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    What are gods?

    What are gods? How do you define them? What are they made of? Where do they come from (aka, how did they get here)? What is their purpose?

    (I'm not looking for anyone to defend their position, I'm just looking for diversity in beliefs)
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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    #2
    Re: What are gods?

    I believe that gods are conscious, intelligent energy. They exist without form but can take on a form or personality in order to interact with those beings that ask for interaction. The primeval god, the "One" that precedes all never had and will never have a form because "He/She/It" existed before form or matter. In Arratu, "Anki" is that God. The word "anki" transliterates to "all that exists" or "the heavens and earth". Anki divided into three parts, one Female, "Ki", one Male, "An" and the residue of the separation "Nammu", which is the energy of the universe that is given to intelligent life for use in magik. Nammu has no gender.
    The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
    I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

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      #3
      Re: What are gods?

      Gods, Goddesses, Deities....they are divinity. They are in everything and they are in us. They are energy, life & death. They give us magic in the things we see every day like the changing of the seasons, the journey from infancy to death, the setting of the sun & the rising of the moon.
      (user formerly known as beckly_freckly)

      You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.

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        #4
        Re: What are gods?

        IMO deities are a human construct to help us cope with situations that we in our human state and limited intellect have difficulty with ... That being said I do believe that there is "something" behind and within everything in the universe including ourselves ... May the Force be with you ... Believe in yourself you should ... Master Po: [after easily defeating the boy in combat] Ha, ha, never assume because a man has no eyes he cannot see. Close your eyes. What do you hear?
        Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.
        Master Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?
        Young Caine: No.
        Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet?
        Young Caine: [looking down and seeing the insect] Old man, how is it that you hear these things?
        Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?
        I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


        Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

        The Chief nodded in agreement.

        The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

        The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

        Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



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          #5
          Re: What are gods?

          What are god?

          I don't know.

          How do you define then?

          Things humans put faith and trust in when they do not feel comfortable putting faith and trust in themselves.

          What are they made of?

          Wishes, neurons, and maybe something else.

          Where do they come from?

          They come through us, but come out of the great dark.

          What is their purpose?

          To be used by us, in a relationship that creates the illusion we are used by them.
          Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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            #6
            Re: What are gods?

            Originally posted by thalassa View Post
            What are gods? How do you define them? What are they made of? Where do they come from (aka, how did they get here)? What is their purpose?
            They are intelligent beings beyond human comprehension. I view the One as a primordial soup of pure potential, neither good nor bad, just as it is and it is from this amazing soup we get all existence, and once able to connect on a practical level all sorts of abilities are opened up to us, from communication with spiritual entities, deep love and gratitude for all of life despite our previous judgments and yet untapped human potential in the form of psychokinesis and advanced technology. It is the thing that ideas are made of and the power to make them tangible.

            I think gods, as in the pantheons we see the world over, are made of human emotions and thought stuff that are given power by the electromagnetic and unknown energetic matrix of the planet and cosmos through the cultures specific beliefs and practices. I consider the archetypes of gods like artificial intelligence - they were created by humans to serve a need but through time they learned to be self-sufficient. When I look at the world through the eyes of a theist I can see how the gods have a hand in the workings of the world, how modern civilization is the working of a divine agent.

            I don't think they have a purpose but are given one because of our need to give everything a purpose. In our quest for meaning the gods surely must have one! I think they are so ancient and abstract they are just here. Maybe to have fun, to grow, to learn, but if we as humans can conceptualize and create all the amazing things we do, then I imagine a god or goddess really has nothing left to learn, and maybe we are just pets, or game pieces, or currency, or experiments to them or a really ridiculous reality TV show.

            I have no idea really, all the experiences I have had with gods have been bewildering. Lovely, but strange.

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              #7
              Re: What are gods?

              In our pathway, our Gods are just personifications of ourselves, and the world around us. They do survive in a metaphysical region, but we feel their presence in our everyday life. Through meditation, we can break into their realms and communicate with them on several different types of levels.
              "In the shade now tall forms are advancing,
              And their wan hands like snowflakes in the moonlight are gleaming;
              They beckon, they whisper, 'Oh! strong armed in valor,
              The pale guests await thee - mead foams in Valhalla.'"
              - Finn's Saga

              http://hoodednorseman.tumblr.com/

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                #8
                Re: What are gods?

                In my belief system, gods are a broad category of powerful, immortal* beings who possess intelligence, personality, and a vast potency over the operation and makeup of reality and the universe. They are situated above other forms of supernatural or spiritual beings in that their power is usually greater, in scope and ability, and their existence is independent and self-sustaining**. They are hyper-concentrated Will. And they are typically of such importance and impact that they are often treated as sacred, though they aren't usually the only sacred things in a religion nor are they all always categorised as sacred.
                I know this definition will not be in concordance with some others' view of what the gods are. And that's fine. This is just my best elucidation of my best guess at what they are like categorically.

                *While some stories might depict some as dying, they usually recover.
                **Again, some stories depict them as needing offerings. Others, however, depict them as desirable but not vital to the gods' livelihoods.
                Last edited by Louisvillian; 06 Nov 2015, 02:10.

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                  #9
                  Re: What are gods?

                  According to me in Christianity and other monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority is called God.

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                    #10
                    Re: What are gods?

                    Originally posted by MarkPaul View Post
                    According to me in Christianity and other monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority is called God.
                    What is he made out of? Where did he come from? What is his purpose?
                    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                    sigpic

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                      #11
                      Re: What are gods?

                      The Creator is unknowable. The Creator has no form or substance. I suppose the best description we, as humans, could use is "Unlimited energy combined with total intellect". But even that description places limits on such a Being.
                      The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
                      I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: What are gods?

                        Gods, to me, are either persons who rule over certain aspects of nature or they literally are those aspects of nature.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: What are gods?

                          Like all things, there had to be a beginning of the gods, a creation of them. Perhaps at one time, they were a swirling, chaotic mass of energy, energy so vast that it could manifest reality with just a thought. As our existence came into being, the influence and will of all other things shaped and molded that divine energy into unique forces, each gaining dominion over a collection of ideas and concepts. Over time, humankind, through their desires and their wills, further sculpted those forces into individual beings that we now think of as gods. We are both the creators and the creations of our deities, both their servants and their masters. The roar of the waves inspired us to tell stories of Njord and Aegir, Poseidon and Neptune, Manannan Mac Lir and Agwe. Just as happened with all things, fire and earth, lightning and rain, love and hate.

                          Where does this leave us now? Forgers of our own prisons and masters of our own keys. It is to those fragments of ourselves and of those who have gone before us who have claimed godhood at out behest and desires.

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                            #14
                            Re: What are gods?

                            What is the difference between a belief in gods and a belief in spirits who have domain over or are the essence of life in a region, say a lake, copse or mountain range?
                            I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
                            Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
                            But that day you know I left my money
                            And I thought of you only
                            All that copper glowing fine

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                              #15
                              Re: What are gods?

                              Every time I see this thread pop up in the recent list, I can't help but singing:

                              What are gods? Baby don't hurt me, baby don't hurt me, no more ..

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