Our imaginary gods

[peter22]

I believe we create our gods by our fears and our hopes and our desires. We don't want to believe the universe is blind and insensate so we create gods to give us a purpose to exist.

I believe we have been slaves to our own creations and that true Reason can only come from abolishing such primitive superstitions.

 

[Atomagenesis]

Well, I suppose by creating Gods you mean that one worships a false God, namely money, power, sex, etc.

Pagans for thousands of years have been creating Gods, just look at Hinduism, with over 300 million something Gods. It is contrary to reason to assert that more than one God could exist. And I agree with you that cooperating correctly with reason will help one to discover these errors, such as Aristotle and Plato proved.

 

[HouseApe]

I take exception to "we" create "our" gods. Gods are imposed upon us by our parents, as they were to them by their parents.

I think it is impossible to know where they originally came from. They grew and evolved over the millenia to what we have today.

 

[Atomagenesis]

Well the concept of a god (that is a deity, not the one, true, and holy God of the Catholic faith) is defenitly imposed on us by others bcause it is false, and the true God does not impose untruth on us.

They originally came from a lack of faith and revelation, which occured from the fall. Man's intellect was darkened it became much more difficult to reason discursively on philosophical subjects, since man had rejected grace to a certain degree it became much more difficult to extract thing intellectually from nature. Man began assuming certain things about nature, which is why paganism was so rampant until Christianity and still somewhat today in the east.

 

[HouseApe]

Paganism was rampant until Justinian decreed that they convert or die. Constantine and Justinian are the major reasons the western world is primarily Christian.

 

[Atomagenesis]

Yes, I don't agree with everything Justinian did to establish Christianity, but he did promote the truth, which is a good. I wouldn't say they are the main reasons, the Christians are the reason because without them he would have never been one.

 

[baobobtree]

It is contrary to reason to assert that more than one God could exist.

How can you claim this when Polytheistic religions have been in the minds of our ancestors for thousands of years without needing some sort of divine prophet to tell them that the Gods exist? Monotheism on the other hand, could only survive through men spouting off revelations to their followers, and persecuting those who chose not to follow Monotheism.

Edit: I'd actually like to apologize for the harshness of this post towards Monotheistic faiths. I was a bit angry at the time and wasn't exactly thinking straight, so I'm hoping anyone who was offended by this post can forgive me.

 

[Atomagenesis]

How can you claim this when Polytheistic religions have been in the minds of our ancestors for thousands of years without needing some sort of divine prophet to tell them that the Gods exist? Monotheism on the other hand, could only survive through men spouting off revelations to their followers, and persecuting those who chose not to follow Monotheism.

You don't need a prophet to tell you God exists that can be proved by reason, which St. Thomas does; although, anyone who does tell you is a prophet to a certain degree.

Just because polytheism has been in the minds of people doesn't make it correct. Murder has been in the minds of men since Cain murdered his brother, but that doesn't justify its evil act.

Monotheism survived not only because men told other men about God, but because it is proper to man's nature to know God because all things exist in God pre-eminently and man's intellect is disposed to choose the good, which is God because all goods are contained in Him according to their modes. God's law and his existence is written on the heart of every man, and persecution of people who do not believe is the evil of certain people but not neccesary for the existence of monotheism. No one told me I had to believe in God, no one can make someone believe in God, it is an act of the will.

 

[peter22]

Atomagenesis

No, I don't mean the 'false' gods of profit or sex or greed; these are merely figurative literary allegories. I mean your God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Jesus, Holy Father, whatever name you give him. I also mean Allah, Vishnu, Kali, Jupiter, Odin...

You say 'pagans have created gods for thousands of years' and I agree- but I do not draw the line at your god, who is merely one amongst a noisy multitude.

Houseape

"we" create "our" gods in the macro sense. We meaning humanity, not you personally. "We" meaning our ancestors and our culture. And yes, it is impossible to know where they came from- I am merely stating what I believe. This is, in my opinion, more honest than claiming I know the objective truth of the universe.

 

[Atomagenesis]

No, I don't mean the 'false' gods of profit or sex or greed; these are merely figurative literary allegories. I mean your God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Jesus, Holy Father, whatever name you give him. I also mean Allah, Vishnu, Kali, Jupiter, Odin...

Well your and my God was not created, He always was, is, and will be forever unto ages of ages.

You say 'pagans have created gods for thousands of years' and I agree- but I do not draw the line at your god, who is merely one amongst a noisy multitude.

The difference between them and our God, is that our God is eternal and the only God, who contains all perfections, goodness, beauty, truth, oneness and being in Himself. He founded the Catholic Church on the Rock of St. Peter, and came in the Flesh to destroy death and sin and turn suffering into redemptive power and joy. The beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega. You only need one God, and will always only need the one God. More than one is a metaphysical fallacy, proven by Plato and Aristotle. Any God that is not the Holy Trinity is a demon, and I can say with total assurance and sleep well knowing that Allah and the God of the Jews is not the true God even though they claim monotheism.

I can prove why if you would like. And I used to be Buddhist as well, but I was led to the Truth.

Who is like unto God?

 

[Blackguard_]

I believe we create our gods by our fears and our hopes and our desires. We don't want to believe the universe is blind and insensate so we create gods to give us a purpose to exist.

Bah, you can argue the Buddha did the same thing. His path only exists because he didn't have it in him to fall on a sword or swallow some poision to embrace Oblivion, so he kept some Hindu ideas and used Enlightenment and escape from the birth/death cycle as his means of suicide.

believe we have been slaves to our own creations and that true Reason can only come from abolishing such primitive superstitions.

And reincarnation is not a superstition?

Monotheism on the other hand, could only survive through men spouting off revelations to their followers, and persecuting those who chose not to follow Monotheism.

You don't think followers of pagan gods spout out revelation? And hey, the first monothiests spouting revelation would have had to come to monotheism on their own. The difference was monotheistic gods are exclusive while you can slap multiple polytheistic pantheons together.

 

[onshye1]

We refuse to believe in god simply we do not want to answer to someone one day for everything bad that we did. Sinners hate the idea of a righteous god because they are seflish and want to keep sinning and hate the idea that they will be judged. We hate the idea of punishment by a righteous god, because we think we are good. But we are in truth liars, thieves, murderers, adulterers, etc.

i love this quote that a gay turned straight in jesus said:

"i believe that all people, intrinsically, know the truth. i believe that is why christianity scares people so much. it reminds them of their conscience, which we all possess."

 

[ExistencePrecedesEssence]

Well the concept of a god (that is a deity, not the one, true, and holy God of the Catholic faith) is defenitly imposed on us by others bcause it is false, and the true God does not impose untruth on us.

They originally came from a lack of faith and revelation, which occured from the fall. Man's intellect was darkened it became much more difficult to reason discursively on philosophical subjects, since man had rejected grace to a certain degree it became much more difficult to extract thing intellectually from nature. Man began assuming certain things about nature, which is why paganism was so rampant until Christianity and still somewhat today in the east.

Very buddhistic in your assumptions, never-the-less a well dictated and reasonable post. Sadly i dont find anything more satisfying within buddhism then its humanism.=(

 

[uberd00b]

My imaginary God rocks. In fact it is far superior to just about every other God idea I've heard, Abrahamic or even one of the older Gods.

It is morally superior, more powerful, bigger, and indeed better than all others. Ontologically speaking my imaginary God must be the one true God.

Of course I don't believe it actually exists. But it's fine with that.

 

[Stinker]

I believe we create our gods by our fears and our hopes and our desires. We don't want to believe the universe is blind and insensate so we create gods to give us a purpose to exist.

I believe we have been slaves to our own creations and that true Reason can only come from abolishing such primitive superstitions.

As far as we have been able to see....no other planet like ours! Something is up
http://www.southbaymobilization.org/newsroom/earth/USFromSpaceWithStars1024.jpg

 

[IzzyPop]

We refuse to believe in god simply we do not want to answer to someone one day for everything bad that we did. Sinners hate the idea of a righteous god because they are seflish and want to keep sinning and hate the idea that they will be judged. We hate the idea of punishment by a righteous god, because we think we are good. But we are in truth liars, thieves, murderers, adulterers, etc.

i love this quote that a gay turned straight in jesus said:

"i believe that all people, intrinsically, know the truth. i believe that is why christianity scares people so much. it reminds them of their conscience, which we all possess."

Do you have any idea how insulting you are being to those that do not believe in your fairy sky-father?

 

[Silent Enigma]

Some people create gods for their own personal needs, other create them in order to achieve political control. Consider the oppression in both the bible's old testament and that created by the hindu caste system.

Personally, I wish very badly that I could have a book that was a magical message from God, so I can understand all the motive behind the doctrine of divine inspiration of the bible. But that doesn't make it true.

 

[plmarquette]

Is that why Nascar, Pornography, reality programs and sports are so popular ?

the present day "god's" of men .. spectacle and melodrama

 

[rhyddid_rose]

Bore da.......hello people

Glad to be back in CF after a very long absence.

As for gods, I'm a Asatruar and believe in many deities. I dont believe the Aesir and Vanir were created by men; just the opposite. I just happen to see deity not as one, but many.

 

[AuraTwilight]

It is contrary to reason to assert that more than one God could exist.

If one God can exist, then what reason says there can't be more? All I've seen Reason suggest is that there's either no God or atleast one.