Does masema resemble a Puritan?

[Queens blessing]

When reading some of masemas parts...especially the first time he is met as the Prophet in tFH...his religious ideas of the way things should be strongly remind me of a puritans beliefs. Anyone else make this connection?

[Wolf505]

Ummm... no. Masema was simply a deranged madman who used fear of the Dragon Reborn and intimidation (and probably a healthy levening of Darkfriends) to maintain his rule. Puritans were very religious, but don't forget it was also Puritans who came to America to escape religious persecution. Puritans were also among the people who helped establish America as a land with religious freedom. Yes, there were some fanatics like during the Salem witch trials, but the vast majority of Puritans were good, decent people. The closest people we have to Puritan beliefs now are the Amish and you'd be hard pressed to find any violent psychopaths among them like Masema.

[he who comes with a bong]

there have been some violent Amish here in ohio these last few years. One old man is getting ready to do some jail time i do belive do to going around and cutting off a bunch of other amishmens beards. lol

[Wolf505]

Every group has it's crazy people, but you get my point. Amish in general are not exactly violent by nature.

 

Honestly if you want to compare Masema to a real world figure I'd go with a guy who lived around 500-600 AD and went out with his armies killing anyone who wouldn't follow him. He also called himself a "prophet" and claimed to have visions as you'll recall.

[Kamin_Majere]

Yeah Masema is unfortunately just insane. He actually believed what he was doing was correct, but being insane he was pretty easy pickings for a good manipulator (like the black ajah and forsaken) and his "religion" allowed him to be swayed into becoming a monster.

 

He really did believe the Dragon was the second coming of the light, but when you take his insanity and his zealotry into account his movement had nothing to do but become something evil.

[nolirion]

He is a fanatic all fanatic are the same , puritain or from another confession .

[Cybertrolloc]

That's not what the America Fuck Yeah history textbooks say :)

 

To get back to the OP, you need to narrow that down. Which Puritan sect from what era? You got everything from Nazi to sweep ants out of your way in there.

[TommyRocker]

He is a fanatic all fanatic are the same , puritain or from another confession .

This. From Muslim extremists to Christian crusaders to Nazi conquerors to Dragonsworn lunatics... they all look much the same from the outside.

[MountaineerWV]

Every group has it's crazy people, but you get my point. Amish in general are not exactly violent by nature.

 

Honestly if you want to compare Masema to a real world figure I'd go with a guy who lived around 500-600 AD and went out with his armies killing anyone who wouldn't follow him. He also called himself a "prophet" and claimed to have visions as you'll recall.

 

This is the impression I always received when reading Masema's scenes. Do what I say (that was told to me by a shimmering Dragon figure)....or I will kill you, your family, and burn your town to the ground.

[TristanWebb]

Masema was insane. He was a fanatic even before Rand left him and he found people who enabled his insanity. He is the guy on the street corner holding a sign saying the wrold is ending. He just happened along at the right time that alot of people had seen signs that led them to believe him. He is a dig at fanaticism sure, but to say he is a condemnation of any specific denomination of faith is unfounded IMO.

[Queens blessing]

Ummm... no. Masema was simply a deranged madman who used fear of the Dragon Reborn and intimidation (and probably a healthy levening of Darkfriends) to maintain his rule. Puritans were very religious, but don't forget it was also Puritans who came to America to escape religious persecution. Puritans were also among the people who helped establish America as a land with religious freedom. Yes, there were some fanatics like during the Salem witch trials, but the vast majority of Puritans were good, decent people. The closest people we have to Puritan beliefs now are the Amish and you'd be hard pressed to find any violent psychopaths among them like Masema.

 

I see your point. I guess I just saw a similarity or two, but really he is a fanatic that represents multitude of religions and groups throughout time. Never mind then!

[Thrasymachus]

I guess you could say that American Puritans helped establish the US as a land with religious freedom. Insofar as their attempts to establish their faith as a State religion was the main impetus for smacking that practice down in the Constitution, anyway. That's kinda like saying that Southern Plantation owners helped establish Emancipation, though.

[Queens blessing]

I guess you could say that American Puritans helped establish the US as a land with religious freedom. Insofar as their attempts to establish their faith as a State religion was the main impetus for smacking that practice down in the Constitution, anyway. That's kinda like saying that Southern Plantation owners helped establish Emancipation, though.

 

I have to agree with you. I thought that when the Puritans ruled England for the short time that they did they were not concerned so much with freedom of religion at all, just their religion. Really they did not allow the freedom of to much at all.

[Maleshub]

Masema was insane. He was a fanatic even before Rand left him and he found people who enabled his insanity. He is the guy on the street corner holding a sign saying the wrold is ending. He just happened along at the right time that alot of people had seen signs that led them to believe him. He is a dig at fanaticism sure, but to say he is a condemnation of any specific denomination of faith is unfounded IMO.

 

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