Guest guest Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 What is God?How do You define God?What are the unrefutable attributes of something so that we can call it God?What makes something a God?A tree has leaves which are usually green, has roots,...you got it!Blessed Be,Beatriz --- On Fri, 7/4/08, Peter <metalscarab wrote:Peter <metalscarabRe: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here Date: Friday, July 4, 2008, 4:07 AM So, that would be Enki or Enlil, the gods of Water and Air... I believe they are the ones we have the earliest references to. Possibly Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Underworld. BB Peter - Beatriz @gro ups.com Thursday, July 03, 2008 6:05 PM Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here The One Who got here first (just kidding...)--- On Thu, 7/3/08, Peter <metalscarab@ gmail.com> wrote: Peter <metalscarab@ gmail.com>Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here@gro ups.comThursday, July 3, 2008, 5:14 AM Hi Beatriz But which god? BB Peter - Beatriz @gro ups.com Thursday, July 03, 2008 12:24 AM Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here Hi Jo :)Actually it was a Hindu, who told me about this and I had based my previous post upon a conversation we had.It seems to me that these kind of contradictions occur not just between followers of Hinduism, but of many religions. Like with Christians, some say Jesus Christ is God, while others say that cannot be, as there is only One God, that Jesus is One With God, which is entirely different from being God.Anyways, Christianity, along centuries has been nothing but distorted, same goes for Islam and other religions, I suppose...But, don't all religions share the same core? Love to God and to each other? Don't all religions encourage their followers to become better persons?The word 'religion' comes from 'religare', meaning 'reconnect' in latin.Reconnect with Whom?With God! The Source!I really believe that in the Future there will be only one religion, as Humans are more evolved spiritually, their religion, ie, reconnection with Godwill just come naturally, with no need of external factors like churches and stuff-...I have a Catholic background, but aint that catholic :Pand this got out a bit too serious than I intended..Cheers,Beatriz(trying to reconnect with Source)--- On Wed, 7/2/08, jo <jo.heartwork@ gmail.com> wrote: jo <jo.heartwork@ gmail.com>Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here@gro ups.comWednesday, July 2, 2008, 10:12 AM Hi Peter / Beatriz I checked with some Hindu friends at work, and they believe in many gods. I think the term demi god' may be used by people from monotheistic religions who can't understand the idea of lots of gods, and therefore presume that one god must be over all the others - that's my opinion anyway. BBJo - Peter @gro ups.com Wednesday, July 02, 2008 9:55 AM Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here Hi Beatriz I think that depends very much on who you talk to. Muslims may believe that Allah is the same as the Christian god, but Christians certainly don't. Same with Christians and Jews. Hindus are a mix, although mostly still believe in a whole pantheon of deities... BB Peter - Beatriz @gro ups.com Tuesday, July 01, 2008 11:30 AM Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here Hi Peter,Please allow me to cut in.Different cultures, same God, different name, well, it's happening right now:God, Jehovah, Allah,... even the Hindus, known to be politeistic, actually have only one God. All other "gods" are demi-gods, maybe the equivalent to the saints in christian religions... If I got that right, of course :PCheers,Beatriz--- On Tue, 7/1/08, Peter Kebbell <metalscarab@ gmail.com> wrote: Peter Kebbell <metalscarab@ gmail.com>Re: Re: Question about amt. of roman gods here@gro ups.comTuesday, July 1, 2008, 6:00 AM Hi PeterIt's a great question, with just one problem... at what point has thisactually happened? I'm not aware of any two cultures who have had thesame gods with different names. There have been several cultures thathave had gods with similar job descriptions as those in othercultures, but they're not the same gods.BBPeterOn 30/06/2008, Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com> wrote:> whoa, rewind, the question was how could two religions start at the same> time (greek & roman) and have the same gods with different names.One must> have preceded the other surely?, so which is the older?> ......and what are the elder gods?> didnt nomadic tribes have a more simplified belief system ( worship the sky> god, sort of thing) so why have so many as the greeks and romans did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hi Beatriz > What is God? Which one? There are so many to choose from. > How do You define God? I don't - I let the gods define themselves. Much like I let any entity define itself! > What are the unrefutable attributes of something so that we can call it God? Why do we need to call something god? BB Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hi Peter :)//Why do we need to call something god?//I have no clue. You tell me!//If you go with a modern Christian definition. However, there were definitions of deity for at least 3000 years before Christianity, and at least 2500 years before anything like this definition was thought up.//Ok Could You please share any example of other definitions? //Deliberately provocative//Sorry, I guess I have to work on that. But those who know me, know I never mean to offend, ok? Just to let that clear//... and somewhat woolly.//Excuse me??? Grrrrrrr :@Btw, I really admire Your sharp thinking and the way You express yourself.I wonder where your Mercury is, I'm really curious. Is it alright if I ask you for your birthdetails(date, time and place)? I'd really like to draw your chart. I sense your Mercury is quite strong.Astrology is another thing I'm passionate about.//Presumably from your comments, you are Christian - you therefore worship a deity who, according to your own sacred texts, randomly killed people for no reason - just read the stuff about the ark of the covenant and the sort of things the Jewish god does through it!//To be honest, Peter, I do not believe in everything I read. Even if it comes in the so-called "sacred texts".Especially, with regard old scriptures such as the old testament, their contents should be taken with a grain of salt, IMHO.They have been copied by hand and translated inumerous times. In Genesis it was clearly stated that humans should feed themselves from plants, but suddenly what once was "food" turned into "meat".I don´t give it too much credibility and just take what I feel is good.So, I sincerely doubt, that God, (I am referring to my Judaico-Christian-Islamic God) has ever given the "license to kill", or to commit any kind of atrocities. To me, the only word that can substitute the word God, is the word Love.The crusades, the jihad, or any other so-called holy war, what's behind them? God? Religion? Faith?Or some people's thirst for power and wealth, who would not hesitate to send some brain-washed, poor ignorants into death, provided it fits their hidden agenda.//> On the other hand, maybe I'm coming on a bit too strong with this.> Susceptibilities may be hurt, so I better not send this to the group.Probably a good idea :-)//I'm glad I didn't :-) //Just a general point - it's worth remembering that not everyone is Christian, and that there are a good variety of different spiritual and religious views... many of which the Christian stories have actually grown out of. If you go back to the original biblical texts, you find, for instance, that the name used for "god" is often "El" - the name of a Sumerian deity!//I believe the core function of any religion is basically to invite people to become better. At least the few religions I have been in touch with, so I better not generalize.Religion A is not better than Religion B, but what people do with it, that's an entirely different question.Btw, what is your religion, if I may ask? And what brought you to it?I've been in touch with moslems and hindus and although I share with moslems the same religious roots,I feel more affinity with Hinduism. Some indians remarked: "You're even more Hindu than me", lol :DBut, that's probably because I'm veg...I like to expand my horizons, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd educate me on this different side of reality.May the Heavens shower their Blessings upon You abundantly :)Beatriz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I seem to be missing something here - several emails by the looks of it. If this discussion has been going on off-list why is it suddenly back on here? Jo - Beatriz Friday, July 04, 2008 11:27 PM Re: Re: Question about amt. gods here Hi Peter :)//Why do we need to call something god?//I have no clue. You tell me!//If you go with a modern Christian definition. However, there were definitions of deity for at least 3000 years before Christianity, and at least 2500 years before anything like this definition was thought up.//Ok Could You please share any example of other definitions? //Deliberately provocative//Sorry, I guess I have to work on that. But those who know me, know I never mean to offend, ok? Just to let that clear//... and somewhat woolly.//Excuse me??? Grrrrrrr :@Btw, I really admire Your sharp thinking and the way You express yourself.I wonder where your Mercury is, I'm really curious. Is it alright if I ask you for your birthdetails(date, time and place)? I'd really like to draw your chart. I sense your Mercury is quite strong.Astrology is another thing I'm passionate about.//Presumably from your comments, you are Christian - you therefore worship a deity who, according to your own sacred texts, randomly killed people for no reason - just read the stuff about the ark of the covenant and the sort of things the Jewish god does through it!//To be honest, Peter, I do not believe in everything I read. Even if it comes in the so-called "sacred texts".Especially, with regard old scriptures such as the old testament, their contents should be taken with a grain of salt, IMHO.They have been copied by hand and translated inumerous times. In Genesis it was clearly stated that humans should feed themselves from plants, but suddenly what once was "food" turned into "meat".I don´t give it too much credibility and just take what I feel is good.So, I sincerely doubt, that God, (I am referring to my Judaico-Christian-Islamic God) has ever given the "license to kill", or to commit any kind of atrocities. To me, the only word that can substitute the word God, is the word Love.The crusades, the jihad, or any other so-called holy war, what's behind them? God? Religion? Faith?Or some people's thirst for power and wealth, who would not hesitate to send some brain-washed, poor ignorants into death, provided it fits their hidden agenda.//> On the other hand, maybe I'm coming on a bit too strong with this.> Susceptibilities may be hurt, so I better not send this to the group.Probably a good idea :-)//I'm glad I didn't :-) //Just a general point - it's worth remembering that not everyone is Christian, and that there are a good variety of different spiritual and religious views... many of which the Christian stories have actually grown out of. If you go back to the original biblical texts, you find, for instance, that the name used for "god" is often "El" - the name of a Sumerian deity!//I believe the core function of any religion is basically to invite people to become better. At least the few religions I have been in touch with, so I better not generalize.Religion A is not better than Religion B, but what people do with it, that's an entirely different question.Btw, what is your religion, if I may ask? And what brought you to it?I've been in touch with moslems and hindus and although I share with moslems the same religious roots,I feel more affinity with Hinduism. Some indians remarked: "You're even more Hindu than me", lol :DBut, that's probably because I'm veg...I like to expand my horizons, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd educate me on this different side of reality.May the Heavens shower their Blessings upon You abundantly :)Beatriz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 At 6:57 PM +0100 7/4/08, Peter wrote: Why do we need to call something god? >> Exactly! As far as I know, native americans didn't worship deities. They had something called the Great Spirit (or at least that's how it was translated by deists!), which to me seems very different from a deity. For one thing, it does not have a human form, personality, or foibles, as deities often do. I think it's similar to what the transcendentalists called Nature -- the wonderfulness all around us (and of which we are a part) for which we are grateful. Or a sense of connection, Blake's notion of a butterfly flapping its wings. I was at some sort of environmental meeting once, and the speaker was talking about a sacred place in the California wilderness. He was arguing that to build a road through this sacred place was wrong. Someone from a government agency said, but how do you know it's sacred? Nothing was built there (to stake a claim, I think he meant). I thought, but it's sacred, therefore you'd never build something on sacred land. A more interesting question than which deities do you believe in is the question of what do you worship, what do you value. On that score, the world seems to be in a sorry state and I'm with Voltaire: let's cultivate our gardens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hi Jo We've been having an interesting off-list discussion, and I think Beatriz accidentally sent to the list rather than me.... just a mistake :-) BB Peter - jo Friday, July 04, 2008 11:49 PM Re: Re: Question about amt. gods here I seem to be missing something here - several emails by the looks of it. If this discussion has been going on off-list why is it suddenly back on here? Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 You know, I could easily comment, but my work is obviously done here. I have other seeds to sow............ Peter vv Beatriz <searchingalight Sent: Friday, 4 July, 2008 11:27:30 PMRe: Re: Question about amt. gods here Hi Peter :)//Why do we need to call something god?//I have no clue. You tell me!//If you go with a modern Christian definition. However, there were definitions of deity for at least 3000 years before Christianity, and at least 2500 years before anything like this definition was thought up.//Ok Could You please share any example of other definitions? //Deliberately provocative/ /Sorry, I guess I have to work on that. But those who know me, know I never mean to offend, ok? Just to let that clear//... and somewhat woolly.//Excuse me??? Grrrrrrr :@Btw, I really admire Your sharp thinking and the way You express yourself.I wonder where your Mercury is, I'm really curious. Is it alright if I ask you for your birthdetails( date, time and place)? I'd really like to draw your chart. I sense your Mercury is quite strong.Astrology is another thing I'm passionate about.//Presumably from your comments, you are Christian - you therefore worship a deity who, according to your own sacred texts, randomly killed people for no reason - just read the stuff about the ark of the covenant and the sort of things the Jewish god does through it!//To be honest, Peter, I do not believe in everything I read. Even if it comes in the so-called "sacred texts".Especially, with regard old scriptures such as the old testament, their contents should be taken with a grain of salt, IMHO.They have been copied by hand and translated inumerous times. In Genesis it was clearly stated that humans should feed themselves from plants, but suddenly what once was "food" turned into "meat".I don´t give it too much credibility and just take what I feel is good.So, I sincerely doubt, that God, (I am referring to my Judaico-Christian- Islamic God) has ever given the "license to kill", or to commit any kind of atrocities. To me, the only word that can substitute the word God, is the word Love.The crusades, the jihad, or any other so-called holy war, what's behind them? God? Religion? Faith?Or some people's thirst for power and wealth, who would not hesitate to send some brain-washed, poor ignorants into death, provided it fits their hidden agenda.//> On the other hand, maybe I'm coming on a bit too strong with this.> Susceptibilities may be hurt, so I better not send this to the group.Probably a good idea :-)//I'm glad I didn't :-) //Just a general point - it's worth remembering that not everyone is Christian, and that there are a good variety of different spiritual and religious views... many of which the Christian stories have actually grown out of. If you go back to the original biblical texts, you find, for instance, that the name used for "god" is often "El" - the name of a Sumerian deity!//I believe the core function of any religion is basically to invite people to become better. At least the few religions I have been in touch with, so I better not generalize.Religion A is not better than Religion B, but what people do with it, that's an entirely different question.Btw, what is your religion, if I may ask? And what brought you to it?I've been in touch with moslems and hindus and although I share with moslems the same religious roots,I feel more affinity with Hinduism. Some indians remarked: "You're even more Hindu than me", lol :DBut, that's probably because I'm veg...I like to expand my horizons, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd educate me on this different side of reality.May the Heavens shower their Blessings upon You abundantly :)Beatriz Not happy with your email address? Get the one you really want - millions of new email addresses available now at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.