Bad Move By the Writers?

[GeniiPrior111]

I'm a big fan of the Ori plotline, but am I the only one who thinks that having the Ori not ascend their followers is a bad idea on the part of the writers? I mean, if the Ori did ascend their followers but kill you if you didn't follow them, then SG-1 could have been faced with the moral dilemna of whether or not it's right to kill someone for refusing Origin, or if Origin really is the path to the eternal life that people want, and if so, maybe it's okay to kill those who condemn themselves by resisting ascension. But instead of doing that, the writers closed the book on the moral dilemna and had them be absolutely evil. What do you think?

[Lord Shiva]

Like most things, I agree with you that that would have been nifty, because I'm not the biggest fan of "absolutes" (except in the good ol' US of A *grin*) but since the writers did write it the other way, then that's what I have to get used to and agree with if I'm going to enjoy the Ori and the 9-10th season. Which is easy for me *shrug*

Since the Ori are totally evil, I see them as such. I still think they're uber-cool, but they gotta be taken out.

[All hail the USAF]

Wait...are you saying if the Ori did ascend their followers it would be ok for them to kill people who don't follow them??

[Deevil]

Wouldn't people still have the right to choose to assend?

Killing someone who doesn't follow you is bad, no matter what you offer in return.

[All hail the USAF]

I think the moral question here is should we make it our fight to defend the rest of the galaxy or just earth?

[GeniiPrior111]

Wait...are you saying if the Ori did ascend their followers it would be ok for them to kill people who don't follow them??

I'm not at all saying that that's my opinion, just that it would raise interesting moral dilemnas.

[All hail the USAF]

Concidering SG1 track record I doubt that would raise any moral dilemnas

[GeniiPrior111]

Concidering SG1 track record I doubt that would raise any moral dilemnas

Perhaps not with the team itself, but it would give the devout Ori followers more credibility. After all, if followers of Origin would be ascended as promised by the Ori, then perhaps Origin is the religion that should be followed by everyone. The way the writers did it made the Ori pure evil instead of making the dilemna more interesting. Who says that just because SG-1 believes that killing people in the name of your religion is wrong means that it actually is wrong? It is possible for SG-1 to be wrong, at least to some degree.

[Commander Ivanova]

Ori followers believe in an ascended afterlife, just as Christians etc. do. They have no tangible proof of it, just what their holy books and priests tell them. Yet still they believe.
If the Ori did ascend their followers, they would truly BE gods. And if they pursued a 'believe or else' policy, most people would choose to believe. There wouldn't be much point debating whether or not they were morally bankrupt, in the milliseconds before you were struck down, would there?

[GeniiPrior111]

There wouldn't be much point debating whether or not they were morally bankrupt, in the milliseconds before you were struck down, would there?

Well SG-1 (among others) have resisted the Ori for more than a few milliseconds (and lived). That's really the crux of the debate- are the Ori evil because they kill disbelievers? or is that ok?

[the fifth man]

I think the moral question here is should we make it our fight to defend the rest of the galaxy or just earth?

I think we have to. If the rest of the galaxy falls to the Ori, Earth would be surrounded. There would be no way we'd be able to defend it forever. So, ultimately, to save Earth, we have to help defend the whole galaxy. At least, that's my take on things.

[Kem Rixen]

If it were in fact true, that the Ori were actually ascending their followers, then the Ori wouldn't be an ultimate evil, in fact, it would make SG-1 slightly evil. If SG-1 was stopping people from ascending, then they really wouldn't be the good guys. Origin tells the people to kill non-believers, that you can either choose enligtenment or die. With ascension not being given, it basically means you can either die now, or die years down the road, fighting non-believers.

If the Ori did let their followers ascend, then they were doing what they promised, they would be good people afterall, just abused their power. The way it is now, they are pure evil, they lie to their followers and all that don't follow them, die.

[Dutch_Razor]

We have heard from the Ancients that the Ori do not ascend their followers, that is another thing than the Ori not ascending their followers.

For all we know the Ori might actually be the good guys

[the fifth man]

We have heard from the Ancients that the Ori do not ascend their followers, that is another thing than the Ori not ascending their followers.

For all we know the Ori might actually be the good guys

Personally, I think that would be quite the stretch. I'm not saying the Ancients are totally good, but the Ori definitely are not.