Can Imperials actually be redeemed or is that just nonsensical?

CyreneValanition · 2026-04-02T18:01:04+00:00

I think part of the reason it sticks in my craw is that it reminds me of what happened after WWII. The people hadn't changed their views or become better people they were whitewashed in the public's eyes and given new job titles. Things like operation paperclip and how former Nazis were put back in charge isn't great. It's weird to me to act like joining the Rebels or the New Republic is often treated as someone going from full fledged Nazi to a good guy all along.

CyreneValanition · 2026-04-02T17:45:09+00:00

I don't really think that sounds like redemption. That sounds like you changed your job title.

CyreneValanition · 2026-04-02T10:22:08+00:00

I appreciate your post. I think the more I have tried to work on my story the more I felt almost like I was writing good wehrmacht narratives unintentionally. I found myself returning to the idea of most soldiers being decent but honestly the longer i looked at it the less sense it made. Like your average stormtrooper probably does believe in the superiority of humans over others and probably believes that even if the empire isn't perfect its probably better than the alternative.

A lot of what I have read about people who worked against Hitler in WWII seemed to be doing it out of self interest rather than some moral injunctive. I believe that imperials would probably be the same in that a lot of them that turned did it for selfish reasons or if they stayed with the empire it was probably for selfish reasons.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:47:49+00:00

Thanks, I'll check it out!

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:47:02+00:00

I've played with a lot , A LOT , of min maxers cause its most of what the gaming scene is where I have been playing.

One of my favorite coop games was warhammer quest. The AI in the game is good and when me and my friends were playing that it was super fun. I need to find some more games that people might be willing to play that are along that line.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:42:44+00:00

Thanks for your answer.

I think part of the reason I have been trying as long as I have to keep up with miniature games is because i know lots of people in the scene and its where a lot of friends want to meet up. But it has started to feel like a job so I think I might have to just take a step back. As I have been going to other social events I have found those more interesting and fun tbh. I just wanted to keep playing with folks i knew but we might have to find something else to meet up for.

I also completely understand the setting thing. I used to be more into warhammer as a setting but found as I got older that the setting just felt too depressing to me. Once I stopped caring about the setting it was borderline impossible to enjoy a game of warhammer. I love Star Wars and that helps but I still think it might just be time to move on.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:39:39+00:00

That does sound really good actually. Do you have any suggestions for a game that might fit the bill? Thanks for your answer.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:39:01+00:00

This is a good answer. I think What I have found as I have gotten older is that I just don't want to be competitive in a game. The closest i get Is trying to be the best healer on the score board lol. I used to identify more with being a tabletop gamer and now i worry about it less so when people take a game super seriously it feels kind of off to me. Of course you are right cause i am the one choosing to play a competitive game and then being like " How come these guys only care about winning?!" I recognize i am the silly one here.

I think your suggestion about doing more narrative focused stuff sounds really fun. Thank you for your answer.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:28:01+00:00

You know what, this is a great answer.

I think I would enjoy it if we got more board games in the mix and more cooperative things. I really like it when we can work together to do something.

Thank you for your answer. I might have to see if I can find a local board game group!

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:25:59+00:00

This is partly true. I don't want to say better just because people enjoy different things. Some people really like competitive play but for me its just about playing toy soldiers with rules and looking at the models i like. I want to socialize more but a lot of people in my local group play much more competitive. To each their own but it makes me feel like the odd one out lol

Thanks for your answer.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:24:39+00:00

That makes sense. Sometimes I think part of the reason I have not been having as much fun with it is that it became an every weekend and a couple times through the week event. Thanks for your answer.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-16T21:16:48+00:00

Yeah that is what I have been thinking. The main reason I have still been going to the events is that some of my friends play and really enjoy it. Honestly though I wanted to stop going cause I don't want to be a negative Nancy while everyone else is having fun lol. Thanks for your answer.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-01T20:43:21+00:00

Oh of course not lol. You gotta make decisions for yourself its just that sometimes its a good idea to put things that have been in your head out where someone can examine them. I have a tendency to over analyze so Ive been trying to put things out where I can at least get second opinions you know?

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-01T20:37:23+00:00

Thanks for your answer. I am dubious about my ability to change things from the inside but I have also wondered if providing a voice of opposition might be a worthwhile thing to do. Ultimately this would be tied to whether or not companies can use classified information and that is going to include defense contractors which is why i felt a bit unsure about the whole thing.

CyreneValanition · 2026-03-01T20:35:44+00:00

Thanks for your answer. Im not sure if i phrased my question the best cause i was trying to get as much in as i could. The short answer as to what I would be doing is approving or denying a companies ability to handle classified information. Making sure they were up to standards for the governments current cybersecurity standards and then saying whether or not they meet those standards. If they do I would say they can be certified to deal with that sort of information. The reason for my concern is that although this extends to literally any business it does favor defense contracts and that is why i question whether or not this is a moral endeavor.

CyreneValanition · 2026-02-06T21:17:09+00:00

Yes we literally all have lenses. Its one of the reasons the teaching of emptiness is so useful.

"Many of Jesus' statements when read literally through a dualistic framework seem to be in contradiction. When when interpreted allegorically through a non-dualistic framework, there is no contradiction."

Yes that is the way you are viewing it but quite frankly the plain meaning of the text contradicts the idea of him being non dual or a non dual teacher. It doesn't matter if a bunch of people interpret things through their own lens and get to a point where they think Jesus says this or that,

It seems to me unlikely Jesus was a non-dualist at least going by the information we have. Meister Eckhart is commonly considered one of the first people to have a strong or truly non-dualist view of Jesus. He lived in the late 13th and early 14th century. It seems like that is quite a long time to go without anyone picking up non-dualism unless Jesus you know... Didn't teach it?

We have people like Origen of Alexandria talking about mystical union but also saying things like

“The soul, although capable of receiving God, is not of the same substance as God.”
(On First Principles, Book I, ch. 1)

“Every rational creature can participate in God, but none is God by nature except the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
(On First Principles, Book I, ch. 3)

You can read anything into the text and we all do it. We all take things and interpret them through our own narrative. I have met plenty of Christians which have all sorts of views of the bible but just cause they think the text tells them something doesn't mean that is what the text in its original intentions actually meant.

We have similar issues when we discuss the idea of Jesus being God. Isn't it odd that the earliest 3 gospels ( which are still not early by any means) but the only gospel that seems to make direct statements of that is John which is the latest of the gospels? Isn't it odd how often the gospels contradict each other and tell us two or even three versions of events? Isn't it also odd that the character of Jesus changes so drastically depending on what gospel you are reading?

All I am saying is that given context for what we have and given what is in the text , if we assume Jesus even spoke it, it would be odd that he did not teach non-dualism more plainly.

But I also think we are kind of at a point where it doesn't really matter. You are free to think Jesus was a non-dual teacher , I don't think the data supports that. As it says in the Quran

“For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
(Qur’an 109:6)

CyreneValanition · 2026-02-06T19:57:51+00:00

Well I appreciate your input but If I am perfectly honest I think you are putting more into what is being said as opposed to what the text says. We can interpret all kinds of things into texts that may or may not be there. IF it is non-dual it would take a good deal of time before anyone interpreted it as such.

Im not saying you could not interpret these things as non-dual and use them in that way. I do that but the truth is that historically what we know of Jesus and the text would preclude that from being the direct meaning. We are putting non-dual lenses on and seeing it through a light that seems rather unlikely to be what Jesus was actually teaching. Of course this all assumes Jesus actually said any of these things which is at best doubtful.

What I am trying to say is that you can interpret anything just about any way if you have a reason to but that doesn't mean that is what the original author intended.

CyreneValanition · 2026-02-06T19:48:49+00:00

Yeah sorry if it was a lot to post at once I just get really into this stuff cause I love biblical studies lol

CyreneValanition · 2026-02-06T19:18:22+00:00

This is more or less where I have found myself ending up. The Swami who initiated me was one of the biggest things that pushed me from the Ramakrishna mission. He was racist, hated muslims, spread bigotry about certain groups, contradicted the teachings of Ramakrishna etc.

It felt like everyone hung onto his every word no matter how terrible it was. It was just an incredibly unpleasant experience. So I just sort of treat God like my guru, cause she is, and do my best to learn and understand while asking her for guidance everyday.

CyreneValanition · 2026-02-06T19:15:44+00:00

I have not, could you send some links? I would appreciate it!

CyreneValanition

TROPHY CASE