Natural Gods vs. Personal Gods

[Taylor Seraphim]

Besides, "Personal Gods" tend to make for FAR better stories.

They may not be useful for you, but it's not for any of us to judge what people should or should not find use in certain things so long as they're not harming others.

The first part is HIGHLY subjective.

Also unfortunately Personal Religions tend to cause violence when well spread.

 

[Riverwolf]

Attribute: a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

Hm... see, that's the problem. When it comes to deified humans, their status as deity is inherently subjective.

I am sorry you have the inclination.

Why? I wouldn't have it any other way.

For the record, stating that you feel sorry for someone because of something they find great joy in (and which also harms nobody), is VERY condescending and rude, and serves no purpose to make up for that. Feel it if you must, but it's best to keep it to yourself.

However I think natural religions can fill that role very easily.

I use a combination of both. They fulfill their own roles.

The first part is HIGHLY subjective.

So? I don't think of that as a problem.

Also unfortunately Personal Religions tend to cause violence when well spread.

First of all, no they don't. That's a HIGHLY oversimplifying myth that betrays a strong misunderstanding of human behavior and the highly complex politics involved both in historical and contemporary wars. Religions have definitely been used as a tool of propaganda to further wars and other acts of violence that might otherwise have been avoided, but the key word is "might". Taken as a whole, there have been far more wars in human history that religions played little, if any, role in. It's just hard for those of us who are part of European cultures to see that without fairly extensive study, since religion has been such a dominant force in our lives for the past thousand years.

Second of all, the vast majority of "personal religions" aren't interested in "spreading". Genghis Khan was a VERY violent man, but say what you want about him and his empire, he couldn't have cared less what the people he conquered did for their religions.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

For the record, stating that you feel sorry for someone because of something they find great joy in (and which also harms nobody), is VERY condescending and rude, and serves no purpose to make up for that. Feel it if you must, but it's best to keep it to yourself.

Well from my perspective it means you must have ritual or devotion to stay mentally fit while other people do not.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

First of all, no they don't. That's a HIGHLY oversimplifying myth that betrays a strong misunderstanding of human behavior and the highly complex politics involved both in historical and contemporary wars. Religions have definitely been used as a tool of propaganda to further wars and other acts of violence that might otherwise have been avoided, but the key word is "might". Taken as a whole, there have been far more wars in human history that religions played little, if any, role in. It's just hard for those of us who are part of European cultures to see that without fairly extensive study, since religion has been such a dominant force in our lives for the past thousand years.

Incorrect, most of the "politics" at the time where controlled by religious institutes for the purposes of their religion.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

Second of all, the vast majority of "personal religions" aren't interested in "spreading". Genghis Khan was a VERY violent man, but say what you want about him and his empire, he couldn't have cared less what the people he conquered did for their religions.

I did not say they where all interested in spreading, I was stating what tends to happen when they do.

 

[Jainarayan]

I hope that those predisposed towards religion will one day embrace Natural Gods rather than Personal Gods.

Why?

 

[Riverwolf]

Well from my perspective it means you must have ritual or devotion to stay mentally fit while other people do not.

What do you mean by "mentally fit"? And who are you to judge what staying "mentally fit" "must" involve for certain people, or that the presence of such things warrants feeling "sorry" for them?

If you're talking about "coping", we all do things to cope.

Incorrect, most of the "politics" at the time where controlled by religious institutes for the purposes of their religion.

"At the time"? Which "time" are we talking about? There's been a LOT of time.

Place is also important to consider.

 

[Windwalker]

I hope that those predisposed towards religion will one day embrace Natural Gods rather than Personal Gods.

What do you think on this subject and why?

I think this is about you probably having left some form of Fundamentalist Christianity and are trying to find the real truth you can believe in instead? That's perfectly fine, but I have to say reading this thread you seem so certain about these things which are clearly outside your areas of knowledge, passing brash and ill-informed judgments on them in the manner I am accustomed to by fundamentalists who, in like manner, wish one day everyone will embrace the truth of Jesus Christ, rather than all these other false religions.

Different beliefs, same approach, flip side of the same coin. You hope all with see the light of what you are finding is true for yourself, as you explicitly just stated in the quote above. I'm sympathetic to those disenchanted with their former religions, but you might do better to ask rather than assume. You're not an apologist for the faith anymore. It's not just about changing beliefs. We know more than I think you assume here. Some of us have walked this for many more miles and have learned a thing or two.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

I believe in what is called on this thread a Natural God, though every once in awhile acts Personally. It is like when Jesus says we're kind of like birds and flowers and stuff. We are just NPC's on one single level of the game.

 

[Baladas]

I tend to favor Natural "gods" myself.
What about the gods as archetypes?

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

I think this is about you probably having left some form of Fundamentalist Christianity and are trying to find the real truth you can believe in instead?

No my mother is a liberal Christian and my father is a Buddhist and neither tried to force religion onto me when I was younger.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

That's perfectly fine, but I have to say reading this thread you seem so certain about these things which are clearly outside your areas of knowledge, passing brash and ill-informed judgments on them in the manner I am accustomed to by fundamentalists who, in like manner, wish one day everyone will embrace the truth of Jesus Christ, rather than all these other false religions.

Different beliefs, same approach, flip side of the same coin. You hope all with see the light of what you are finding is true for yourself, as you explicitly just stated in the quote above. I'm sympathetic to those disenchanted with their former religions, but you might do better to ask rather than assume. You're not an apologist for the faith anymore. It's not just about changing beliefs. We know more than I think you assume here. Some of us have walked this for many more miles and have learned a thing or two.

I am critical of belief without evidence. If that threatens you should not be in the debate section.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

I tend to favor Natural "gods" myself.
What about the gods as archetypes?

That would still be natural religion as you do not think they are literal beings.

 

[Windwalker]

I am critical of belief without evidence. If that threatens you should not be in the debate section.

You make me laugh. So what made you become a fundamentalist?

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

I believe in what is called on this thread a Natural God, though every once in awhile acts Personally. It is like when Jesus says we're kind of like birds and flowers and stuff. We are just NPC's on one single level of the game.

If it acts personally and has feelings and such it is a personal god and not a natural one.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

You make me laugh. So what made you become a fundamentalist?

Fundamentalist: A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christians. Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true.

Yeah so I am a fundamentalist....

 

[Windwalker]

Fundamentalist: A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christians. Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true.

Yeah so I am a fundamentalist....

Yes. Actually you are. I'll just ignore you going forward. News

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

we all do things to cope.

What?

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

"At the time"? Which "time" are we talking about? There's been a LOT of time.

Place is also important to consider.

In any time period and place which had a religious government.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

Why?

Reasons already listed in other posts in this thread.