Worship of some gods like Bhaal is hard to imagine when you think about it

[Xanikk]

I'm not aware of any "evil" religions in real life or even any evil polytheistic dieties that people worshipped historically. What would motivate someone to do so? Dieties like Bhaal are incompitable with a functioning society. How would a society that worships a god that promotes indiscriminate murder stick together? It's chaotic and would fall apart. Of course this is explained in game by the fact that it's not a government promoted religion yet there are other religions in the DND universe that are openly evil and operate openly. I think Bane worships is one of them iirc.

So can someone prove me wrong and bring up some real life parellels or is evil gods being worshipped only really in the realm of fantasy?

[WuTaNiSt]

don't forget that in many cases worship of an "evil" god will be propitiation rather than glorification. Hardly anyone is going to pray to Umberlee because they like her, but if giving her temple a prayer & a big pile of cash means your ship is less likely to sink then all hail the ♥♥♥♥♥-queen!

[Stiven]

>4 pages of reatarded quasi-aligment ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
When you finally die out? Last time a checked 1999 was like 20+ yeas ago, and dnd 5e removed this ♥♥♥♥♥♥ alignment system. DnD Baal, rewards you for ♥♥♥♥♥♥ murders with coke/weed/etc drug-like state. DnD Baal's cultist is literally drug addicts. Case solved/thread can be closed.

[TrueRoyalty]

Here come Satan's bhaalwashers to defend religion and theology in the name of Babylon.

[Rabbit]

The majority of the modern religions have really dark pasts and really messed up ways you can apply their teachings - we're just in an age where most of them have softened up. Act 3 has an honestly perfect example of how an 'evil' religion can use more modern methods of tricking people into following them. House of Grief

[Kafik]

Originally posted by Xanikk:

I'm not aware of any "evil" religions in real life or even any evil polytheistic dieties that people worshipped historically. What would motivate someone to do so? Dieties like Bhaal are incompitable with a functioning society. How would a society that worships a god that promotes indiscriminate murder stick together? It's chaotic and would fall apart. Of course this is explained in game by the fact that it's not a government promoted religion yet there are other religions in the DND universe that are openly evil and operate openly. I think Bane worships is one of them iirc.

So can someone prove me wrong and bring up some real life parellels or is evil gods being worshipped only really in the realm of fantasy?

Evil is a matter of perspective. The Biblical Old Testament god is definitely evil when you think about it killing entire cities and civilizations or asking dudes to sacrifice their children to it just for not following its arbitrary rules. However if one follows the biblical Old Testament then one thinks that god is good.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by TrueRoyalty:

Here come Satan's bhaalwashers to defend religion and theology in the name of Babylon.

Ave Satanis
Hail Enkidu
Praise Eris
fnOrD

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by WuTaNiSt:

don't forget that in many cases worship of an "evil" god will be propitiation rather than glorification. Hardly anyone is going to pray to Umberlee because they like her, but if giving her temple a prayer & a big pile of cash means your ship is less likely to sink then all hail the ♥♥♥♥♥-queen!

Yeah exactly, people don't understand thst "evil" gods were often placated, not worshipped.

I mean, people gave offerings to tje god of death because they didn't want to die, not because they liked him.

[Xanikk]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

Originally posted by WuTaNiSt:

don't forget that in many cases worship of an "evil" god will be propitiation rather than glorification. Hardly anyone is going to pray to Umberlee because they like her, but if giving her temple a prayer & a big pile of cash means your ship is less likely to sink then all hail the ♥♥♥♥♥-queen!

Yeah exactly, people don't understand thst "evil" gods were often placated, not worshipped.

I mean, people gave offerings to tje god of death because they didn't want to die, not because they liked him.

Many of them were worshiped. The Hebrew god of the old testament was very evil by modern day standards as someone previously pointed out.

[Sistalis]

Originally posted by Xanikk:

I'm not aware of any "evil" religions in real life or even any evil polytheistic dieties that people worshipped historically. What would motivate someone to do so? Dieties like Bhaal are incompitable with a functioning society. How would a society that worships a god that promotes indiscriminate murder stick together? It's chaotic and would fall apart. Of course this is explained in game by the fact that it's not a government promoted religion yet there are other religions in the DND universe that are openly evil and operate openly. I think Bane worships is one of them iirc.

So can someone prove me wrong and bring up some real life parellels or is evil gods being worshipped only really in the realm of fantasy?

I real life beliving in god is a personal matter fate and a catholic priest as much as he might wish it ( As a random example) cannot have God afflict a person with a disease. You belive in something or you don't but what you gain from it is philosophical debatable and theory at best.

But in Fantasy games ( for the imagined people of DnD) The rules are if you belive enough something there is a strong chnace that you will get something, EX; worship in Talos and he might send a lighting bolt on a hated foe or belive in Helm and he might block a deadly blow from an orc.

Now imagine if that was true in real life, you would have buisnesmen beliving in Waukeen in the hopes of getting a better deal. ect...

[slamfu]

Originally posted by Xanikk:

Originally posted by TyborPL:

"Kali (/ˈkɑ:li:/; Sanskrit: काली, IAST: Kālī) or Kalika is a major Hindu goddess associated with time, change, creation, power, destruction and death in Shaktism."

"Kali's appearance is dark blue, gaunt with sunken eyes, and wearing a tiger skin sari and a garland of human heads."

I have a friend on discord from India and it's been asked if Kali is evil and he says "no". I will take his word for it as he's from India and is more knowledgeable about the subject. The Indiana Jones movie is definitely misrepresenting the goddess.

He is obviously a Chaotic Evil worshipper of Kali himself.

[slamfu]

If it hasn't been mentioned, check out the practices of the Aztecs. That was an insanely bloody minded religion involving some incredibly gruesome rituals that were practiced regularly. They killed so many people during various religious holidays they keep entire populations of conquered tribes around to harvest sacrifices. It was one of the reasons the Spanish were able to conquer them so quickly. Those tributaries were very receptive to Spanish overtures of wrecking the Aztecs.

[MattStriker]

Umberlee (the Sea), Talos (Storms) and Auril (Winter) are great examples of "realistic" evil deities. They represent destructive natural forces and they are mainly propitiated rather than worshipped. You sacrifice to and honor them so they will not turn their wrath upon you. As such, all three have numerous temples and shrines across Faerun and are perfectly accepted members of their pantheon.

Meanwhile someone like Bhaal only appeals to the homicidally insane and you'll only ever find his shrines underground (often literally). Bane is an edge case as he is pretty much the God of Fascism and there are a bunch of societies across the Realms who are kind of into that as well as those who regard it as anathema.

[talemore]

The moon God is called Selune

But in our world the moon God was called SIN

And it is the most told story how Babylon fell where people were slaughtered by the worshippers of God.

It is as well the case that

GOD = sun

SIN = moon

And yet today the battle between the moon and the sun is continuing.

Those who worship the moon are called lunatics.

[MattStriker]

Originally posted by slamfu:

If it hasn't been mentioned, check out the practices of the Aztecs. That was an insanely bloody minded religion involving some incredibly gruesome rituals that were practiced regularly. They killed so many people during various religious holidays they keep entire populations of conquered tribes around to harvest sacrifices. It was one of the reasons the Spanish were able to conquer them so quickly. Those tributaries were very receptive to Spanish overtures of wrecking the Aztecs.

The thing about the aztec sacrifices was the deities involved might actually be neutral or even good-aligned in DnD terms. Human sacrifices were made to gods to strengthen them in their battles against the various evils threatening the world. Huitzilopochtli the sun god, the best-known recipient of such sacrifices was thought to be engaged in a constant battle against primordial deities of the night who wanted to plunge the world back into eternal darkness and extinguish all life.

[MattStriker]

Originally posted by talemore:

*incoherent rambling*

Take your medicine...