Text 7538, 77 rader
Skriven 2006-09-04 12:10:00 av Robert E Starr JR (8035.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: The calling of one's
================================
* * * This message was from Vorlonagent to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

@MSGID: <K8qdnWrFMsbkUmbZnZ2dnUVZ_tCdnZ2d@comcast.com>
@REPLY: <1157247959.939189.150130@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>

"Bill" <beastmachinery@msn.com> wrote in message 
news:1157247959.939189.150130@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> I've run across an apparent contradiction in the show and it's bugging
> me as much as those "little brown things with eight legs." It's stated
> on several different occasions that the calling of a Minbari's heart is
> allowed to trump clan and caste obligations as long as said calling
> still serves the Minbari as a whole. Delenn says that Branmer followed
> the calling of his heart when he left the religious caste to join the
> military and fight the humans. In Season five, Lennier claims it is the
> calling of his heart to join the Rangers even though it was obvios that
> he was avoiding the situation between him, Delenn, and Sheridan.
>
> If the calling of a Minbari's heart is allowed to be the supreme
> arbiter of a Minbari's life, why is Delenn threatened with expulsion
> from the Grey Council and possibly even exile from Minbar itself when
> she turns down the promotion to take Dukhat's place?

Politics first and foremost.  Biggger issues were at stake.

The Warrior Caste had gotten very arrogant, not longer really "believing" in 
their religious traditions anymore.  Real world success has a way of doing 
that.  Then Minbari souls were found in captured humans and a halt was 
called to the Earth-Minbari War.  We will recall that Neroon was not happy 
when he was elevated to the Gray Council and learned the truth.  I think he 
saw it as a flimsy excuse unto treason to stop the war and surrender at that 
point.

What we can pull from that is, as others have suggested, the social contract 
by which Minbar functioned was breaking down.  It wasn't just Delenn was 
doing her thing, though that was a part of it to be sure.  The Council no 
doubt thought she was lost in arrogance and religious zeal.  Neroon 
certainly did.  But when she got booted off the council, she was replaced 
with Neroon and now the three Castes weren't co-equal any more, which is 
another huge break with tradition.  The whole Religious Caste got tarred 
with Delenn's actions.

The Warrior Caste knew or suspected that the Religious Caste was building 
Whitestars.  The Minbari military was in theory spread equally among the 
castes.  Whitestars, crewed as they were by Religious Caste, would be 
considered both a slap in the face of the Warrior Caste and a threat to the 
balance of power between the Castes.  Because they didn't believe the Shadow 
War was imminent, they would not have considered the possibility that the 
Religious Caste would have a better purpose for them than seizing exclusive 
control of Minbari civilization (and probably didn't trust the Religious 
Caste with them after the Shadow War).  So with the old arragement 
disintegrating, civil war would not be far behind.

And War is something the Warrior Caste understands.  Replacing Delenn with 
one of their own would be an opening move preparing for civil war and 
Delenn's breaking of the Gray Council would remove any remaining restraints.


-- 
John Trauger,
Vorlonagent


"Methane martini.
Shaken, not stirred."


"Spirituality without science has no mind.

Science without spirituality has no heart."

-Methuselah Jones
                                                                               
                             
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)