Consensus Reality

[Fish and Bread]

Many years ago, a guy named Frank Herbert wrote a book called Dune- and then five more books continuing the story.

After his death, his son and another science fiction author wrote a slew of prequels, sequels, books to fit in between books, and basically anything you can think of, all set in the "Dune universe".

One of the neat things about some of those books is that they begin each chapter with a quote from some fictional person who is famous within the universe these characters all live in.

I was reading a book called House Harkonnen (Not one of the better Dune related titles overall, I'm afraid, though it has its moments), and came across this:

We create our own future by our own beliefs, which control our actions. A strong enough belief system, a sufficiently powerful conviction, can make anything happen. This is how we create our consensus reality, including our gods.

—REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO, Sayyadina of the Fremen

Does this quote describe the real human universe and its God?

Discuss.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

We create our own future by our own beliefs, which control our actions. A strong enough belief system, a sufficiently powerful conviction, can make anything happen. This is how we create our consensus reality, including our gods.

I'll use one of my brothers as an example. He was driven to succeed from the moment he left high school. A failure, a drop out at school at the age of 15 , he entered the "real world" and proved himself a talented hairdresser, with great business acumen, owned a string of salons and then ventured successfully into hotels. He married young, had a good solid marriage with two great kids. All this whilst pursuing his other passion of horses and horse-training. Now he lives a contented retirement with the joy of being a grandparent, whilst keeping busy enough with horses.
He believed in his own "pragmatic ability" to succeed. He was good with his hands, and a very able communicator who knew how to connect with the common man. His failure at "school education" and the intellectual world was almost like a stimulus to prove himself, his worth in other areas. All the put downs he received from teachers for misbehaviour and low grades, were an impetus for later success. Similar to those who are bullied when young and prove themselves later in life. He learned to focus when he started hairdressing at age 16. He found he was good at manual tasks. He learnt by doing not through abstract theory.
Bart created his own future, his own destiny, by making the most of his skills in his late teen years. He met his future wife at 18, and never strayed in his marriage. He was too focussed on building his business with his business partner and wife. He never really had a role-model in my family either because my father was very much an unhandy public servant. He had some mystical self-belief shaped from hardship at school and perhaps having a gut-feeling that he was unique and different to the role-models at home and at school. He partly worshipped the God of money and success but he was/is also a very good family man and ideal husband I would think.

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

I don't know, but it's an interesting thing to ponder.
In some episodes of Supernatural, older gods and goddesses continue to exist but lose power as the number of their believers dwindle. I've thought that is an interesting thing to think about...does worship and prayer support God as much as it supports us?

 

[xpower]

No it's fiction, God does not need anything and he has existed long before we did. He never came in to being and he will never cease to exist, he is an infinite being and spirit who is omni-benevolent and omnipotent, eternal, omnipresent, all knowing and Beyond time and space. That is what makes him God. He is not like the pagan gods and goddesses who are just humans with superpowers. I mean think about it, if whatever we believe came true. The pagan gods and goddesses would be walking Among Us displaying their powers, look how they act in their mythologies. Or Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny would be real.

 

[Fish and Bread]

In some episodes of Supernatural, older gods and goddesses continue to exist but lose power as the number of their believers dwindle.

Similar concept:

Excerpted from Superman (2011-2016) Issue #45

 

[xpower]

You should not allow things in fiction to influential theology and Christian truth, there is a lot of junk in fiction. There is some fiction which says we are surrounded Eldritch Horrors with cosmic power that want to destroy us, but if that were true we would already be dead.​

 

[xpower]

Similar concept:

Excerpted from Superman (2011-2016) Issue #45

. In the DC Universe there is a being known as the "presence" who is a fictional representation of God in the DC Universe who does not need worship to exist.