The Purpose Of God

[Briton]

Re: The Purpose Of God

They have multiple purposes, depending on who it is for.

For some, it is a means to control and oppress a nation, or even a diaspora (which Catholicism holds the power to, not suggesting they do)

For some, it is an easy and, for lack of knowledge of science, reasonable expansion for a lot of nature.

A way to explain evil.

A consolation when people die.

A consolation when bad people die without having faced justice.

For some they give a purpose to life, as if the hardness of life is a test (not saying it isn't, no offence to those who believe this).

However, if gods actually exist, and they are not created by the human mind to explain something, then the sense of 'purpose' is meaningless. Only that which is created has purpose. A creator, human or deity, chooses whether or not to create if they have the means to. The laws of nature just follow a programme, basically, and the wind blows where there is high pressure towards places where there is low pressure. It (maybe?) does not think and decide, it just does because it must.

[Azvanna]

Re: The Purpose Of God

If we want an informed answer, we should ask the creator of the god in question. But humans die. So we probably can't ask. We should ask someone who just created a recent one and see what they say.

That happens in paganism, right? Egregores, is it?

[DragonsFriend]

Re: The Purpose Of God

It can happen with any group. When a group decides that a name is associated with a power or potential and will it to have the power of creation then that thought form is given life. It becomes a real god limited only by the powers it is thought to have.

[Marradin]

Re: The Purpose Of God

Personally - no - this one if I try to answer I'll offend someone or everyone - so unless everyone who has already posted wants my answer I'm not even gonna try and type out my personal beliefs.

[Briton]

Re: The Purpose Of God

Personally - no - this one if I try to answer I'll offend someone or everyone - so unless everyone who has already posted wants my answer I'm not even gonna try and type out my personal beliefs.

I'm always interested to hear offensive beliefs, regardless of whether or not I agree with them. If it's better, you could PM me?

[Medusa]

Re: The Purpose Of God

say it as your opinion and you should be ok

[Marradin]

Re: The Purpose Of God

ok- First I' am going to interpret god here as meaning the Divine - a being to far beyond where we are to comprehend more than parts of

I believe that the divine is represented by gods to allow us to interpret 'aspects' of ourselves that are closest to the divine. All gods are simply aspects of a being so far beyond our ability to comprehend that it that it has chosen to appear to us as the Aspects to encourage/enable us to become closer to higher levels of existence. but part of our responsibility to the divine is to realize our own limitations in understanding it.

Different Aspects appeal to us through our life because it is these aspect we are either a) closest to due to changes through life or b) Striving to be closer to at that point in our lives.

the closest religious interpretation I have found is that of some Hindus That thier 330 million gods are all aspects of the 1 true divine. But I take it further in some ways. To me it is the ultimate disrespect to worship the 'One and only' because if there is such a being he is so far beyond where we are that we have no chance of understanding. And i see the believers of the Abrahemic traditions (Islam, Christianity, Judaisim) as, more often than not (no I DON'T lump all of them here, but it is my starting point) of following the Aspect of the Divine that represents arrogance and intolerance, for lack of a better term. not because he couldn't be otherwise and for some, because the divine can creep in to the best parts of us if we let it no matter our belief system, he isn't evil, but how many people follow him IS. Despite what is in the Bible too many Christians (as an example) ignore the last two commandments.

So, basically I follow Odin, Thor and Loki because they are the Aspects that are Closest to the best in me.

[Abbeon]

Re: The Purpose Of God

I believe that the divine is represented by gods to allow us to interpret 'aspects' of ourselves that are closest to the divine. All gods are simply aspects of a being so far beyond our ability to comprehend that it that it has chosen to appear to us as the Aspects to encourage/enable us to become closer to higher levels of existence. but part of our responsibility to the divine is to realize our own limitations in understanding it.

And that, there, basically sums up my beliefs and feelings towards the Divine.