and native american of some sort and military navy type, you know, the drunken, lazy, train smoke smelling sligs!LOL.

PinkHaired Mudokon CWR · #21 07-19-2001, 08:06 PM

and Abe22, grrr! I mean, whooooa dude! You need to lay off the mountain dew for a while. It will take long, but time shall heal your desire for mountain dew.

. Think, do drink maaaaan!!! *snap*

Danny · #22 07-20-2001, 01:11 PM

i agree with Illiodd - if you look hard enough, you're bound to find a biblical reference in most things. i think you're reading too much into this. also, i don't see why OW has to be ripped off from the Bible just because they share some characters.

certain things, such as magog and nolybab were obviously intended as biblical references, but that doesn't make him a Jesus Freak. have any of you ever read a Terry Pratchett book? he makes references to all kinds of things, but you can't use that to speculate as to what he believes. maybe Lorne just thought the Bible was a good story.

Oddipus · #23 07-20-2001, 02:21 PM

Most people on this topic are right. There are A LOT links too religious things (Christian, voodoo, natives, boudhism, whatever). And there are also links too our non-spiritual sociaty (brew, slavery,...)

I'm glad Statikk HDM made these connections. I'm sure there are lots of links we oversaw. So, if you really do have a lot of free time, keep digging for explenations.

Khemer_Blade · #24 07-20-2001, 06:16 PM

The theme of good versus evil in almost every rpg game out there has that reference to the scripture. It is a pretty commercial theme.

I suppose that Molluck, Aslike, Directer P, and Dripik are the 4 horseman of the Apocalypse right??

Danny · #25 07-20-2001, 07:03 PM

i think you may be on to something there...

oddguy 999 · #26 07-21-2001, 01:12 AM

Maybe it has a strong biblical theam so that it atracts biblical type people...?

Danny · #27 07-21-2001, 05:06 PM

to be honest, i think lorne would use anything if it got his messages across.

SpikeyMudokonPunk · #28 07-23-2001, 05:49 PM

yeah, magog is in revelations under satan's doom.

Joe the Intern · #29 07-23-2001, 06:27 PM

okay, lets allcut back on the surge and dr.pepper and scotch and bourbon alright? j/k but anyway, oddguy, i dont think lorne would use the bible to make a profit.

Danny · #30 07-23-2001, 09:10 PM

actually, i'd better point out that i think that it was me who said that, not oddguy, but i didn't mean that he'd use them to make a profit. what i meant was that Lorne believes in a lot of issues [the environment etc] and would use anything to hammer them home.