What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

[talquin]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Well the buddhists of tibet say that anything can be "used" as a Buddha. Including chairs, tables etc. They may be regarded as a emanation. I think it may have been the sage Milarepa who recieved instructions... from a dog.

Likewise inthe krishna conscious religion, the whole of material creation is regarded as krishna, although part of his material energy, which is the lower part of his energies the spiritual being higher.

So, humble material things may count, but I think that there are attributes on top of that like "super powers" which need to be taken into account. I think that 1, it has to have a higher degree of awareness, and 2, some form of apparently miraculous or paranormal potency not explicable in the normal range of expected human or animal powers.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

Hi Talquin,

The question you've presented above is interesting, but do you see how your question is itself loaded with a presupposition/insinuation, particularly in reference and application to just about any of our deliberations in culling the nature of a possible divine entity?

The insinuation I'm citing is the one that comes out of your use of the prescriptive word, "must" and the attending concept of "qualify." By using these words in your semantic structure, you imply that there is some kind of "standard idea" to which we human beings already have access, prior to, and apart from, any actual engagement with any divine being.

From an analytical angle, this seems......kind of odd to me.

Peace

(Alright, popcorn for everyone.......!!!)

 

[bhsmte]

.

 

[Ken-1122]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

The attributes will differ from person to person. What I would require in order for me to consider it God would be;

* A non evolved being
* A being that is responsible for all that exists.
* It doesn't have to b perfect, but it must be more perfect then mankind.
* He doesn't have to be all knowing and powerful, but he must be wiser, and more powerful than mankind.


Ken

 

[Archie the Preacher]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

If one were a Roman Caesar, all it took was a majority vote in the Senate. There were several Caesars who were 'made' gods.

Then there were any number of 'local gods'. They were presumed to be beings of some power to protect or cause to flourish local people. Ba'al was a Canaanite god who supplied rain for good harvests and such. No doubt some 'gods' were and possibly are demons who enjoy being the center of attention and therefore use this idea to gain attention.

To be the Creator God of the Bible, the candidate must be Uncaused, Eternal, Onmipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, totally Just, totally Loving, totally Serene and a host of other similar things. Possibly an infinite list of other similar things. And the candidate must be unique; only One - yet Three.

It sort of depends on what one seeks. The Volcano god is pretty easy with whom to live. Just remember to keep a goodly supply of virgins on hand. That Creator God person can be pretty invasive and pushy at times.

 

[juvenissun]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

Anything.

 

[Conscious Z]

Omniscience and omnipotence. If it doesn't have those, it doesn't count as a god in my book.

 

[talquin]

Hi Talquin,

The question you've presented above is interesting, but do you see how your question is itself loaded with a presupposition/insinuation, particularly in reference and application to just about any of our deliberations in culling the nature of a possible divine entity?

The insinuation I'm citing is the one that comes out of your use of the prescriptive word, "must" and the attending concept of "qualify." By using these words in your semantic structure, you imply that there is some kind of "standard idea" to which we human beings already have access, prior to, and apart from, any actual engagement with any divine being.

From an analytical angle, this seems......kind of odd to me.

Peace

Do you actually think that a god doesn't need to possess certain attributes to qualify as a god? If so, how would you go about determining what is a god and what isn't a god?

 

[talquin]

The attributes will differ from person to person. What I would require in order for me to consider it God would be;

* A non evolved being

Does this mean it must have always existed?

* A being that is responsible for all that exists.

If true, then an additional attribute of god must be one of these:
1) it doesn't exist
2) it is responsible for itself.

If it does exist and it is responsible for all that exists, then it is responsible for itself.

* It doesn't have to b perfect, but it must be more perfect then mankind.

What do you mean by 'perfect'?

* He doesn't have to be all knowing and powerful, but he must be wiser, and more powerful than mankind.
Ken

What do you mean by more powerful than mankind? Provide me with a few of your best examples.

 

[GenetoJean]

All it needs is a person's belief that they are god for them to be that person's god.

 

[talquin]

If one were a Roman Caesar, all it took was a majority vote in the Senate. There were several Caesars who were 'made' gods.

Then there were any number of 'local gods'. They were presumed to be beings of some power to protect or cause to flourish local people. Ba'al was a Canaanite god who supplied rain for good harvests and such. No doubt some 'gods' were and possibly are demons who enjoy being the center of attention and therefore use this idea to gain attention.

To be the Creator God of the Bible, the candidate must be Uncaused, Eternal, Onmipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, totally Just, totally Loving, totally Serene and a host of other similar things. Possibly an infinite list of other similar things. And the candidate must be unique; only One - yet Three.

It sort of depends on what one seeks. The Volcano god is pretty easy with whom to live. Just remember to keep a goodly supply of virgins on hand. That Creator God person can be pretty invasive and pushy at times.

You've invalidated the Creator God of the Bible, as it is logically impossible for something to be omnipotent, omniscient and totally loving.

 

[talquin]

Omniscience and omnipotence. If it doesn't have those, it doesn't count as a god in my book.

As it's logically impossible for something to be both omniscient and omnipotent, then in your book no gods exist.

 

[jayem]

What attributes must something possess to qualify as a god?

It must be the highest expression of those qualities we admire, respect, fear, and wish we possessed. We created all of our gods as exhalted reflections of ourselves.

 

[GenetoJean]

As it's logically impossible for something to be both omniscient and omnipotent, then in your book no gods exist.

I think you will have to defend this statement. It very much seems logical to me that something can be omniscient and omnipotent.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Do you actually think that a god doesn't need to possess certain attributes to qualify as a god? If so, how would you go about determining what is a god and what isn't a god?

The issue of what we 'think' qualifies as a god is an interesting line of inquiry, but what is most pertinent in regard to this inquiry is that we realize that any attempt to 'build' a self-contained, cognitive edifice via deduction, by which we could supposedly 'recognize' a god, is at best a mirage, and at worst a form of delusion.

Recognizing such a being will take more than wishful thinking and human, deductive prescriptions about what we think a divine being 'ought' to be.

What I think a divine being 'ought' to be is a secondary consideration to that which a divine being may actually be. And if I encounter one such being, I might not like what I find.......

Peace

 

[Conscious Z]

As it's logically impossible for something to be both omniscient and omnipotent, then in your book no gods exist.

There is no logical impossibility. The terms "omniscience" and "omnipotence" are assumed to exclude that which is logically impossible, such as God making a rock so heavy that he can't lift it.

Taking the most common definitions for those words, meaning that omnipotence is being able to do everything that is logically possible and omniscience is knowing everything that is logically possible, there is no logical contradiction.

 

[talquin]

It must be the highest expression of those qualities we admire, respect, fear, and wish we possessed. We created all of our gods as exhalted reflections of ourselves.

So you're saying to qualify as a god, it must be a creation of us. Correct?

 

[talquin]

I think you will have to defend this statement. It very much seems logical to me that something can be omniscient and omnipotent.

An omnipotent being would be able to make choices. An omniscient being would know what choices it will make before it makes them. Therefore, an omniscient being couldn't be omnipotent as it can't choose something in conflict with what its omniscience says it will choose. And if it does choose something in conflict with what its omniscience says it will choose, then it isn't omniscient.

 

[talquin]

The issue of what we 'think' qualifies as a god is an interesting line of inquiry, but what is most pertinent in regard to this inquiry is that we realize that any attempt to 'build' a self-contained, cognitive edifice via deduction, by which we could supposedly 'recognize' a god, is at best a mirage, and at worst a form of delusion.

Recognizing such a being will take more than wishful thinking and human, deductive prescriptions about what we think a divine being 'ought' to be.

What I think a divine being 'ought' to be is a secondary consideration to that which a divine being may actually be. And if I encounter one such being, I might not like what I find.......

Peace

Let's try again:

Yes or No: Do you think that a god doesn't need to possess certain attributes to qualify as a god?

Please explain the process you use to go about determining what is a god and what isn't a god?