What makes a god a god?

[NIX]

The gods I recognize and engage are more like allies to me than anything else.

By standard definitions I doubt anyone would call this worship.

I might call it 'sexed up psycho-drama'.
(and sometimes it really is. sexed up. :flirt

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The gods I recognize and engage are more like allies to me than anything else.

By standard definitions I doubt anyone would call this worship.

I might call it 'sexed up psycho-drama'.

Why am I stating to suspect you have centrefolds of Aphrodite up on the wall? Or maybe...ummm....Aries?

 

[NIX]

So what does the word "God" or "Brahman" express that the word "all" does not?

Also, I'm not sure how a lack of separation implies that God can't be worshipped; AFAICT, what you're saying is that if you worship God, you're (in part) worshipping yourself.

Worship everything, or worship nothing.

 

[Sha'irullah]

What defines a god concept as 'truly mythological?

Human characteristics and humanoid events. Essentially all religions and gods I consider mythological to be honest

Would a creator being like Ymir still qualify as a demigod on your scale?

I quite half way when reading through Norse Mythology and I am not even sure. But your question is answered right above though.

This is a pretty monotheistic viewpoint. You are suggesting (I think) than any pantheon could only have one God, with that God being the creator being. Indeed, a pantheon may have zero Gods, where the 'true' God is not worshipped at all, which is an interesting definition. The other Gods in that pantheon may not be Gods, in your view, since they are not transcendant in the manner you speak, and generally come subsequent to the creator. (err...I might be missing something there, just thinking about the pantheons I have an understanding of)

If there were many gods I am sure the universe would be ripping itself apart by hyper cosmic beings.

Monotheism is just more plausible to me or a hierarchy of deities would be more sensible.

You're assuming we'd be capable of recognizing either perfection or interference.

We cannot recognize perfect which is my point. We know what it is but we cannot see or grasp it because we have no clue as to what perfection would be like. All that we know is that perfection is without flaws. This universe is created by a perfect being and the universe itself would be perfect by default as a perfect being does not create imperfections. That means everything is in accordance to that being's will. Many others keep assuming that peace is equal to perfection but I doubt peace is the desire of the being's creation. Peace and fairness have no place int he definition of perfect unless peace is the desired effect and we do not know what God's purpose is of this universe is so assuming it is meant for us and meant to be peaceful is incorrect.
Especially for me since I denounce any contact god has made with people.

This is all theoretical of course as I know you are not a theist. Lets just try to do the math on the questions though

It looks to me like, in trying to define what a God is, you're pushing your personal belief of what your God is. Which would mean me saying something like 'a mythological construction'.

Not really. I am only assuming the basics of what god would have to be given a set series of events. If you believe god created the universe then one would have to assume these things. A bearded Yahweh cannot created if he is a godly man stepping into the laws of physics he created. Why not merely encompass his creation and do as he wills with it?
It is like trying to chuck coal in a furnace and you decide to step into the furnace to put the coal in instead of just tossing it in. A god of limited form cannot create unless he is beyond his creation and a bearded man is severely limited. God can appear in physical form but he cannot be physical solely. If god has no powers that transcends this universe then he cannot do anything to this universe yet alone create it.
Ya can't run if ya can't walk.

 

[Jeremiah]

Worship everything, or worship nothing.

So as long as there is a thing involved we're good.

 

[Breathe]

As others have said, something deemed worthy of worship.

For me, god concepts are anthormorphic personifications and representations of attributes of the Divine Root of All Being. It's not exactly a concrete "thing" for me, but that doesn't mean I believe God is only a transcendent "thing", but also something immanent.

 

[George-ananda]

So what does the word "God" or "Brahman" express that the word "all" does not?

From Wikipedia:

"Brahman" too has a broader meaning than "pure consciousness". According to Paul Deussen[16], Brahman is:

Satyam, "the true reality, which, however, is not the empirical one

Jñãnam, "Knowledge which, however, is not split into the subject and the object"

anantam, "boundless or infinite"



In my own more simple words, the word 'All' implies the material universe and Brahman is immaterial. The material universe is like a thought-form of Brahman; the term 'maya' is used. Again from Wikipedia:

māyā is the limited, purely physical and mental reality in which our everyday consciousness has become entangled. Māyā is held to be an illusion, a veiling of the true, unitary Self—the Cosmic Spirit also known as Brahman.

Also, I'm not sure how a lack of separation implies that God can't be worshipped; AFAICT, what you're saying is that if you worship God, you're (in part) worshipping yourself.

In non-dualist schools, you are not actually worshiping Brahman but actually realizing your essence is already Brahman. So the terms God-Realization=Self-Realization (not 'worship') are the correct terms.

In the Abrahamic Religions and Dualist schools of Hinduism (God and creation are viewed as separate) , the term 'worship' is more applicable. Hinduism considers this also a valid school of thoughts and perhaps has the advantage of concepts more easily grasped by the common man. Non-dualism is perhaps the higher school but more conceptually challenging.

 

[ratikala]

The word god is used often around here, but different people mean different things by it.

personaly I feel we all refer to the one god by different names and by our different conceptions , the reason we canot agree in the nature and identity of god is our own limmeted understanding .

Some people think of some great all powerfull, everlasting being which runs everything.

the one and only eternal allmighty being :bow:

In some religions, like the old norse myths for example, the gods are more like superheroes with cool powers. And those gods can actually be killed or grow old and die. But they are still considered gods.

the hindus split it here between the one allmighty god and the demi gods .

Some people think of god as something which is not a being, something which has no consciousness.

to me god is all being and all consciousness

Probably there are many more concepts of god around, those were just the ones that came to mind as I was writing.

So my question is, is there anything that all concepts of god have in common, or is the word god just a word that different people use to mean different things?

personaly I feel that due to our limited understanding we are capable only of understanding the most minute portion of gods nature , and due to our cultural backgrounds we mistakenly form incomplete understandings focusing on different aspects of gods being , ... for this reason we mistakenly think our individual concepts of god relate to different beings when infact there is only one primordial being .

 

[Titanic]

simply cause they are a "god" what else? hint this post is sarcastic. Not in a offensive way I hope though.

 

[Nadia Faiazova]

Because I read Bible, for me God is the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe.
Although Bible also speaks of those whom people call "gods". For many people their "god" is a material prosperity, family, food and many other things which people are eager to glorify and set their life around them.

 

[Me Myself]

Funny - I just mentioned in another thread that one common characteristic for all gods (AFAIK) is that gods are objects of human worship.

I think Hades wasnt worshipped. I do may be wrong on that.

But in general, sure yhats a common trait. They are worshipped, usually for something in exchange coming through some sort of supernatural power.