The watchmaker (polytheistic version)

[9-10ths_Penguin]

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you realize that not only is it designed, but that it evidences many different types of design from many different people. You recognize that it would be foolish to assume that the craftsman who ground the crystal to shape was the same craftsman who painted the watch face, or that either of these people was the person who designed the watch's movement... and it would be ridiculous to assume that any of these people mined or smelted the ore that became the metal parts of the watch.

Because of the disparate nature of the many parts of the watch, you conclude that it must have been designed by many people and not just one individual.

Discuss.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you realize that not only is it designed, but that it evidences many different types of design from many different people. You recognize that it would be foolish to assume that the craftsman who ground the crystal to shape was the same craftsman who painted the watch face, or that either of these people was the person who designed the watch's movement... and it would be ridiculous to assume that any of these people mined or smelted the ore that became the metal parts of the watch.

Because of the disparate nature of the many parts of the watch, you conclude that it must have been designed by many people and not just one individual.

Discuss.

I agree. I'll play devils advocate and say what if all those workers were inspired to come together to create one watch despite many people whose roles support what they create.

What made them come together to create a watch given their different talents?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you realize that not only is it designed, but that it evidences many different types of design from many different people. You recognize that it would be foolish to assume that the craftsman who ground the crystal to shape was the same craftsman who painted the watch face, or that either of these people was the person who designed the watch's movement... and it would be ridiculous to assume that any of these people mined or smelted the ore that became the metal parts of the watch.

Because of the disparate nature of the many parts of the watch, you conclude that it must have been designed by many people and not just one individual.

Discuss.

Seems reasonable to me, 'Creator' as a cooperative or corporate endeavor.

 

[ChristineM]

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you realize that not only is it designed, but that it evidences many different types of design from many different people. You recognize that it would be foolish to assume that the craftsman who ground the crystal to shape was the same craftsman who painted the watch face, or that either of these people was the person who designed the watch's movement... and it would be ridiculous to assume that any of these people mined or smelted the ore that became the metal parts of the watch.

Because of the disparate nature of the many parts of the watch, you conclude that it must have been designed by many people and not just one individual.

Discuss.

I still prefer the idea the watch grew from a rolex seed

 

[ChristineM]

I agree. I'll play devils advocate and say what if all those workers were inspired to come together to create one watch despite many people whose roles support what they create.

What made them come together to create a watch given their different talents?

A Iiving wage?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

A Iiving wage?

that, or a desire to make truly beautiful and practical time measurement device...

 

[Twilight Hue]

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you realize that not only is it designed, but that it evidences many different types of design from many different people. You recognize that it would be foolish to assume that the craftsman who ground the crystal to shape was the same craftsman who painted the watch face, or that either of these people was the person who designed the watch's movement... and it would be ridiculous to assume that any of these people mined or smelted the ore that became the metal parts of the watch.

Because of the disparate nature of the many parts of the watch, you conclude that it must have been designed by many people and not just one individual.

Discuss.

It certainly fits in better than one designer.

 

[Subduction Zone]

that, or a desire to make truly beautiful and practical time measurement device...

Or perhaps a bizarre sense of humor. An "in" joke among the gods.

 

[Quintessence]

Not really how a polytheist would approach this, necessarily. I read it and just go "um... no." Maybe later I'll write up a version of how it'd go.

Spoiler - it involves not drawing some huge line between "creators" and "creations."

 

[Revoltingest]

I still prefer the idea the watch grew from a rolex seed

Watches evolved from sundials.
The former is so successful a species that the latter is becoming extinct.
But the great horopocene extinction is just getting underway, as the
telephonocene emerges.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Polytheists vary. Most Indian and African ones accept the idea of a single creator, probably because most constructed things have at least a single designer until the development of complex technology. Some have a myth of a team of creators: 4 in the Mayan Popol Vuh. Some, like the Japanese, just take the cosmos as it comes without worring too much about its origin.

 

[ChristineM]

Watches evolved from sundials.
The former is so successful a species that the latter is becoming extinct.
But the great horopocene extinction is just getting underway, as the
telephonocene emerges.

What about the humble hourglass, still common sight today, is usual habitat is the kitchen where it likes the warmth and homely aromas (ask your good lady, Mrs Revoltingest if she has a pet one). It has evolved in to three and a half minute miniature form to time the perfect boiling of an egg. Also handy for timing steak if you like it somewhat burnt to a cinder, (i know, i know but theres no accounting for folk)

 

[Revoltingest]

What about the humble hourglass, still common sight today, is usual habitat is the kitchen where it likes the warmth and homely aromas (ask your good lady, Mrs Revoltingest if she has a pet one). It has evolved in to three and a half minute miniature form to time the perfect boiling of an egg. Also handy for timing steak if you like it somewhat burnt to a cinder, (i know, i know but theres no accounting for folk)

Mrs Revolt is obsessed with quantifying things in digits.
So her timer is electronic.
Creationists will often ask....
If the cell phone is the most highly evolved time measuring species,
why are there still timers? Clearly, timers have their niche environment.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Not really how a polytheist would approach this, necessarily. I read it and just go "um... no." Maybe later I'll write up a version of how it'd go.

Spoiler - it involves not drawing some huge line between "creators" and "creations."

I intended "polytheistic" in the sense of "many gods," not in the sense of aligning with the specifics of any particular polytheistic religion.

 

[Quintessence]

Here's a somewhat more typical example of polytheistic thinking:

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you recognize it as a manifestation of the Clockwork Spirit, an expression of divinity in of itself. You recount the stories of the Clockwork Spirit in your mind, and how they relate to the wonder before you. Clockwork Spirit's mother is the Spirit of Invention - a mythic personification of the engineer's ingenuity. The delicate gears and expert craftsmanship are clear indications of her presence. Clockwork's father is the Spirit of Earth - the source of the gold, the glass, and the paints that make up its physical form. Clockwork has a mother-in-law too; the sister of the Spirit of Invention is the Spirit of Artistry. The presence of the hand-painted face shows that Artistry too has graced this particular Clockwork Spirit with its gifts.
​

Polytheistic narratives are often narratives about relationships. They tell you about the nature and meaning of thing in a symbolic and poetic fashion.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Here's a somewhat more typical example of polytheistic thinking:

While you're walking along the beach, you find a pocket watch. It has a glass face, gold body, brass gears, and an expertly hand-painted face.

Looking at this watch, you recognize it as a manifestation of the Clockwork Spirit, an expression of divinity in of itself. You recount the stories of the Clockwork Spirit in your mind, and how they relate to the wonder before you. Clockwork Spirit's mother is the Spirit of Invention - a mythic personification of the engineer's ingenuity. The delicate gears and expert craftsmanship are clear indications of her presence. Clockwork's father is the Spirit of Earth - the source of the gold, the glass, and the paints that make up its physical form. Clockwork has a mother-in-law too; the sister of the Spirit of Invention is the Spirit of Artistry. The presence of the hand-painted face shows that Artistry too has graced this particular Clockwork Spirit with its gifts.
​

Polytheistic narratives are often narratives about relationships. They tell you about the nature and meaning of thing in a symbolic and poetic fashion.

Seeing how you often complain about people defining theism narrowly, it seems strange that you're trying to narrow what polytheism means.

 

[Quintessence]

You know, I'm now reminded as to why I thought about posting this in its own thread instead of yours. You're incapable of interpreting my posts as intended and instead use them as an opportunity to take digs against me. How predictable.

Well, to everyone else, there's an example of a narrative from an actual polytheist. It's not the only possible narrative, but I hope it was interesting.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You know, I'm now reminded as to why I thought about posting this in its own thread instead of yours.

I wish you had done that instead of threadjacking this one.

 

[Apologes]

Why would we have to think that one being hasn't made all the parts of the watch (world)?

 

[Quintessence]

Why would we have to think that one being hasn't made all the parts of the watch (world)?

Nobody has to, of course. If you read my own version of the tale, it might provide some insight into this for you. Basically, polytheists are polytheists because they think in... well... poly terms. I look at the parts of a watch, and I see different parts with different natures - they are sourced from different objects of worship, or come from different gods. Put another way, honoring and respecting the inventive spirit that compiled all the parts doesn't look the same as honoring and respecting the beauty of gold and glass.

To use a more relatable analogy, think about how you have a mother and you have a father. You could honor your biological maker as "parent" - a single abstract entity that represents both mother and father. You set aside a single holy day to honor "parent" for your celebrations. Doing so removes the possibility of honoring mother and father as two distinct persons you can relate to. You would not celebrate "father" birthday and "mother" birthday, because you see it as one maker. Nor could you talk about what "father" likes versus what "mother " likes, since there is only "parent." Kind of a weird analogy, but does it help?