How many gods are there?

Discussion in 'Religion & Philosophy' started by stroll, Mar 23, 2011.

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  1. BuckNaked

    BuckNaked New Member

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    God is a learned behavior as well.
     
  2. FreeWare

    FreeWare Active Member Past Donor

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    Depends. As a response to the individual who asserts that people who do not share his belief deny his god or gods, it emphasizes the inherent hypocracy of such an assertion.

    In practice, there is no clear distinction between monotheism and polytheism.
     
  3. RevAnarchist

    RevAnarchist New Member Past Donor

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    Oh yeah? Public school is secular, teaching God is illegal. If I had ankle biters I would home school them rather than expose them to the secular i.e. Human Secular indoctrination they are forced to swallow K1>12+...
    RevA
     
  4. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    This is not actually an example of cherry-picking. Part of the problem is you are confusing science with scientists. If you generally accept the tenets of science as efficacious, you will generally go along with the findings of scientists. But scientists can make mistakes, be swayed by bias, can outright lie. This is something anyone should sensibly consider when deciding whether to accept or reject the opinion of this or that scientist, but this is not cherry-picking since you generally accept the tenets of science. Cherry-picking would be to accept the tenets of science only when it was convenient to you and reject it at other times.
     
  5. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    Teaching God is not illegal in public schools.
     
  6. BuckNaked

    BuckNaked New Member

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    Calm down I didn't even say school??? I said the concept of God is a learned behavior, and it is taught and/or handed down in teachings from generation to generation. Encouraging a single religion can't be taught in school, religion is taught all the time. History, Social Studies, and the Bible is taught in literature classes.
     
  7. kmisho

    kmisho New Member Past Donor

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    And another thing that disgusts me. I am tired of the religious posturing about religion vs secularism. The issue is really sectarianism vs impartiality. For myself I will always be on the side of impartiality and anti-sectarian. If I'm attacked as "secular" for this, so be it. Sectarianism is inherently destructive psychically and physically and I will always oppose it and I will not allow religious sectarians to disguise their true aims behind the religion vs secular scam.
     
  8. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    Why not assume that the "standard hot model big bang theory" is only partially correct? That it is only one cycle in an endless cycle of expansion and compressions of the universe? That makes much more sense to me. No worry about a beginning or ending, just eternal confusions.
     
  9. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    The bible does not say, here are tales of fake gods, it says, HERE BE GODS. Or, do you just get to interpret the bible the way you want to. By the way, the bible says it speaks of THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS, hmm, not the only existing god, but just the god of the Hebrews.

    Exodus 3:18
    And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us

    Exodus 5:3
    And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us:

    Exodus 7:16
    And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews

    etc, etc, etc, etc
     
  10. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    These are references to some religious godhead?

    Exodus 12:12
    For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment:

    Exodus 15:11
    Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

    OR, are these references to some of the many of the other gods that the Hebrews KNEW existed?
     
  11. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    The real problem is why are so many people foolish enough to believe in any god or gods?
     
  12. Swensson

    Swensson Devil's advocate

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    Maybe the first time but now it's just done over and over in a smug voice. There has been a few threads about this already, it's not convincing anyone. At least not anyone who wasn't convinced the other times.
    Nor between religion and atheism, it depends on what you mean by "in practice". There is a difference between poly- and monotheism in that a polytheistic god cannot be ultimate (in certain aspects of the word) but a monotheistic one can.

    That difference can be as essential as existence since a monotheist wouldn't call a polytheistic god a god.
     
  13. RevAnarchist

    RevAnarchist New Member Past Donor

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    You know what I mean.

    RevA
     
  14. RevAnarchist

    RevAnarchist New Member Past Donor

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    I am not so malicious to see atheism even the disingenuous variety as a problem, that suggests something that needs to be fixed. I have no problems with any atheist, and have no need to fix them, nor belittle their queer (strange to my sensibilities) paradigm even though I am an evangelical Christian. Just by them knowing I am a Christian and seeing some theological symbolism I feel I have done my bit for spreading the good word. Personally I would rather side with the majority than with an extreme minority for several reasons, still if Christianity shrank to one I would still be Christian ! IMO, it’s the best choice of how the universe began, it’s a logical and rational choice considering the evidences and other components that make the belief system the best operating system in and for the universe! In summary I wonder why so few, a handful, do not believe in God nor possess a paradigm that includes anything non-secular etc.


    RevA
     
  15. MrConservative

    MrConservative Well-Known Member

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    God revealed himself to the ancient Hebrews and no one else. This is why he is called the God of the Hebrews. It was with them and them alone which God had a covenant with.

    The example I gave you was proof that the ancient Greeks believed in other Gods. This is not proof that whoever wrote Acts believed those God's existed. Only the Greeks in those stories did, because that is what ancient Greeks believed in.
     
  16. RevAnarchist

    RevAnarchist New Member Past Donor

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    Hi MrC, I am wondering what scripture you are using to validate God only revealed himself to the 'ancient Hebrews'. I am undecided in believing if God revealed (ie manifests in the temporal universe). I am aware of the common claims of visitation such as Moses meeting with God and receiving the commandants etc.Do you use extrabiblical sources/Gnostic sources to support your claims etc

    RevA
     
  17. MrConservative

    MrConservative Well-Known Member

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    I think it is very important to specify what is meant by God revealing himself to man. There is revelation through nature, where man comes to know of God through natural reasoning, then there is divine revelation such as Moses meeting with God. We cannot come to know everything, or at least everything we need for salvation based off of human intellect alone.

    The revelation I was referring to had to do with divine revelation. In that sense, God, as far as we know, revealed himself only to the Jews. I am not going off any particular verse, just off a very basic knowledge of the Bible that the Jews where God's chosen people. Couple this with the fact that ancient Jewish Culture was very exclusive, contrasting with Christianity's all inclusiveness.
     
  18. _Inquisitor_

    _Inquisitor_ Well-Known Member

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    You are contradicting to yourself. On one hand you state “There is revelation through nature” (which is confirmed by God is invisible but can be clearly seen through things he made”) on other hand you impose Ancient Greek man couldn’t see God through nature.

    In reality, indeed Greeks did not know Hebrew God, but they knew their God reveled to them by nature. Greek’s God was one God, not many, and he had a lot of the same necessary properties as Hebrew God, - he was the One Ruler, The Unmoved Mover, the Creator of everything including Zeus and other iconic figures acting under him.

    Your fat guy Aquinas made his brilliant proof of God revealed by nature stealing a lot from Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover. It is still a scientific God, drawn by logic based on empirical evidence, observations of nature. This God in difference from Hebrew G-d - as you rightfully point does not provide salvation. Thus Hebrew G-d says – Do not believe in Greek scientific God or other Gods of similar, of human logic Gods, including newly made heresy of the scientific Intelligent Design or Spinoza’s God; here I am. I am the Alpha and the Omega, [of aristotle's alphabet],says theLord God“

    The idea that ancient Greeks were polytheists is no different from the idea that Catholics or Orthodox are polytheists because they use Saints and icons. It is absolutely idiotic and thus it is of atheistic nature. Ancient Greeks were not idiots. They were as monotheistic as all people who are not idiots, not atheists.

    How many gods are out there? The question is atheistic, thus it is absurd.


    As to the rest, your explanations are elegant and sufficient.
     
  19. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    The illogical nonsense of calling the christian origin of the universe to be the best of possible choices is ONE reason why I call religion foolish. The idea that anyone thinks the spreading of their particular religion is "spreading the good word" is one reason why I consider religion to be a problem.
     
  20. tomteapack

    tomteapack New Member Past Donor

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    The fact that you cannot see the idiocy, pride, egotism, and plain ignorance in believing the above nonsense is proof that religion is still a problem.
     
  21. _Inquisitor_

    _Inquisitor_ Well-Known Member

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    Mr. Conservative can see what is in front of him, he is not an atheist... You couldn't exhibit the listed more fully.
     
  22. MrConservative

    MrConservative Well-Known Member

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    Notice how the verses you posted said THE God of the Hebrews and A God of the Hebrews. Taking into account that other cultures believed in different Gods does not make the Judeo-Christian Faith polytheistic.
     
  23. dreadpiratejaymo

    dreadpiratejaymo New Member

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    Have you ever heard zues referred to as "A god of thunder"?
     
  24. MrConservative

    MrConservative Well-Known Member

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    Of course not. I haven't heard Zeus referred to as The God of the Greeks or Hellenes either.
     
  25. dreadpiratejaymo

    dreadpiratejaymo New Member

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    A fair point.
     
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