But what if your Pagan? I mean, I know theres different Dietys and such, but correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't it goes more along the lines of nature being sacred and all, and that everyone is escentually devine?
I could be wrong of couse, might be also mixing my pagan readings with that of my wizardly readings(I have too many books I read relatively at once).
Btw, plz ignore any misspellings, typing this kind of quick cause I have to go soon, so no time to spellck more then the usual.
Which brings me to the mention of loyalty and followers, I personally don't think a god-like intity would need followers to be considered a god at all.
Gods were often seen as personifying aspects of life. Such as time (Kronos of the Titans), Light (Lucifer of Luciferianism), etc...
Although they both have worshipers, if they didn't one day they'd still be the personifications of those ''elements'', divine innaniment intities. Still gods.
As you may have implied.
God again, is just too general and broad of a term to be pondered. We may need a slightly more specific question from Flamvipers, if they wouldn't mind.
Agreed, the only reason deities have followers is because the humans either admire them so they follow as sheep, or they seek to gain either power or knowledge from the endeavor.
However how specific are you considering? I personally believe in all deities as they are recorded, some may be more famous than others, but they all have a purpose for the time they are in existence. Up until they are either destroyed by something more powerful or simply go rest.
They are nothing more however than beings of power, as there are the titans, among other beings, I could make a massive list with all the different names of beings, yet what is the point of power without a purpose? It all goes into the chain of command as I like to put it.
You have beings up and down in power and wisdom/knowledge, as long as they keep in line and don't disrupt the already fragile balance they remain, those who disrupt spring out a war. Humanity gives deities too much credit and it's mainly the fault of religion, they all consider theirs to be The most powerful and The creator of everything, they do not realize that they are not as majestic as their followers proclaim, but simply are tenders to a balance of realities, and if they do not do their job they are replaced.
Of course, if they are beings of power then it leads to question again what someone before said(can't remember exactly who at this point). But basically, if they are beings of power, is it our seeking of them, our focus of energy, that makes these beings come to be. That is, do our willing so create these things. And when we stop believing, do they just disappear.
An odd thought...let think of it this way(and feel free to disagree all you like, cause honestly this JUST popped into my head.
Tis the season, the season of Santa(the big guy in the red suit, just so I don't go getting people misreading for satan). Anyhow, how many of us have been brought up to BELIEVE that he was real when we were a kid, only to later find out when we're older that he doesn't exist. Yet, how many kids every year have dreams, hopes, wishes, of santa, watch endless number of movies about him, about frosty, and all the other holiday related characters, only to someday find out they aren't 'real'.
So what I pose here is this. What if, like deities, we didn't stop believing and allowed santa to be real, in some way, shape or form. Would it really be any different then a deity. Heck, if you want to think of a diety having knowledge or powers. Then santa more then deffinitly fits, and I prove it as such:
Santa - deity of xmas(or holiday season), knowledge of sharing, caring and all things jolly, powers of joy, lifting spirits, of happiness, if only once a year, teaching children about believing in something, dispite what other children might say about santa
Well, ya, lol, it might seem foolish perhaps, but its just random thoughts, take it as you see fit(but it really does make one wonder sometimes :D)
I believe that all the ''gods'' through out history and even ones not mentioned by it, along with all the future ''gods'' exist. They always have and always will be apart of the ''universe''. Each ''god'' is an aspect of ''the powers at be''. When you call on a specific deity you are just pulling the traits that fit your needs so to speak. As like everything in the universe their is a small piece of ''the powers at be'' in each of us. This does not make us divine but our understanding and our contentiousness can.
Santa is real. I know because I believed in him as a child and then as a parent I became Santa. He exists because people have excepted a form of a divine spirit. Santa is the spirit of the yule/Christmas time of year. If you look at the Holy King his description is very much like the description of Father Christmas and/or Santa :)
Ok, while I didn't read every single post (you guys type a lot..sorry, lol) I had a thought I would like to share. While I don't believe in people in human bodies being gods, I do believe that (In the case of Jesus, Muhammad, Ghandi, and the like) that people can be "avatars" or "chosen" of a diety which gives them a slightly divine standing, and enhances their natural abilities with the gifts that the diety gave them.
I will agree with serpent about the ego it, however gods aren't selfish? Yeah, um, since when? Look through any mythology and gods don't do everything for the good of mankind, they do a great deal for themselves, let's take a bit of Greek mythology for instance, Athena and Poseidon competed against each other to get the people of a city (Athens) to like them, how was that for the benefit of anyone but themselves? Genesis; God put the apple tree there to see if Adam and Eve could resist temptation, that was a game for him, it wasn't for their benefit, it didn't help them.
And to the original poster, the idea of a human becoming a god isn't a new concept, the term is apotheosis, "to become divine" (or a meaning close to that). And it depends on your view of what "godhood" is, if it is being viewed as a god by everyone and believed to be one, then it has been happening for millenia. Ancient Egypt, the pharaohs were considered to be gods, chosen by Ra (I think) to rule. And if you view "godhood" as committing super-human feats, then wouldn't majority of people on this site be gods? By "normal" peoples views what we do isn't something normal humans can do, thus we would be gods. Although I think that point was raised earlier.
Gods in only a few religions have been knwon to be completely selfless and "perfect" really.
In this I agree with kts.
In that I believe that all of them exist, they are indeed aspects of reality, space (the Universe), and human kind alike.
Which means, there are indeed gods out there representing the flaws of humans including selfishness.
Whenever you see an aspect of natur, it has most likely been worshiped in the past by humans.
Which brings the real questions...
"Do gods even exist?"
If so, how does one become one of them? Must they be worshiped, must they represent their own apsect of the Universe?
It all comes right down to the very grit of mythology and religion, what is even real; which religion of belief is true; could kts truly be right? No one really knows. Figure it out, then we can start discussin full out about how to get up there with the big guys on thrones.
