Secular Hero: Difference between revisions

[[The Law of Conservation of Detail]] can be a factor. If a given plot doesn't require a character to be in a church service, the audience won't see him in one. Over time, this can lead to the audience assuming this character doesn't have a religion or doesn't practice it much. Other aspects of a story may simply preclude religious participation, such as a character working in a demanding job or on an unusual schedule. More obvious examples show these characters interacting with religious figures (usually due to [[Plot Point|plot demands]]) so that the topic of religious practice (and his lack thereof) comes to the fore. In these instances, the character will express his religious apathy overtly or have it described or both.

 

 

Note that the in-universe society might have a common religion that everyone presumably follows (such as medieval settings or other places with a dominant religion), or it may have many religions with no one sect that's predominant (the USA being a major example). Also note that this hero may not believe in a deity at all and [[Nay Theist|finds it a waste of time]] to dispute the matter with others. The hero's secular nature may only become clear if/when religious topics are addressed. For whatever reason, this guy has better things to do.

This trope is neither [[Hollywood Atheist]] nor the [[Flat Earth Atheist]], who holds back belief [[Arbitrary Skepticism|despite evidence to the contrary]]. In works with [[Physical God]](s), a character who acknowledges but does not worship them is a [[Nay Theist]].

 

* [[Ciaphas Cain]] kinda lives in a setting where God-Emperor of Mankind is very observable, but he thinks he's too busy fighting the countless forces of Warp to care about him personally (though never misses jokes at Cain's expense)

* With the notable exception of Brutha from ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Small Gods|Small Gods]]'', none of the [[Point of View]] characters in the ''[[Discworld (Literature)|Discworld]]'' pay much attention to any of the Disc's many gods.

* Similarly Brutha of ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Small Gods|Small Gods]]'' is more spiritual than religious despite caring for an avatar of his God.

* Sonozaki Shion of ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni]]'' is a great example of this trope. She's sent to a Catholic school (against her will) and escapes, later on saying "If I stayed in a place like that, I'd either end up brainwashed or insane!" She also denies the existence of the village god, Oyashiro-sama on a lighter note.

 

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