How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Sam was the greatest charlatan in the memory of god or man. He was also the worthiest opponent Trimurti ever faced. Don't look so shocked at my saying it, Archivist! You know that he stole the fabric of his doctrine, path and attainment, the whole robe, from prehistorical forbidden sources. It was a weapon, nothing more. His greatest strength was his insincerity. If we could have him back…" (1.75)
Right away, we realize the theme of religion won't be an easy one in this novel. On the one hand, Sam's a total liar of a prophet, but on the other hand, his lies do bring about some good results.
Quote #2
"They are aware that a god may do such things without karmic burden, but the shock was great and the impression vivid." (1.388)
To borrow from Plato: Is an act right because God says it's so, or does God say it's so because it's right? It's a super interesting question when you dig into it, and it might just help you dig into new levels of Lord of Light as well.
Quote #3
"Now that the karma idea has caught on, the [pray-o-mats] are better than tax collectors. When mister citizen presents himself at the clinic of the god of the church of his choice on the eve of his sixtieth year, his prayer account is said to be considered along with his sin account, in deciding the caste he will enter—[…]" (2.184)
Speaking of things that remind us of other things, way back in the day, people actually could pay to have sins removed from their soul (or so they thought). These were called indulgences.