This thread is about someone or something that we trust most. That could be God or it could be your intellect, your 5 senses, sex, money,
or some god like Baal.
I do not think I can say that I trust X thing the most, just that X or Y thing seems reliable enough to certain degrees. If anything, I think I trust my younger brother more than any god, person, or thing. He's always been there for me and listened to me when no one else would.
The biblical definition of "god" is simply "what one trusts most".
I have never heard this before and do not really trust this definition.
"Gods" are not necessarily who we pray/talk to or perform spells for. My contention is westerners that claim to be polytheists, generally speaking, are for the most part products of Thomas Paine. They may believe certain dieties exist but rationalism is the dominant influence in their worldview and belief system.
Seriously?
This thread is about what truly rules over us and directs our steps. Is it a spiritual entity like a god or God that determines our steps or is it our own sense of what we think is best?
I thought it was about what we trusted most, must that always be what directs us? And why do gods need to determine our steps? Ha-Satan would slap me silly if I wanted him to direct my steps. Really unSatanic and very RHP to want gods to direct my steps.
Like I said before, the ancients were so convinced that they needed the favor of their gods in order to survive that they went to some of the most extreme measures possible to try to ensure that they gods were happy. Sometimes they'd go so far as to sacrifice their own children so that their gods would smile on them. Obviously such behavior is detestable but it does demonstate who their HOPE was in.
I am hesitant to believe that the extent of ancient sacrifice was as prolific as the Hebrews made it out to be in their enemies, given they were, well, enemies. I do not think they would be the most objective source of information.
If someone who claims to be a polytheist thinks they hear their god tell them to jump, do they say "how high?" or do they say "that's an interesting suggestion"? If it's the later then these are truly not gods in the biblical sense even if their existence and/or power is acknowledged.
I don't think that most god-follower relationships are based on such mindless obedience. And wtf is the Biblical sense? As what we trust most? Does that make my aforementioned awesome brother of mine a god? A god is a powerful supernatural entity, or something that is really good at what it does. Like a god (master/expert) of chess, or a literal supernatural god of war.
Of course they say that their gods aren't the type that order them around, then once again we don't have a "god" in the biblical sense, we a "friend".
Oh, how little you understand. Why do you even care to force your definition on people? A "god" is so often such a hollow word, that your efforts are in vain. If the thing talked about is a real, powerful, ancient, non-human entity, why is it not a god? Does it not fit the typical sense of a god?
I don't think that you get that gods, even back in the Greek and Roman times, didn't go around commanding people what to do. At least not the pre-Christian gods. Heck, Yahweh making a covenant like that with the Hebrews was very unusual. There were gods of fate, but most gods were just the force or ruler behind a certain thing. I personally think that when someone died and was powerful enough, they became the god of whatever thing they were all about (though many if not most were surely made up and not real).
Satan doesn't tell me to jump x high, not unless it serves a goal I asked him to help me with. As well, the only pagan god I really am into, Lilith, hasn't so much as ever demanded anything of me (though if she did I would probably be too afraid to refuse, more-so then refusing a request from Ha-Satan who would at least be indifferent if I turned him down).
And again these religions don't follow the bible so why should they be concerned with what god is in the "biblical sense"?
Why should they have to conform to your definition of god in order to be considered polytheist?
"demonstrate who their hope is in?", the examples you give would just as readily demonstrate who these people were terrified of as it would who their hope was in?
Why does viewing the gods as teachers mentors and friends suddenly make them not gods in your view? And for that matter why should that view have any barring on pagans themselves or whether or not they are polytheist?
And what makes you think our trust and hope in our gods is any less potent simply because we view them as friends and teachers rather than masters?
I do not think he understands polytheism at all.
