#which yeah. given the state of the current glc its very similar to our law enforcing groups which. ac ab

[scorchedhearth]

is it possible to read green lanterns as a cult like group?

kinda? as always it depends on the writers and what they want to do with the story, the parallax arc was going in that direction with the guardians being very strict with hal and ordering him around without giving anything to help him, using him for their cause, and there are several stories that follow the guardians hiding a lot and using the lanterns to protect them, or with hal and ollie's story showing a more controlling side to the glc, or in the early GL 1990 where they force hal for a year in space, even john and guy being told to do the job after hal or the whole crisis thing with guy

but for the most part of what i've read of the green lantern 1960 (which isn't everything), it doesn't really veer into the extreme, that comes later on. the guardians do somewhat overview them but they're given a lot of freedom to do whatever they want, they offer the ring but don't force it on people, they do offer teaching and guidance when asked to but the lanterns remain relatively free of their actions. that's why i use spiritual rather than religious because the guardians aren't seen as gods or prophets of a religion, they're old so they're wise and thus of good advice but they don't interfere that much with the lanterns or force beliefs on them, they just pick people who want to do good and who will gravitate toward similar morals. i mean, sinestro was allowed to go full totalitarian rule on korugar without the guardian noticing, and he said things and acted in ways that clashed with a lot of lanterns when he was still in

i'd argue that it's more cult-like in their current copaganda era (post rebirth, what a surprise) where any questions regarding the guardians' actions are seen as an offense and to be corrected, something that shouldn't happen, having blind faith in them and doing whatever they're told to do is rewarded, when they're being sent in situations to act out the guardians' authority instead of going there willingly as the early comics and choosing their actions themselves