Religion and Zombie Story

[kennethos]

As a longtime HPOTD fan, I've enjoyed many good stories from the forum.
However, there is a gaping absence to much of what I've read: most stories have little to no awareness of any spiritual reality ongoing in a world dealing with a zombie plague.
Perhaps this is because most zombie fans aren't religious, or because they don't think much faith or belief would survive a world of the dead. Maybe most folks only think about religion whenever they see a televangelist go down in flames, or learn of hypocrisy in the church. Dunno.
So, I can either complain...or do something about it. I'm going to try my hand at writing a zombie story which takes faith seriously, in the midst of the zombie plague. Obviously, this will take me some time, but I would like the other folks in this forum to give me ideas about what they would like to see talked about. Do you have questions about faith in a Romero zombie world? Do you have snide remarks to share, actual questions about church, religion, faith, etc., to ask about, or simply derision at the thought of anyone with faith daring to be a zombie fan, let alone a fan of Romero's movies? :)
I'm approaching this as a Christian on the Protestant side of things, looking seriously at what faith and religion would be like in a world where the dead are rising, and people have to deal with that.
My working title thus far, is Carnis Resurrectis: Religion in the Land of Death.
Comments (good, bad, and the just plain weird) are welcome, of course.
Thanks in advance for the constructive stuff.

[rightwing401]

That's an interesting concept. There are some stories here that do have religious focuses, but not many.
One of the fundamental things (a least as much as I've noticed) about religious beliefs is that they will vary in degree from person to person. Some will certainly see the rising of the dead as a sign of the second coming (return of Jesus). How they would react would have a lot to do with how closely they want to follow the wordings of the bible. Those who are near zelots in their faith are likely to see the dead as one of two things. 1. The risen dead that will eventually be taken off to heaven with the second coming. 2. Demon possessed bodies that should be resisted by the faithful believers of God.
If you want to do an entire congregation, then the pastor's particular views will have a monumental impact on how the people will react. That, in my opinion, would have the biggest influence. I've seen from personal experience how blindly some people will go along with whatever the church's minister says. Some will likely influence their followers to willingly let the dead take them. Others will assure their followers that 'the servants of the Devil' could never harm them while they stand on holy ground. A few, and by this I mean only a handful, will convince their followers to get whatever weapons they can find, and fight against risen dead with all their physical and spiritual strength.
Since you're talking about Protestants, the denomination also has significant influence. Southern Babtists (except a few like myself) see every other denomiantion of Christianity as false teachings, and therefore those people most likely going to hell. Methodists are kind of like luke warm Babtists, the beliefs are very much the same, but not the intesity of belief in the teachings. Whatever particular branch you pick as the basis of the faith in your story, make sure that you have at least an understanding of the views.
I sincerely hope that this will help you in your endevors.

[Legion2213]

Most zed stories that involve religious folks usually portray the them as religious, fundie nutters.

It would be nice to see a story that just gave us normal everyday religious folks (maybe a familly or small community) caught up in the apocalypse and trying to survive whilst keeping their faith/values.

[kennethos]

To those who've responded, my thanks.
I remember reading, in Rob Morganbesser's (sp?) excellent Enclave series, about the Necs, essentially a necrotic New Age cult believing in wacky things about zombies. I can accept this, given that there are tons of weird religious beliefs, and folks are entitled to them.
But then I read stories from folks whether every single priest who survives a zombie plague is either the instigator, or profiting somehow from the nightmare, which strikes me as rather unrealistic, and convenient for making a villain. It also ignores the efforts of good priests out there who'd be trying to help people. (Mind you, I'm not Catholic, but I'm not going to slam them, either.)
The mindless portrayals of Christians and other religious folks out there also strikes me as bad story-telling and just plain lazy efforts at writing. For some, anyone who's religious makes an easy scapegoat. This is sad and pathetic.
Finally, I've read the whole "the rise of the dead is the dead rising in Christ" angle from Revelation, and only an idiot who doesn't read the Bible would think that (no offense meant toward idiots, of course!). Even the most hard-core fundamentalists I know don't believe this, leading me to think again, it's someone with an axe to grind against organized religion. (Maybe I should make atheists the villains of the story... ;)
So again, thanks for the kind comments and encouragement. I appreciate it all. I'll try to make you proud. :)

[Legion2213]

You could always have your "christians" believing that the zeds are the spawn of Satan (or such-like), their obvious role would be to destroy the zeds and save as many fellow humans as possible (basically making your protagonists a force for good, instead of the usual fundie nutters we see in zombie fiction). Maybe have them regularly praying for the souls of zombies that they dispatch and questioning if they are sinning when they slaughter said zeds?

And as an aside, although I am an athiest, I agree with your point that it is lazy to cast any religious survivors as "the loony bad guys". Most of the folk who post stories on this site are pretty talented and capable of more IMHO.

Good luck with your story anyways.

[acealive1]

ya know,when i told my mom the dead rising is in the bible she just looked at me and went "you're taking it out of context" :rolleyes:


so they dont rise?

[Legion2213]

Ace, I think the dead rise as normal living folk again (Bible wise)...not zombie flesh eaters...but I am not an expert.

[Skydog]

There is a 224pg ebook called 36 Hours, about zombies in which the main character and his friends are religious. You can find it under Online Books/Journals at http://www.zombiebooklist.com/ . I won't say that religion factors heavily in the story but it definetly colors the characters.

That said, personally I'm a Diest, but I've always found that Z-stories either don't deal with religious overtones or do so in a poor manner (ie, the nutty preacher). Even Brian Keene's The Rising/City of the Dead, which probably had the best portrayal of a preacher during an uprising I've seen so far, only dabbled in the religious subtext of his story. Which left me wanting the backstory fleshed out better.

[wyvern1096]

Good idea, I'd love to read it once it was done. I get a little tired of the Christians being the villains in half these books.

[Danny]

they dont do it simply becuase the angels would kick some serious zombie ass, or itd be the apocalypse and thered be no possibility of closure.


There is a 224pg ebook called 36 Hours, about zombies in which the main character and his friends are religious. You can find it under Online Books/Journals at http://www.zombiebooklist.com/ . I won't say that religion factors heavily in the story but it definetly colors the characters.



oh aye, ive read that one, real good one there folks.;)