Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

[Wonder]

Hi,

I think the title says it all. Basically all the Polytheists I me told me that their Gods are finite and limited in their powers, not omniscient or omnipotent like the God of monotheism. That begs the question, are these entites not actually some form of highly evolved extra terrestrial beings, who mastered spacetime and dimensions so has to appear like 'Gods'?

I pray you to consider this not as a disrespect to your beliefs, but as a legitimate question.


Thanks.

[thalassa]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

IMO, absolutely and completely no.

[Guest]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

I've seen that show,

it is an interesting theory and it could be remotely possible note I use the word remotely , In all honesty the fact that intelligent life evolved here may be an accident or a very narrow margin of the universe that has planets and stars with temperatures rotations and time scales all correctly intertwined to give rise to intelligent life is very extremely hard to procure. So in reality probably not the ancient gods were just ancient explanations for natural phenomenon however it is an interesting theory to think about. Who knows we weren't alive back then maybe extraterrestrials did visit leave and maybe they died out and no one will visit us again interesting.

[Jembru]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

I think they'd be a bit more tangible and visibly present in the world if they were of this plane of existence. So no, I don't believe the gods are aliens. I'm familiar with the theory of gods of ancient civilisations being aliens. While it's not impossible, I find it a bit unlikely, and I think it undermines human capabilities. It's like, our species was capable of doing amazing things long before we walked on the moon or invented the first personal computer, so it could only have been aliens telling them what to do.. surely our species isn't capable of say, building some giant stone tombs in the jungle...

[Norse_Angel]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

In a short answer no, but I do like your theory.
In a long answer, I find myself looking around at our world, and smiling with the presence of my Gods. When I hear Thor beating his hammer, with the patter of rain and the flashes of lightening, I know he is present. When the first flowers start to bloom, and life starts to return to the world after a long winter, I see Freya sowing the gardens, and breathing the fragerence into the air. Anytime there is wonder in my life, and whenever knowledge is to be saught, Odin has his hand on my shoulder, guiding my energy to seek. And of course, when there is mischief to be had, and when rules must be broken, I let Loki have his laugh, and of course, I join him. The gods are in my every day life. They are present from waking moment, to impending slumber. They feast with me, and drink with me, as they do, watch over me in my lightest and darkest moments. They cannot be unseen as a real part of life, and, so, to answer your question; no, my gods are here with me in Midgard.
There is an argument to be made, however, if the other 9 worlds can be looked upon in this manner. I do not believe that these 9 worlds are vastly separated from Midgard, and our earth. There are many streams connecting them, and all lead back to Yggdrasil, our world tree. Nothing is so far apart in the speculation of things.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

Ancient Alien theory tends to go batshit insane when it starts trying to explain the motives behind aliens showing up, meddling to such an extent and then leaving. Is it remotely possible...

As the quote goes, "Science, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic." A sufficiently advanced culture could easily convince a comparatively primitive culture of its divinity and anything with the power to travel between stars is probably capable of casually defeating our methods of detection whenever it pleases. Is such a thing probable? I've yet to see compelling evidence and some of the arguments break down in hillarious ways.

[Wonder]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

Hi,

I need to mention that I was not refering particularly to the Ancient Aliens show. I think that the idea actually originates from the writtings of H.P Lovecraft and the Cthullu mythos, where the 'Gods' who created this world are described as celestial bodies who came to master our reality and travel everywhere they want in outerspace and don't really care about us, even though they made us. In short, they are powerful Alien beings who should be feared.

But I mean, are the Gods of Polytheistic beliefs not actually carefully picked avatares used by representatives of an highly advanced race of (perhaps even immaterial or ascended) extra terrestrial beings who watch closely over mankind and it's developpements? I mean could they be so evolved that they can reach to human cousciousnesses using mediums such as dreams, spiritual experiences, abductions ect and create scenarios according to our own beliefs and biases as a mean to make their presence known in subtle ways but yet without interfering and derailing our evolutinary process?

Again, I am not trying to diminish anyone's beliefs. But I think it's a possiblity that should be considered seriously.

[Guest]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

Hi,

I need to mention that I was not refering particularly to the Ancient Aliens show. I think that the idea actually originates from the writtings of H.P Lovecraft and the Cthullu mythos, where the 'Gods' who created this world are described as celestial bodies who came to master our reality and travel everywhere they want in outerspace and don't really care about us, even though they made us. In short, they are powerful Alien beings who should be feared.

But I mean, are the Gods of Polytheistic beliefs not actually carefully picked avatares used by representatives of an highly advanced race of (perhaps even immaterial or ascended) extra terrestrial beings who watch closely over mankind and it's developpements? I mean could they be so evolved that they can reach to human cousciousnesses using mediums such as dreams, spiritual experiences, abductions ect and create scenarios according to our own beliefs and biases as a mean to make their presence known in subtle ways but yet without interfering and derailing our evolutinary process?

Again, I am not trying to diminish anyone's beliefs. But I think it's a possiblity that should be considered seriously.

Lovecraft's gods "the Great old Ones" didn't create mankind or the Earth we evolved on earth in the time that Cthulhu is asleep and the other aliens left. i should also point out that the distinction in the Lovecraft mythos is between unknowable deities like Cthulhu and the other gods and aliens like the Mi-go the polyp things etc the "gods' are from another dimension which sort fo doesn't make them aliens in a way. Some people believe that Lovecraft received these in dreams as an actual conection and that his writings are somewhat truthful, the bloop in the South pacific helps their case a little. However like I said its highy improbable that there is am advanced race that is contacting us in dreams if they became incredibly advanced there is a high chance they destroyed themselves with their own technology.

[LunarHarvest]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

The short answer to this question can be surmised in three words: Panentheism and Animism. Both these rule out the possibility of them being solely extra-terrestrial beings. So it is ultimately impossible to attribute all polytheist faiths to aliens, or even have their existence be attributable to the experience or nature of deity. Even if there were extra-terrestrial beings they become a part of the spiritual nature of the entire universe rather than uniquely occupying the position of deities.

To put it in a more personalised form of argument, in Shinto, Kami do not exist within some other plain of existence, but within the actual thing itself as an aspect of the existence of that thing, and this applies to human beings as well. To this manner, one cannot attribute the Kami of a mountain or of a forest to anything which is outside of, or exists completely separate from, the thing itself.

That being said, in a way this could be a proper argument, as any extra-terrestrial beings would have their own Kami, and share a similar state of unique spiritual existences alongside their physical existences. It is most certainly an interesting theory, but it also most certainly cannot be attributed to all polytheistic religions and beliefs.

[Louisvillian]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

Basically all the Polytheists I me told me that their Gods are finite and limited in their powers, not omniscient or omnipotent like the God of monotheism.

Okay, let's see where we're going with this...

That begs the question, are these entites not actually some form of highly evolved extra terrestrial beings

Well that was quite the leap. To me, that kind of conclusion is a rather extreme and 20th century form of Euhemerisation. A hypothesis for those who are intrigued by the gods and their myths, but don't think of them as real things, and can't conceive of why ancient people thought of them as real things.

For myself, I agree with thalassa at the top of the thread. I find the 'gods as aliens' thing to be nonsensical, but that's just my personal feeling on the subject.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

We make our gods, therefore, they are as alien as we are.

How alien are we?

[anunitu]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

So,it is true B. De.,you ARE a reptilian after all. I just knew there was something about you,it might have been that freaking tongue,and the flies you were always catching...AND those EYES!!!!!!!!!

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

So,it is true B. De.,you ARE a reptilian after all. I just knew there was something about you,it might have been that freaking tongue,and the flies you were always catching...AND those EYES!!!!!!!!!

No, I'm a Grey, pretending to be a Reptilian, so I can better pervert the gooberment, and build pyramid-shaped spacecraft to fight against The Black Goat Of The Woods With A Thousand Young.

Oops. I was not supposed to reveal that. Now the Shoggoth's out 'o da bag...

[anunitu]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

Never can trust greys to keep a secret,they always get stoned and shoot their mouths off...

[Thorbjorn]

Re: Are the Gods of Polytheism extra terrestrial beings?

I certainly hope no one thought they would escape this meme.

Aliens.jpg

No, I do not believe our Gods and Goddesses are extraterrestrials in the way Ancient Alien "theorists" suggest, that is, flesh and blood beings who zip around the galaxy in spaceships. Extraterrestrial as in are-they-limited-to-this-world? No, that makes them extraterrestrial as well as terrestrial.