butenhof%orac.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (05/14/85)
From: butenhof%orac.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Those who can't do, emulate)
Brett Slocum asked about "the agnostics prayer" -- well, the correct name is
actually "The Possibly Proper Death Litany", and it does indeed come from
Zelazny's Creatures of Light And Darkness (an excellent book). That prayer,
and several other items from the lips of Madrak the Preacher appealed to me,
and after searching the novel several times to find them, I long since gave
in and copied them down ... so, here they are:
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The Possibly Proper Death Litany
"Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I
say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have
done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not
forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible
benefit for which you may be elegible after the destruction of your body, I
ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may
be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in
my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may
not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your
reveiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and
which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen."
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"Then into the hands of Whatever May Be that is greater than life or death,
I resign myself -- if this act will be of any assistance in preserving my
life. If it will not, I do not. If my saying this thing at all be
presumptuous, and therefore not well received by Whatever may or may not
care to listen, then I withdraw the statement and ask forgiveness, if this
thing be desired. If not, I do not. On the other hand ..." (at this point,
Madrak is interrupted, as his companion feels the accomplishment of the
objective of Madrak's prayer -- and the preservation of his own life -- will
be better served by getting the hell out of there).
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"Hallowed by thy name, if a name thou hast and any desire to see it
hallowed."
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These three quotes taken (regrettably without permission) from the sayings
of Madrak the Preacher, a character in Roger Zelazny's Creatures of Light
And Darkness.
/dave
Digital Equipment Corp.
110 Spitbrook Road
Nashua NH 03062
orac::butenhof
butenhof%orac.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
{allegra,shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-orac!butenhof
Any resemblance between the opinions expressed in this article and any
actual opinions, living or dead, is strictly coincidental and in no way
binding upon either myself or upon Digital Equipment Corporation, much less
upon reality itself.
``Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged
demo.''scifi@ukc.UUCP (I.P.Gordon) (05/27/85)
There is also an "Agnostic's Prayer" in _Chapter_House_Dune_ by Herbert. I won't include a spoiler about it. Read the book to find out. Nanus Noxius In Hoc Loco Erat. (The) Poison Dwarf Here Was I.P.Gordon aka The Poison Dwarf Don't Just Do Something, SIT THERE !!!!!!!!!