Is Mata Nui A God?

[bohrokmaster]

I'm sorry for bringing this up, but I feel I should ask. I am a fan of lego bionicle, but I'm very worried about the mata nui legend.

[Erebus]

LEGO chose to avoid adding religion to the storyline so that it would not upset parents, so Mata Nui is not considered to be a god. He is referred to as a Great Spirit, which is what he is, a spirit who formerly controlled a massive robot.

[Tilius]

I'm sorry for bringing this up, but I feel I should ask. I am a fan of lego bionicle, but I'm very worried about the mata nui legend.

Why are you worried about it?- Tilius

[Hexann]

I'm sorry for bringing this up, but I feel I should ask. I am a fan of lego bionicle, but I'm very worried about the mata nui legend.

He is a spirit and plus there are the great being who have power over him.

[bohrokmaster]

I watched the legend of mata nui on [removed] . I love bionicle, it has a great classic storyline about good vs evil, but it might offend religous people. but the narrator says the matoran 'worship his goodness'[bones: sorry, that site isn't allowed to be mentioned here, and please do not send the same basic post through more than once; once is enough. I assume you got some kind of a board message, but as is discussed in the rules, in such cases you should assume it went through, and wait until the server lets you check before you try again. Also it looks like you retyped it since it's a little different -- I strongly recommend selecting all (Control + A in windows) and copying your post to the clipboard before submitting (Control + C), so that if you do lose it you can simply paste it (Control + V). ]

Edited February 10, 2012 by bonesiii

[a goose]

No, he's not. While it seems slightly like it, LEGO did not intend this.And, after all, the Great Beings created Mata-Nui. Therefore, there are higher beings.- Vorex

[Jam Pot Studios]

Yeah, but there are higher beings than some Gods.For example, there are the Olympians. Above them are the Titans. Above them are the Elder Titans. Above them are the Protogenoi, and above them is Chaos.But yeah, I think it's a good idea not to get too involved in religion with stuff like BIONICLE. In all my non-BIONICLE fiction, I've used godlike characters, but avoided using any actual gods. It's a very, very touchy subject for many.

[Katuko]

LEGO did indeed choose not to make Mata Nui an actually deity in-story, despite his "god-like" power while controlling the Matoran universe, precisely for the reason that some might get worried. Ditto for his creators, the Great Beings; whom while genius creators with seemingly magical talent, are also mortal in the end. There are no "almighty gods" in BIONICLE.But if you are worried about the inclusion of gods in a certain work you like (examples could be Zelda with its goddesses, Narnia with some serious almost-Christian overtones, The Elder Scrolls with numerous gods and demigods, etc...), I'd say don't worry about it. I mean, some might think it would interfere with someone's actual religion, but c'mon, it's a series of fiction, and I am certain most religious people would not be having their religion if it could so easily be swayed. :)People can stand hearing the stories of old Greek mythology, right? Newer stories with the same elements should not be a problem. The only problem any fiction could have is on someone who is not able to discern between fiction and reality, and those people are very few and far between as far as I know.In the end it's up to each individual what they read into a story, however, and that's why LEGO decided to play it safe here. This forum also plays it safe in the same way, as discussion about religion is not allowed due to the arguments it so easily causes.

[bonesiii]

I watched the legend of mata nui on [removed] . I love bionicle, it has a great classic storyline about good vs evil, but it might offend religous people. but the narrator says the matoran 'worship his goodness'[bones: sorry, that site isn't allowed to be mentioned here, and please do not send the same basic post through more than once; once is enough. I assume you got some kind of a board message, but as is discussed in the rules, in such cases you should assume it went through, and wait until the server lets you check before you try again. Also it looks like you retyped it since it's a little different -- I strongly recommend selecting all (Control + A in windows) and copying your post to the clipboard before submitting (Control + C), so that if you do lose it you can simply paste it (Control + V). ]

I don't recall that line in the movie, but it is not canon if it was there (or may have been meant poetically; if you quoted it accurately, they're not worshipping a being but goodness itself, sounds like, but "worship" is not literally canon). There was also some extra-canon content in 2001 that seemed to imply such things, but LEGO has firmly denied it being canon. Most of it was simply fan interpretations which started to get so spread around as rumors people started mistaking them for canon facts.Officially they simply greatly respect him, much as we respect heroes like cops, soldiers, firefighters, doctors, etc. (and same goes for the Toa).And I'm about as religious as they come, and it doesn't offend me. Of course, I don't really believe in being offended... and some people DO -- it's almost like a game to some people to find things to be offended at. Others legitimately might feel something is offensive about Bionicle, but the problem with worrying about this is that you can find someone who is offended about anything under (or over or for that matter in) the sun. LEGO has tried very hard not to offend, and that's really the best they can do. :)Question answered, topic closed.