Why the Ori want to ascend people

[Laros]

Alrighty then. I've got a not so wild, and not so crazy theory on why the ori have human followers. Given that the Ori appear to despise the Ancients/Alterans, and that the ancients clearly don't want the people of the Milky Way to worship them, I have an interesting hypothesis. Also contributing to this theory, is the fact that the Ori appear to be slightly less powerful than the Ancients/Alterans (They have to possess people to communicate as opposed to taking physical form, and the Ancients were able to shield the Milky Way from them)
Perhapse the Ori are attempting to raise an army of ascended beings to fight the Ancients (much like Anubis in the upcoming episode Prototype).
The wiping out of all non-believers is likely to prevent the Ancients from insta-ascending their own army (like Oma did with Daniel and Anubis [among many others, or so we're told]).

I can't realy find any reason for this hypothesis to be false, nor can I see any other logical explination for their desire to ascend their followers (at least none that are as straight-forward and lacking in discrepencies).

[Iggep]

It would probably be a mistake to assume the Ori require the Priors for much of anything. The Ori have vastly different philosophies from the Ancients, so the Prior probably are just an extension of that rather than a required element. I think it's more accurate to set the stage for debate regarding power of the Ancients/Ori as one regarding philosophical weight, rather than raw physical power. Danial has already set the stage by trying to argue the differences in front of the people who had to make the choice, so I'd say thats the way the show will be going. Its a war of ideals at the root of things.

[sgcfann]

I've had similar thoughts myself. I've also considered it likely that the reason they want people to "worship" them is because it is easier to pass on a cause (set of beliefs) to people who follow. We already know the Ori have a fanatical dislike for the Ancients. So, an ascended war of sorts makes sense. If youre leading a campaign to totally wipe out your opposition and youre recruiting your numbers from the masses, "cleansing out" those who wont follow you so they cannot be pursuaded to maybe join your opposition later on makes total sense. So maybe that's what the Ori are up to. Recruiting as many followers as possible to be brainwashed to their view of things, then ascended as an army to stomp out the Ancients by sheer force.

[Giantevilhead]

Maybe the Ori actually believe in the religion they're pushing. They know that the majority of the people who do not follow their path will not ascend and since those people are going to die as mortals anyway, the Ori might as well destroy them to demostrate their power to those who are more willing to convert.

[the fifth man]

Maybe the Ori actually believe in the religion they're pushing. They know that the majority of the people who do not follow their path will not ascend and since those people are going to die as mortals anyway, the Ori might as well destroy them to demostrate their power to those who are more willing to convert.

You know, this idea makes real sense to me. The Ori may truely, in their own screwed up way, think that the Ancients are the evil ones. This would make fighting them that much harder, if they do feel their way is the right way.

[!Dorentus!]

They could just be semi-nice They might want to share their enlightenment with everyone in trade for worship. They could see those that dissent and do not want to spend their lives in the pursuit of ascension as potentially corrupting the minds of those that would want to follow their path to ascension. So instead of letting a few ruin it for the others they just kill them off. They think, wow, why wouldn't these people want to ascend? Would they rather live a short life (in comparison to theirs) and then die? If they do, we should kill them because they are stupid and we don't want anyone else to be stupid like them. Besides, they would choose to die anyway. I think your theory is interesting, but this reason for ascending people should be pointed out too.

[knowsfords]

I think the whole "worship us and when you die you will ascend" thing is bogus, you don't need to be dieing/dead to ascend.

[Eoin]

The ori a full of empty promises, there just bored being ascended so they want to have fun with their ant farm ,( US! )

[Auralis]

Maybe they are pretty lonely up in acended land and want some company?

[Giantevilhead]

I don't know why people think that the Ori are lying. It's true that people don't have to follow the Ori to ascend but it's been millions of years since the Ancients seeded the Milky Way and yet most of sentient life forms in the galaxy don't even know what ascension is. Billions if not trillions have died as mortals never even getting a chance to ascend. The Ori may simply think that ascension is the only path, all those who refuse the path are going to die as mortals anyway and therefore their lives are inconsequential

[OmicronPerseii9]

Personally, I think that the Ori are trying to stop others from ascending. From what we have learned in earlier episodes, the path to ascension requires one to achieve enlightenment. I don't think that relinquishing the ability to learn and grow on your own is a path to enlightenment. The problem may be that the Ori are stuck in balance with the other ascended being and are trying to stop themselves from ending up on the losing end.

[jenks]

I think the whole "worship us and when you die you will ascend" thing is bogus, you don't need to be dieing/dead to ascend.

You can't ascend until you're dead.

[MarshAngel]

Actually that seems to be the way it works for those getting help to ascend. We don't know yet how someone who gets there on their own does it and whether they need to be near death or not.

[jimmytheclaw]

I don't know why people think that the Ori are lying. It's true that people don't have to follow the Ori to ascend but it's been millions of years since the Ancients seeded the Milky Way and yet most of sentient life forms in the galaxy don't even know what ascension is. Billions if not trillions have died as mortals never even getting a chance to ascend. The Ori may simply think that ascension is the only path, all those who refuse the path are going to die as mortals anyway and therefore their lives are inconsequential

or when you die if you dont ascend you go into another body be it animal or human. but then that would validate the hindu religion. i seriously think the ori dont actuall ascend people for whatever reasons yet revealed.

[cobraR478]

You know, this idea makes real sense to me. The Ori may truely, in their own screwed up way, think that the Ancients are the evil ones. This would make fighting them that much harder, if they do feel their way is the right way.

How could one do something so horrific without believing it was right? Do you think the Goa'uld thought what they were doing was wrong? What about real life people, aka Hitler?