It's no secret that S. D. Smith is a Christian believer, and I do not wish to make it a secret of my Messianic beliefs-- we're all brothers and sisters in the faith, and many follow the scriptures and want to see them upheld. One of the biggest mysteries to me, ever since I first started reading The Green Ember, is why our Christian author chooses to name a great king after a false god. Why would he do that? Does he even know it's a pagan god? Is it supposed to mean something? I just wanted to throw this out here, in case anyone hasn't, and to hear your thoughts on this.
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@Emerald of Hope You're Messianic?! That's so cool! I'm Messianic too! Does your family go to a Messianic congregation?
I'm only concerned about using the names of things that may be inherently evil or, like @Bearer of the Flame said, may be a stumbling block to others. I don't mean to be condescending or judgemental, I just want to know why such a powerful name is used. And I get it too, any evil thing can have a name, but doesn't make the name evil. Lamech was father of Noah, and another Lamech was sitting with two wives and a life of crime. The name "Baal" means "Lord" in the Hebrew language. Baal is a pagan figure. Does that mean calling God "Lord" is a sin? No. I'm not against a name. I'm against the figure that shares the name.
Yeah, I agree with what @Jo4life @Bearer of the Flame and @Derrick Rowe said and I don't really have much to add, lol. But it is an interesting topic!
CS Lewis used pagan elements in the Chronicles of Narnia. For example he uses naiads, dryades, Bacchus and Silenus, and the River God. Lewis added these elements because he liked them. I wouldn't read too much into it.
I agree with [@Jo4life] ... Smith might've just chosen the name because of the meaning, or he really liked it. I like looking up name meanings too, even though they might seem strange or come from mythology. But I still use them... so long as it isn't a stumbling block to others ☺
Okay... so, heres what I think might have been the cause. Often when I am creating characters for my story’s I look up meanings of names, and when I find one I like I do some research on the name to see if it fits my character. I might just use google and type in “names that mean fair” or “names that mean strong” I think Smith might have done that, and stumbled upon Jupiter. It might have to do with another religion but it also is in general a powerful name that would suit a king. that’s just what I think though 🤷♀️