[EVA] Is "What I'm saying, Shinji, is that I love you." debatable?

[Nanashi]

Multiple replies to multiple people from different letters posted at
different times . . .

>>>They probably know about as much about christianity as the average
American knows about Buddhism. Don't take the religious references
literally.<<<

This is an unsafe assumption.

>>Eva doesn't borrow heavily from religion. It borrows -names- heavily, but
not much beyond that.<<

Yeah? See below.

>>Because of this, we can't say that the EVA angels are sexless like the
Christian angels, even though the series borrows heavily from the
religion.<<

The Angels have sex? Wow.

>>True, but most of the names do apply fairly well.  Couple of the angel's
are misnamed, but weirdly, the correct angel-to-name comes either right
before or right after the mistaken one.

See below.

***

List of deviations from Christanity in EVA (*REVAMPED VERSION*):
In the Beginning . . .

1) We don't see God. We only hear his name used figuratively.
2) We don't see Eve, who wasn't created from Adam's rib, who didn't give
birth to Humanity.
3) As far as we know, there wasn't a Garden. No Tree of Knowledge or Tree of
Life was planted in it. The various Fruit names we hear about are only used
figuratively. The Tree of Life appears in EoE, in the form of a cross.
4) As far as we know, the Earth was created conventionally (big chunks of
lava from the sun and whatnot).
5) Adam looks like a "Giant of Light." He's the "First Angel," where in the
Book of Enoch, he's the "second."
6) The Lilith of obscure lore is the mother of the Lilim, also of obscure
lore. In EVA, the relationship is literal, and the "Lilim" are humans.
7) The Angels are not Immortal Spirits with Eyes on Their Wings or whatever
else religious lore says they are. They *are* alternate manisfestations of
the ultimate pre-TI lifeform. Most of them just so happen to have names that
come from the section in A Dictionary of Angels' "Angel of --" section
(normally in association with what they are).
8) The Great Deluge only turns up in references to the various Impacts. The
Ark is mentioned the same way.
9) Jacob's Ladder is on the floor of Gendo's office. Other than that, pretty
much all of the Old Testament besides Genesis is ignored.
10) Cross-references (no pun intended): Misato's pendant, the Cross of
Lilith, the cross-explosion, and the Tree of Life.
11) The wooden Lance of Longinus parallels the big lance-shaped object in
stomach of Lilith (attached to the cross). The various legendary properties
of the original Lance *seem* to be true for the Lance in EVA.
12) The fig leaf has, you know, connotations. Notably, the one in the
Genesis refers to "that which precedes the giving of fruit," or "the
original sin."
13) In lore, God has seven eyes. In EVA, Adam has seven eyes. Lilith wears a
mask called "the mask of Adam." SEELE's crest also has the face of Adam on
it.
14) The relationship between the Magi and the MAGI is only in number and
name. On a more metaphoric level, they represent "the maiden, the mother,
and the crone" (woman, mother, and scientist), and they manipulate "Fate"
(the unseen going-ons behind the events that occur in NERV and Tokyo-3) in
the background of the series. They, or perhaps more appropriately, she (Dr,
Akagi, in plural), were present at the birth (or the begining of the
metamorphisis) of the Savior (Shinji?). The MAGI can also be seen as "the
monster, each of its heads having the Number of the Beast (666) inscribed
upon it."
15) Red Earth is a reference to the etymology of the word "Adam."
16) Shinji experienced stigmata, in the same sense that St. Francis did.
17) Marduk is the name of the Hero that slayed Tiamat. He is the Bringer of
Change. Lore reference.
18) Fly Me to the Moon: Yui is "Our Lady of Grace, with her feet on the
Moon, and her head crowned by twelve stars (SEELE, throne of souls)." No
matter the SEELE has 15 members. It's just a reference. Guess who her son
is.
19)

Song from "Pippa Passes"
Robert Browning

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven--
All's right with the world!

20) In the Revelation of John, the order of angel appearances, combined with
Angel names:

<skipping the angels of the churches>

Rev. 5:2
#A Adam, the Strong Angel

Rev. 6
#3 Water; Covering of God: Sachiel (Source: The Magus); the conquerer on the
white horse, with bow and crown; bow --> the process of drawing back and
releasing --> Sachiel's arm
#4 Drawing; Angel of the Light of Day: Shamshiel (Source: Zohar, Protection,
Jubilees); the maker of war on the red horse; red color
#5 Thunder; Angel of Thunder: Ramiel (Archangel; Often identified with
Uriel; Common
Source); the maker of Judgements (Ramiel) with the scales; Ramiel is the
judge
#6 Fish; Angel of Fish: Gaghiel (Source: Ozar Midrashim); Death. ref. to
Azrael, the first of the Archangels to find the dust of Adam (Red Earth),
given dominion over Life and Death. Hence, the first angel to represent a
lifeform (Fish).

Rev. 7:2
#7 Music; Angel of the Divine Music: Israfel (Archangel; Common Source);
Angel with the "seal of the living god" (Yin/Yang); the core of the Angel

Rev. 8
#8 Embryo; Angel of the Embryo: Sandalphon (Archangel(?); second phase of
the Metatron,
the voice of God; Common Source); 1st, Hail and Fire; born of fire
#9 Rain; Angel of Rain: Matarael; Matarel (Source: Enoch); 2nd, Seas of
Blood --> Water --> Rain --> (Blood and) Tears; the falling of rain and
tears
#10 Sky; Angel of the Sky: Sahaquiel (Source: Enoch); 3rd, A star falling
from the heavens (Wormwood); falling from the sky
#11 Fear; Angel of Fear: Yrouel; Ireul (Source: ?); 4th, Darkness (Fear) -->
Fear of Darkness; a virus spreads across the body in much the same way that
a fear spreads across the mind or a darkness spreads across the Earth

Rev. 9:2 or 9:11
#12 Night; Angel of the Night: Leliel (Source: Zohar, Genesis Rabba,
Sanhedrin); 5th angel, Abaddon, Angel of the Abyss; 'nuff said

Rev. 9:13
#13 Mist/Fog; Angel of Hail: Bardiel (Source: Obscure); 6th angel, herald to
the final four --> a cloud heralds rain; hail is associated with weather.

Rev. 9
#14 Strength; Arm of God; Angel of Strength: Zeruel (Source: Philo); --
#15 Birds; Angel of Birds: Arael (Source: Book of Magic); --
#16 Womb; Angel of the Womb: Armisael (Source: Talmudic); --
#17 Free Will; Angel of Free Will: Tabris (Source: Nuctemeron); --
Four angels bound by the Euphrates

Rev. 9:16
#18 Lilim, the army of the horsemen.

Rev. 10:1
#L Lilith, Another strong angel (7th angel)

<snip the angels of the second vision>

Anything I missed?

SeventhOne