Forum: Author Hangout

I've had a story in the 'ideas bin' for a while now and velvetpimp's recent success with 'Church of the Holy Word' has made me look at it again. Its also based on religious interpretations. This one masturbation and incest. The crux is that a widowed mother of a son, has found he won't stop masturbating despite religious prohibitions on it.

Now he has a number of 'sisters' (his exact relation is open to change). She seeks out the advice of her priest on the matter. Who happens to be of the old testament fire and brimstone cut as it were. He gives the matter much consideration and suggests that the son fuck his 'sisters' giving 'bible' verse citations on his decision. I'm building a library of chapter and verse that 'support' this idea. As well as their interpretations.

The two main religions I have tapped for this 'honor' are the Catholic and Mormon churches. Both have similar ideas and structures that allow for a rogue priest to give an 'interesting' interpretation of 'scripture' that allows our story to take place. one of the other ideas is that the church is a family that no one joins or leaves other than by birth or death. it is insular and self contained.

So, there are many verses and a couple orders of magnitude greater interpretations of them. I'm looking for people who have a better knowledge of these religions than I do. Atheist since 8, though dragged through a number of denominations till 16 by a zealotous parent. I have a very layman knowledge of religion in general having had little enthusiasm for it over the last 30-odd years.

Of course all the sisters end up pregnant as that is 'god's will'. I need to put a good week of thought into what else the story will contain. Like I said its sitting in the 'ideas bin'

So what I'm asking for, and there's absolutely no hurry in this regard, is some ideas or points that may allow some kind of construction to support this idea. I kind of know a little of the Catholic church, but not one iota of the Mormon church other than they call people 'Elder' even when they're bloody teenagers and send them out on bloody bicycles to evangalise. Round here at least.

feel free to 'mail' me if you'd prefer. Like I said I'm not in any hurry as I'm still working on my first story. Its proving reticent to finish the first draft as it is. I'm trying to stitch together the two outstanding threads as they stand. then there will be the adventures of weaving in the changes to the second draft which will see a large amount of story added between scenes to give a sense of time. The story takes a year right now.

"one of the other ideas is that the church is a family that no one joins or leaves other than by birth or death. it is insular and self contained."

That sure wouldn't apply to the Catholic Church

If you buy and shop you are a bi shop.

To be honest, what you describe seems more likely to apply to one of those "mega-churches" you see on TV (in the US, anyway).

Won't name any names, but if the "minister" can get the congregation to give him a new gold-plated Rolls every year or two, he is probably good at convincing them of other things as well.

Seems they don't put a lot of faith in scripture if it's of the "thou shalt not" sort.

I agree with irvmull, but you should look into the religion of ancient egypt because their royalty believed in a kind of "keeping it in the family" just as much as a certain family in the hills.

You can read that as a "the hills have eyes" movie reference.

As far as I can tell from what I see on TV, it appears that most of the mega-churches are not really affiliated with major denominations. Thereby not having a hierarchy or a "ruling body" to answer to. No oversight, IOW.

Perhaps a Coptic converting?