Do Gods live and die or just get new names?

I wanted to ask this before, but i was afraid i wouldn't be able to get the idea out eloquently, so bear with me. There are many gods of course (Norse gods, egyptian gods, mayan gods, ect.) and lot's of similaries between them over time. I think people had a hand in creating them (yes) and also if the culture dies out so that no one is worshiping that god anymore, wouldn't it just cease to be? What i'm saying is the god could only exist with people to worship it, and think about it. For example, wouldn't it be fair to say that now there are many, many more people worldwide "sacraficing" more time and life energy, thoughts, and such to media as opposed to Christ or Buddah or Allah? So media in a sense is a god, we are giving more of ourselves to it than other gods, and will those others die out, or are they manifesting themselves within the new "media god"? i think this is a great subject. i hope to get some replies on this thread, from religious types and complet agnostics both.
keep talking!

[edit on 20-8-2008 by Enigma Publius]

reply to post by Enigma Publius


i can't believe no one is commenting on this...is there a similar thread that's been talked to death? because i haven't found one specifically talking about gods as if we are their maker and what happens to them when we are no longer worshiping them. oh well, if someone has a thread link to something like that, i'll post my idea there. thx

In 1844 Karl Marx said:

“Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

In 1969 Jim Morrison said:

"Look Where We Worship"


I believe media is now the opium of the people. Look where we worship.

peace

Originally posted by _Heretic
In 1844 Karl Marx said:

“Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

In 1969 Jim Morrison said:

"Look Where We Worship"


I believe media is now the opium of the people. Look where we worship.

peace

media and money yes. i agree.

reply to post by Enigma Publius


This is amazing. I actually wrote a full thread similar to this today and decided last minute not to post it. Except mne had a slghtly different feel.

I have read in various places that different people feel that Jesus is Buddha reincarnated, others say Krishna and still others Horus and the list goes on. My question was, does god present himself to various cultures in various forms at various critical times for each culture? and if so who and when will be the next incarnation?

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
reply to post by Enigma Publius

 

This is amazing. I actually wrote a full thread similar to this today and decided last minute not to post it. Except mne had a slghtly different feel.

I have read in various places that different people feel that Jesus is Buddha reincarnated, others say Krishna and still others Horus and the list goes on. My question was, does god present himself to various cultures in various forms at various critical times for each culture? and if so who and when will be the next incarnation?

some would say "look in a mirror"

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
reply to post by Enigma Publius

 

This is amazing. I actually wrote a full thread similar to this today and decided last minute not to post it. Except mne had a slghtly different feel.

I have read in various places that different people feel that Jesus is Buddha reincarnated, others say Krishna and still others Horus and the list goes on. My question was, does god present himself to various cultures in various forms at various critical times for each culture? and if so who and when will be the next incarnation?

yes, i wondered along the same lines and i think the next one will be INFORMATION, and i believe this is the oldest idea of a god that there is, i'll have to locate the source for this idea, basicly saying that at the moment man realized his place here and wondered about it, the idea of God came into existance at that moment, and it's about to manifest in the form of information, or input and feedback if u will. I think it manifested in us to start with and is coming back to that, so i would have to say that i think "look in the mirror" is quite apt. isn't it neat how 2 different views can come to the same kind of conclusion? It's interesting to me how this thread is so hard for some people to comment on, because neither a very strict religious person nor a total non-believer falls into thinking with it...or am i wrong? I love hearing other peoles view on it.

there are alot of soul searching post at ATS and many get bogged down with debate and egotistical posturing concerning god and such

it is a very controversial subject

I will insert a post I made in one of my own threads so that you can read it here and tell me what you think

I make no claims on truth, bottom line is I dont know

anyway:


Infinity exists, if you do not believe this then our gods are either liars or pretenders. Math also accepts infinity as an absolute. Since infinity exists, then so do all other things. Thus one can say with certainty that every moment, dream, idea, parallel universe, every possible conceivable thing place and time has a location where it resides.

The infinite fabric or tapestry of all things is our home, and home to everything else that is. We move in this tapestry from place to place and in every choice we make we decide where in this tapestry we will end up, from our current perspective we see this as passing through time. Time is subjective, it looks like we have a yesterday and an unknown tomorrow that has not yet happened, but all things have already happened. All potentiality is already realized.

This tapestry is infinity and it is all connected. All is one. If you take one stitch of the tapestry away, it would unravel infinity, so every stitch of this tapestry is interdependent on every other stitch. Each stitch is a singular representation of the whole for with out it the whole is no more.

What we would perceive as a godlike being, could move through this tapestry at will if they had the mind and sight to do so, and others who we would perceive as a normal person, could not, but only because they are in their own way. All is one and the normal person has the same potential to walk the tapestry just as the godlike being, because due to infinity we are one in the same.

The tapestry is consciousness, and consciousness is infinite and the entirety of it we call god. In each of our own heads is also consciousness, a thread in the tapestry. We are not imperfect, we are not in bondage to sin, but we choose to be due to some books we place more faith in than we do ourselves.

It isn’t a bad thing or a good thing, for all things are both good and bad. It is the perspective you have that allows you to choose what it will be for you. Therefore evil may be bad for you, but it may be good for someone who desires it to be so. We are the ones that choose, and that choice moves us to the appropriate location on the tapestry, according to our action and thought.

There is no life or death, only transition. There is nothing that can be added to us nor taken away from us. Our blindness creates the duality we see and unity is our salvation.

Excerpt from original thread here

thoughts?

Thanks Heretic...a great contribution. i think your larger idea incorporates my smaller one perfectly almost. So on some parralel string of this infinate web, ideas do exist. I can see Thor and Odin in a bowling alley drinkin brews and chatting it up about how Medussa is hot, how Satan is really letting himself go, and conversations like "Father, we are getting old and now not many people believe in us, i mean...what are we going to DO with our lives? Is this it?"LOL i thought it up so now it is, but it really already was; i am just as dependant on the idea as it is of the thinker, would that be fair? i think it's very cool to try and wrap your mind around.

There is actually a great novel called "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman that is kind of relevant to this...if memory serves me rightly, in the story they do continue to exist...in fact, multiple manifestations of the same god can exist on different continents...anyhow, they age, the lose power, they become all but invisible and they can die...but generally speaking, they find a way to survive.....

...anyhow, that is neither here nor there....though it is a great book.

I would say, gods are the personification of ideas....ideas never die...but that would also imply that as ideas they are abstract constructs to begin with...as abstract constructs, they have any ability the inventor of them invest...theorhetically...but....it is an entirely theorhetical and opinionated topic, none the less....

it can be said that we invented gods to define ourselves

it can also be said that the gods invented us to define them

it can also be said that both are true

peace

reply to post by Enigma Publius

So media in a sense is a god, we are giving more of ourselves to it than other gods,

There may be truth to this statement. The Image to the Beast in Revelation might be TV.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by Enigma Publius

 

So media in a sense is a god, we are giving more of ourselves to it than other gods,

There may be truth to this statement. The Image to the Beast in Revelation might be TV.

that would make "porn" the great whore who rode upon the beast?

I think it depends on how you define the terms "gods".

Do beings exist that exert influence over certain spheres of control, beings who in times past where termed god of thunder, god of raid etc etc by ancient cultures. Maybe theres no direct evidence for such but i'm willing to say its possible.

If such beings exist im willing to say they live, die and adapt. Life and Death based on old mythology, and adapting because its adapt or die, and I doubt they are all stupid enough to just die.

And of course we have documents that relate to gods of old being adopted by new cultures and given name changes etc.

Now to me whats interesting is the concept of names, I believe firmly that names have a lot of power, so for example, if Thor is the god of Thunder (in the areas of the world in which he is worshiped), does worshiping Jim the god of Thunder make energy go to Jim, or does it go to Thor because hes the god of Thunder, does Jim gain powers over Thunder due to his worshipers belief and become a seperate thunder god viaing for power.

Different religions believe a lot of different things regarding divine hierarchies / spirits etc, I'm even willing to believe that what may be "true" is actually different in different parts of the world, as I think dogmatic belief of the masses has a lot to do with it, but maybe im giving humanity more credit then its due.

From a purely literary and non spiritual stand point, yes Gods both Live and Die according to ancient texts, and they are adopted into other cultures and given name changes (Zeus / Jupiter being the most obvious and well known).

reply to post by Enigma Publius


For the most part, the gods and goddesses are the same. A few examples are:

Hermes/Mercury/Thoth (light, speed and thieves)

Isis/Ishtar/Astarte (Mother Goddess) The Virgin Mary was connected to Isis in the beginning since Isis was very popular in the early Christian years.

There are many others who are the same but have different names. People would use the trade routes and introduce elements of their beliefs and others would adopt them.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by Enigma Publius

 

So media in a sense is a god, we are giving more of ourselves to it than other gods,

There may be truth to this statement. The Image to the Beast in Revelation might be TV.

well i can't say for sure it isn't but i disagree. T'V. is not all evil by any means. some programs bring family together, why would "the beast" have christian shows? c'mon now. If u believe in god and Satan, then u must also believe that Satan is part of God, he created everything right? that means we are part of his infinate realm, and so is Satan... after all, God would be nothing without Satan...what th ehell would they preach about in church without Satan, and evil? evil is necessary, it is one of Gods personalities if u will, i mean God is everything right? infinatness IS EVERYTHING. read what heretic said.

Originally posted by gYvMessanger
I think it depends on how you define the terms "gods".

Do beings exist that exert influence over certain spheres of control, beings who in times past where termed god of thunder, god of raid etc etc by ancient cultures. Maybe theres no direct evidence for such but i'm willing to say its possible.

If such beings exist im willing to say they live, die and adapt. Life and Death based on old mythology, and adapting because its adapt or die, and I doubt they are all stupid enough to just die.

And of course we have documents that relate to gods of old being adopted by new cultures and given name changes etc.

Now to me whats interesting is the concept of names, I believe firmly that names have a lot of power, so for example, if Thor is the god of Thunder (in the areas of the world in which he is worshiped), does worshiping Jim the god of Thunder make energy go to Jim, or does it go to Thor because hes the god of Thunder, does Jim gain powers over Thunder due to his worshipers belief and become a seperate thunder god viaing for power.

Different religions believe a lot of different things regarding divine hierarchies / spirits etc, I'm even willing to believe that what may be "true" is actually different in different parts of the world, as I think dogmatic belief of the masses has a lot to do with it, but maybe im giving humanity more credit then its due.

From a purely literary and non spiritual stand point, yes Gods both Live and Die according to ancient texts, and they are adopted into other cultures and given name changes (Zeus / Jupiter being the most obvious and well known).

now ur gettin it! of cours the have to move on....ENERGY NEVER STOPS, it can't just cease to be without going somewhere!

Originally posted by _Heretic

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by Enigma Publius

 

So media in a sense is a god, we are giving more of ourselves to it than other gods,

There may be truth to this statement. The Image to the Beast in Revelation might be TV.

that would make "porn" the great whore who rode upon the beast?

porn, the succubis, or thw whore....yes, but they are lesser gods, all part of Gods infinateness. his personalities.

Related to this thread:
Can Gods exist without us?

Mod Edit: Removed Copy/Paste from related thread.

[edit on 21-8-2008 by Gemwolf]

reply to post by Enigma Publius


the above posts are from a different thread i made on same almost same topic, i'm combining them and closing the other one.