Preferably I'd like a person or group critizing a belief/religion, with on the other side a person/group defending it. Or to make it more simple, there are two viewpoints about a specific belief/religion in the manga.
I'd also like the manga to have deep, thoughtful arguments/statements that make you think, "wow, what I just read was deep".
I got the inspiration to create this thread from Joan Sfarr's "The Rabbi's Cat". An excellent story, I tell you! And here's a short excerpt to demonstrate... The ones who have read it, will fully understand what I'm looking for, since I wanted something similar.
It's basically about a cat of a rabbi that has suddenly been given the ability to speak by eating a parrot, and starts questioning everything surrounding him.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THIS. It just serves as a small example. Also, I translated this from Dutch, so I apologize beforehand that I couldn't translate the exact same atmosphere correctly. It's always better to read the full story, too.
Quote from The Rabbi's Cat
We go to the rabbi of the rabbi to ask whether a cat that can speak can do his bar mitswa. The rabbi of the rabbi says that I can't.
"Nonono."
I ask him what's the difference between a human and a cat. He says that God has created Man in his image. I ask him whether he can show me an image of God. He says that God is a word.
The way Man looks like God because he can speak - I say to the rabbi of the rabbi - that is how I look like Man.
No, he says. Because my ability to speak is something evil. Because I have committed a murder for it. I say that that's not true, that I didn't eat the parrot. He says that above all I'm a liar.
I explain that speech allows you to say whatever you want, even things that aren't true, that that is powerful, that he should try it once.
The rabbi of the rabbi says to the rabbi that he doesn't want to see me anymore, that they should drown me. The rabbi says to his rabbi that he won't drown me, because he loves me and because I don't like water.
And I say to the rabbi of the rabbi that I am God and assumed the form of a cat to test him. I tell him that I'm not pleased about his behavior at all. I tell him that he's acting just as dogmatic and dumb as some Christians do against Jews.
He falls on his knees and begs for forgiveness. I tell him that it was just a joke, that I'm only a cat and that he can get up.
The rabbi of the rabbi says that I'm committing blasphemy and that I'm lying and that I'm abusing God's name and that they should drown me. The rabbi asks whether a rabbi shouldn't systematically accept any back talk of his pupils, whether that isn't just the principle of the Talmud teachings.
Back talk yes, but not malice and malevolence, says the rabbi of the rabbi. Pupils should bite their teacher the way puppies do to their owner.
According to Jewish tradition the dog is a good animal, says the rabbi of the rabbi. The dog is honest, determined, prepared to suffer for the greater good. While the cat, pft... a cat isn't to be trusted.
"Blablabla, you're chattering away, a dog is a powerhouse, linear, moralizing, masculine, worthless."
I ask him of biblical verses wherein similar praises towards the dog can be found. He can't name any.
"I am a night creature, unpredictable, and all-out ethical."
He starts talking about the orally passed down Thora, which isn't fully put down on paper. He talks more about the Spirit of the Law than that of the Letter. And he says that the Greeks saw the dog as the philosophical animal, par excellence. The dog, not the cat.
I answer that the Greeks destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and that a rabbi that takes them into the discussion, is short on arguments. He says that the Thora speaks more about humans than about dogs or cats and that my question doesn't matter.
I tell him that it has been enough. That I want to do my bar mitswa. I say that I want to convert to the Jewish faith. He asks me why. I tell him that the rabbi won't have any objections with me hanging around his daughter if I'm a good Jew.
I explain to him that the daughter of the rabbi is my woman. That I can't live without her, because she is my joy and that love is something beautiful.
He says that my motives to become a Jew aren't good, that my love for God isn't sincere. I didn't talk about my love for God at all.
He explains that whoever wants to become a Jew needs to fear God, surrender himself to him, love him sincerely. He says that a Jew should see the presence of God in everything. He says that the thought of God should be enough to make the most dreary day sunny. He says that the love for God should nearly be corporal. He says that it is an intellectual love, but that you should nonetheless feel swayed in the arms of the invincible, merciful, just master.
I tell him that that is exactly how I feel with my (female) owner.
He says that I am an animal, that I keep myself low to the ground and that I move forward on four legs, that the love for God is out of my reach.He says that I should content myself with the earthly, imperfect love.
I answer that he's slandering, that my (female) owner is the true one. He says that God is the only true one. I tell him that God is a soothing illusion, because he's old and he doesn't have parents anymore. I tell him that I have my (female) owner and that I will never be alone, because I will die before her. He throws me and my owner out.
"Get out!"
"Nonono."
I ask him what's the difference between a human and a cat. He says that God has created Man in his image. I ask him whether he can show me an image of God. He says that God is a word.
The way Man looks like God because he can speak - I say to the rabbi of the rabbi - that is how I look like Man.
No, he says. Because my ability to speak is something evil. Because I have committed a murder for it. I say that that's not true, that I didn't eat the parrot. He says that above all I'm a liar.
I explain that speech allows you to say whatever you want, even things that aren't true, that that is powerful, that he should try it once.
The rabbi of the rabbi says to the rabbi that he doesn't want to see me anymore, that they should drown me. The rabbi says to his rabbi that he won't drown me, because he loves me and because I don't like water.
And I say to the rabbi of the rabbi that I am God and assumed the form of a cat to test him. I tell him that I'm not pleased about his behavior at all. I tell him that he's acting just as dogmatic and dumb as some Christians do against Jews.
He falls on his knees and begs for forgiveness. I tell him that it was just a joke, that I'm only a cat and that he can get up.
The rabbi of the rabbi says that I'm committing blasphemy and that I'm lying and that I'm abusing God's name and that they should drown me. The rabbi asks whether a rabbi shouldn't systematically accept any back talk of his pupils, whether that isn't just the principle of the Talmud teachings.
Back talk yes, but not malice and malevolence, says the rabbi of the rabbi. Pupils should bite their teacher the way puppies do to their owner.
According to Jewish tradition the dog is a good animal, says the rabbi of the rabbi. The dog is honest, determined, prepared to suffer for the greater good. While the cat, pft... a cat isn't to be trusted.
"Blablabla, you're chattering away, a dog is a powerhouse, linear, moralizing, masculine, worthless."
I ask him of biblical verses wherein similar praises towards the dog can be found. He can't name any.
"I am a night creature, unpredictable, and all-out ethical."
He starts talking about the orally passed down Thora, which isn't fully put down on paper. He talks more about the Spirit of the Law than that of the Letter. And he says that the Greeks saw the dog as the philosophical animal, par excellence. The dog, not the cat.
I answer that the Greeks destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and that a rabbi that takes them into the discussion, is short on arguments. He says that the Thora speaks more about humans than about dogs or cats and that my question doesn't matter.
I tell him that it has been enough. That I want to do my bar mitswa. I say that I want to convert to the Jewish faith. He asks me why. I tell him that the rabbi won't have any objections with me hanging around his daughter if I'm a good Jew.
I explain to him that the daughter of the rabbi is my woman. That I can't live without her, because she is my joy and that love is something beautiful.
He says that my motives to become a Jew aren't good, that my love for God isn't sincere. I didn't talk about my love for God at all.
He explains that whoever wants to become a Jew needs to fear God, surrender himself to him, love him sincerely. He says that a Jew should see the presence of God in everything. He says that the thought of God should be enough to make the most dreary day sunny. He says that the love for God should nearly be corporal. He says that it is an intellectual love, but that you should nonetheless feel swayed in the arms of the invincible, merciful, just master.
I tell him that that is exactly how I feel with my (female) owner.
He says that I am an animal, that I keep myself low to the ground and that I move forward on four legs, that the love for God is out of my reach.He says that I should content myself with the earthly, imperfect love.
I answer that he's slandering, that my (female) owner is the true one. He says that God is the only true one. I tell him that God is a soothing illusion, because he's old and he doesn't have parents anymore. I tell him that I have my (female) owner and that I will never be alone, because I will die before her. He throws me and my owner out.
"Get out!"
Last edited by Dr. Love at 1:03 pm, May 30 2011
________________
source: animenewsnetwork
Join SRoMU Scanlations or visit #SRoMU at IRCHighWay.
Though it's always nice when people appreciate a good story~ And probably. By the way, it's not really a novel, it's a 
