(I just read Phil Dick's "VALIS", which led me to thinking...)

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So quoth Gunslinger Moogle:
In terms of Gnostic Christianity, if Aeris can be described as a "Christ figure", what is the symbolic meaning of her being run through by Sephiroth?

(I just read Phil Dick's "VALIS", which led me to thinking...)

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It would relate to Longinus most likely.

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Gunslinger Moogle's account was hax0red to write:
In terms of Gnostic Christianity, if Aeris can be described as a "Christ figure", what is the symbolic meaning of her being run through by Sephiroth?

(I just read Phil Dick's "VALIS", which led me to thinking...)

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Aerith is a Christ-like figure? Whoah, kick-ass.

Personally, I didn't see any biblical symbolism in Aerith's death and I really don't think there was much, if any. I mean, aren't most people in Japan either Shinto or like, not Christian?

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The logic train ran off the tracks when Mr. Gainsborough said:
Aerith is a Christ-like figure? Whoah, kick-ass.

Personally, I didn't see any biblical symbolism in Aerith's death and I really don't think there was much, if any. I mean, aren't most people in Japan either Shinto or like, not Christian?

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The operative phrase was "if", though - like, if you look at Aerith as a Christ figure, what would the symbolism be like? You're probably right...however, Sephiroth is named after the "Tree of Life" - and I remember there was a giant essay somewhere on the intarweb explaining all the little and big ways FF7 relates to Gnostic Christianity. But I don't think it explained what symbolism could be found in Sephiroth impaling Aerith, and I figured you'd be the expertupo.

That said, if you don't feel up to it I imagine Deth could field it. Somehow. And tie it into Marvel comics.

...
but Sakkra's probably right though, although I was hoping a more complex and revelatory (?) answer could be found.

As for non-Christianity - you're probably right, but then again we've got Xenogears (quite Christian) and FFT (very, very loosely Catholic) from Square alone.

Gunslinger Moogle fucked around with this message on 05-23-2004 at 07:45 PM.

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This insanity brought to you by Sakkra:
Besides, it was Jenova that killed Aeris, not Sephiroth. Sephi was kinda encased in the Lifestream IIRC.

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All I remember is, it was Sephiroth's body in the FMV.

Also note the similarity of the names Jehovah and Jenova.

So that said, Sephiroth possessed by Jenova killed Aerith. Gnostic? yaes? noe?

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Verily, Gunslinger Moogle doth proclaim:
All I remember is, it was Sephiroth's body in the FMV.

Also note the similarity of the names Jehovah and Jenova.

So that said, Sephiroth possessed by Jenova killed Aerith. Gnostic? yaes? noe?

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Jenova can take other forms

Unfortunately I don't know what gnostic Christianity is, so I can't contribute to the meaningful part of the discussion yet

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Gunslinger Moogle had this to say about (_|_):
Aerith

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Are you mocking me?

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Mr. Gainsborough enlisted the help of an infinite number of monkeys to write:
Are you mocking me?

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Yeth.

I do, however, believe that there are a number of parallels between Sephiroth and the Antichrist. I can get into the comparisons in detail if you want.

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Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael had this to say about Cuba:
If you want Gnostic, ask Lyinar. Gnosticism is, surprisingly, one of the few things I have absolutely no idea about.

I do, however, believe that there are a number of parallels between Sephiroth and the Antichrist. I can get into the comparisons in detail if you want.

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Ah-ha! You have revealed your weakness! Now in any political thread, we can just say but what would the gnostics think!?

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Gunslinger Moogle spewed forth this undeniable truth:
Ah-ha! You have revealed your weakness! Now in any political thread, we can just say but what would the gnostics think!?

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ONO! MY KRYPTONITE!

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And I was all like 'Oh yeah?' and Jania Arindelil was all like:
I haven't ever studied up on Gnostic Christianity, but I do know a fair amount about just normal Gnosticism.

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Well I guess that'll have to do-po.

1. Gnostic Christianity believes that there is a true God that is ascended from the affairs of Man.

2. This God gave birth to lesser godlike creatures. Sophia being among them.

3. Sophia in turn gave birth to a defective lesser godlike being. That being is called the Demiurge.

4. The Demiurge is the God of the Old testament. The demiurge is viewed as basically evil, jealous, petty, and prone to genocide. Also is arrogant and believes it is the surpreme diety.

5. The Demiurge is viewed as the creator of the world and lifeforms, so the world itself is imperfect and evil. They didn't believe in original sin or fallen nature; because the world was evil from the beginning.

6. They were dualists. The spiritual was good, the material evil. Anything to do with the flesh or material world is evil. Everything to do with the spirit were good.

7. Man has the seeds of the divine in their spiritual nature from Wisdom (Sophia, mother of the demiurge). He could gain secret knowledge of the spiritual realm. Knowledge of the spirit was key to salvation.

8. Jesus as messiah was viewed as a liberator, instead of a saviour/judge. He brought ways of understanding the secret knowledge of the True God and spiritual realm. Knowledge that would free man from the influence of the demiurge. ( this really brought them into conflict with mainline christianity. Jesus was viewed both as God and Man..Spirit and Flesh. The Gnostics viewed the flesh as evil. This would imply part of the savior, God incarnate, was evil. Some Gnostics held the view Jesus was pure spirit, his body was only an illusion.)

9. The knowledge would free you upon death. When you died you would ascend and join with the all encompassing True God.

10. Their view of human salvation worked something like this: Some were so in tune with their spirits they would ascend. Some were so lost to the flesh and amterialism they were lost. Most were in a state of in between and by following a Gnostic path could ascend.

Vecchio Hickory fucked around with this message on 05-24-2004 at 04:31 PM.

Sophia also created the Demiurge without the knowledge or permission of her male counterpart. Every Aeon had a male and female counterpart. She is often cast into the role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, as she was trying to pass knowledge of the Greater God and the Aeons on to Adam and Eve there, knowledge the Demiurge didn't want them to have.