Belief in other people's Gods?

[Djamila]

I've been reading the manuscripts of Queen Katarina, a member of the Bosnian Church who converted to Roman Catholicism and fled to Rome when Bosnia fell to the Islamic, Osmanli Empire.

What strikes me most is that she seems to believe in the Islamic God.

There are numerous passages, for example, these two:

"This beloved land, whose very soil has formed my flesh, has turned against me. Our God is failing and each new day brings with it a more primal disappointment. Their God speaks to my people, and rather than fight they kneel and bow their heads. What God is this?"

"Everything is lost. Although He has greatly disappointed me, I do prefer a Roman life over a life in Bosnia desecrated. The same God rules over Rome as led the Church of Bosnia, and I do prefer to leave my soul in his hands and not willingly betray it to a God who has taken my beautiful country by force, by the force of betrayl of my own people."

That makes me wonder... was this a common thing in ancient times?

Did Roman citizens worry about Greek Gods? Did an Italian girl in Milan pray to one of her Gods to destroy Zeus?

Did people believe in each other's Gods in that way everywhere?

 

[Sunstone]

The citizens of ancient Athens built an altar "to an unknown God". The purpose of the altar was to accommodate travellers who couldn't find a temple in Athens to their own deity. If no other temple was available to them, they could always go to the altar to an unknown God and worship their deity there.

It is possible to contrast the tolerance for other people's religions shown by the ancient Athenians with the intolerance that came later.

 

[Djamila]

That's really interesting, Sunstone!

I found one more passage I like:

"What God is this, what God is this? What God is this who whispers to my people while they sleep? What words are His, so seductive, so sinful? The bells of Solu fell this day and if I were to listen with our God's own ears I should not hear a single tear fall throughout the land of Bosnia. My servants have deserted me here, a Queen of Bosnia left to her fate at the hands of a foreign God, left to a last stand at Bobovac, by the tomb her beloved husband and Bosnia's greatest King, by the tombs of many great, Bosnian Kings. There are those, like me. They pass by in solemn lines, exiling themselves to Rome, until this calamity our greatest enemy. Their neither laugh nor cry, and the pain of Bosnia is written across their faces. What sin, what unspeakable evil, have I done to be of all Queens that which much reign over Bosnia as she bleeds. A final Queen, a last Queen. Their God shall not touch me. His words shall never enter my heart. What the promise means, only the circumstances of this final battle will tell. Death, exile, they're the same. I am the Queen who has witnessed good and noble Bosnia fall. I am but a wretched woman, and nothing more. May He forgive me."

 

[Feathers in Hair]

The citizens of ancient Athens built an altar "to an unknown God". The purpose of the altar was to accommodate travellers who couldn't find a temple in Athens to their own deity. If no other temple was available to them, they could always go to the altar to an unknown God and worship their deity there.

It is possible to contrast the tolerance for other people's religions shown by the ancient Athenians with the intolerance that came later.

That almost sounds like the "Temple of the Small Gods" in the Discworld books. (Though on the Discworld, a Small God is one that doesn't have very many believers.) If I remember a book called "God versus Gods" correctly, when the early Christians began, the polytheistic societies tried to accommidate them and incorporate Christ into their pantheons. It's understandable why a monotheistic tradition wouldn't want that to happen, but I thought it was a beautiful example of tolerance.

 

[Zephyr]

That almost sounds like the "Temple of the Small Gods" in the Discworld books. (Though on the Discworld, a Small God is one that doesn't have very many believers.) If I remember a book called "God versus Gods" correctly, when the early Christians began, the polytheistic societies tried to accommidate them and incorporate Christ into their pantheons. It's understandable why a monotheistic tradition wouldn't want that to happen, but I thought it was a beautiful example of tolerance.

When Christianity spread to Germanic territory, many people figured Jesus was just another god. Then of course they called him Hvitakristr or "White Christ". This could be symbolic of how followers could get baptised, or that white was a symbol of pacifism and weakness. It was the old Norse equivalent of calling somebody "yellow."

 

[Radio Frequency X]

The citizens of ancient Athens built an altar "to an unknown God". The purpose of the altar was to accommodate travellers who couldn't find a temple in Athens to their own deity. If no other temple was available to them, they could always go to the altar to an unknown God and worship their deity there.

It is possible to contrast the tolerance for other people's religions shown by the ancient Athenians with the intolerance that came later.

Some of it was tolerance and some of it was superstition. Like the Greeks, I am both tolerant and superstitious. I believe in all the gods, but only have a worshipful and communicative relationship with one. The other gods are not to be loved, but they are to be shown respect. It is not wise to offend other people’s gods, in my superstitious opinion.

 

[FatMan]

The citizens of ancient Athens built an altar "to an unknown God". The purpose of the altar was to accommodate travellers who couldn't find a temple in Athens to their own deity. If no other temple was available to them, they could always go to the altar to an unknown God and worship their deity there.

It is possible to contrast the tolerance for other people's religions shown by the ancient Athenians with the intolerance that came later.

The more I read about ancient Greece, the more impressed I become at their understanding of Arts, Sciences and humanity.

 

[Ozzie]

The citizens of ancient Athens built an altar "to an unknown God". The purpose of the altar was to accommodate travellers who couldn't find a temple in Athens to their own deity. If no other temple was available to them, they could always go to the altar to an unknown God and worship their deity there.

It is possible to contrast the tolerance for other people's religions shown by the ancient Athenians with the intolerance that came later.

Why are some cultures like the Greeks able to absorb outside influence and profit from the exchange while others demonstrate rigidity and "intolerance"? Is the former attitude a characteristic of higher intelligence?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Did people believe in each other's gods in that way everywhere?

It is easy to see how people can see other gods as powerful and dangerous ,
especially when they are being conquered and forcibly converted by the other gods followers.

Perhaps in more superstitious times It was difficult to see that religions are not necessarily following a different God, but have a different understanding, and attribute differing requirements of belief to that same God.

Every one who believes in a single god must in fact worship the same God.

From a Christian stand point I would maintain that those who believe in more than one god are in error, or have mistaken the nature of their gods.

 

[Radio Frequency X]

Every one who believes in a single god must in fact worship the same God.

From a Christian stand point I would maintain that those who believe in more than one god are in error, or have mistaken the nature of their gods.

This doesn't make any sense to me. How do you rationalize the idea that everyone who believes in one god believes in the same god. Also, why is it a mistake to believe in many gods? Even the Jews recognized the existence of other gods.

 

[FatMan]

Every one who believes in a single god must in fact worship the same God.

That's absolutely false.

People can worship a single God ignorant to the concept that there might be thousands of Gods who exist.

People who believe in a single god can worship anyone of those possible thousands - but simply hold their God up as the only one.

This is why there is such religious discord throughout history - people differ on who the "single god" is.

 

[Sunstone]

Why are some cultures like the Greeks able to absorb outside influence and profit from the exchange while others demonstrate rigidity and "intolerance"? Is the former attitude a characteristic of higher intelligence?

Interesting question. The example of the Greeks surely shows us that tolerance benefits the society that tolerates. After all, they created one of the world's great civilizations and in many ways laid the foundation for our own.