Which god?

Throughout time people have worshiped literally thousands of gods. Some religions, often called animist, worship things, such as the Sun, as gods.

The various Pagan religions of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East lasted for thousands of years. Egypt's pantheon alone withstood about 3,200 years all told, or perhaps more stretching back to pre-Old Kingdom times.

These religions were very similar in essence: make offerings and/or sacrifices to the gods, and they will shower their favor on you. This is why there were gods for different things. The things there were gods for, and the popularity of each deity, told you a lot about a society's beliefs and values. Gods were adopted and dropped all the time. New gods were even made up (ie Terminus and Serapis). Gods were combined all the time, a process we now call syncretism (the Carthaginians and Phoenicians were particularly fond of this practice). Religions varied in ritual, specific beliefs and festivals. For example Greek festivals tended towards the intellectual side, with even plays performed as part of a religious experience. Roman festivals tended to be more practical.

Ritual varied enormously, too. For the Romans the ritual was exceedingly solemn and important. priests and priestesses were expected to show commitment to their tasks (for example, a Vestal Virgin could be executed if she had sex). Egyptian priests merely held a job. They took it seriously, yes, and took pains to maintain their "purity" (ie shaved heads, cleanliness, they wore only white linen, etc). But it was just a job which anyone could do (a really good, cushy job).

Anyway, I don't doubt the depth of devotion of the Ancient Egyptians, Hittites, Sumerians, Minoans, Greeks, Romans, etc, etc, etc. towards their gods, nor their depth of belief, nor their certainty their beliefs were the correct ones.

While it's true all these religions faded or died in the West (that is in Europe and much of the Middle East), and even Judaism changed radically, after Christianity became dominant, this was caused more by Christianity's imperative to convert people to their religion (the same as those places where Islam spread early on, and largely with the same methods). That is to say Christianity replaced what existed already, rather than create something in people which had not existed before.

How come, then, the Christian god gets to be called simply "God" as though there only existed one deity? What about the tens of thousands of others? Melkart, Athena, Heracles, Ist, Amun, Hermes, Mars, Aphrodite, etc. etc. etc. Besides, the Christian god does have a name, as stated in the Old Testament: Jehovah, or perhaps Yahweh. This last is completely natural given the period in which this god was devised.

I guess I'm saying Jehovah is unfair to other gods.

Quote: Nareed

I guess I'm saying Jehovah is unfair to other gods.

They called him Yahweh for awhile, and then
decided it was blastphemous to say his name.
By just calling him god, all the other gods came
under his jurisdiction. I find it curious other gods
were such a problem in Moses time, he had to
make a commandment about it. It must have
taken a lot of time and effort to get people to
use just the catchall word 'god'.

Quote: Nareed

How come, then, the Christian god gets to be called simply "God" as though there only existed one deity?

I'm sure the mainstream to conservative Christian position is that they have the true god and every other religion has a false one. More liberal Christians tend to lean towards agnosticism. Yet, I asked in a thread a while back if there is only one god, why does the first commandment say, "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." I interpret that to mean there are other gods. I've been waiting years for a satisfactory Christian explanation to this.

Quote: Wizard

I'm sure the mainstream to conservative Christian position is that they have the true god and every other religion has a false one.

Oh, I understand that.

Alas, they have as much evidence for their claim as every one else does: none.

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More liberal Christians tend to lean towards agnosticism.

I don't get the agnostic mindset. It seems to me someone undecided about the existence of Jehovah would not be practicing a religion.

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Yet, I asked in a thread a while back if there is only one god, why does the first commandment say, "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." I interpret that to mean there are other gods.

I can't see that it could mean anything else. it fits the practices and customs of the times, and it explains Pharaoh's priests being able to work miracles.

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I've been waiting years for a satisfactory Christian explanation to this.

Get comfortable and wait years more. You won't ever get one. Modern Jews and Christians today have as an item of faith the notion there is only their one god (or is he three?) and always has been.

Even in ancient times, when Christianity began to be required in the Roman Empire, the early church fathers dismissed the existing Greco-Roman pantheon as "demons."

Wouldn't it be a riot if there was an afterlife run by Ueser (Osiris)?

Hmm. That might just make a good story

Having just one god is a rather modern
idea. My wife works for an insurance
company that owns several large insurance
companies. They are all run by the parent
company, they are 'god'. Much more
efficient.

When you have a bunch of gods all competing
with each other, just make one of them the
head god and you have a streamlined major
religion and no arguing among the rabble.

Let's say a very devout Roman Catholic priest in his mid 50s dies unexpectedly, maybe in an accident.

When he regains consciousness, he finds himself in a large and ornate living room, seated in a very comfortable chair. Two people, a man and a woman, both clad in white linen business suits, seat on a couch across from him. In between there's a coffee table with coffee (imagine that!), cookies and some snacks, which just happen to be the priest's favorites.

The woman introduces herself as Ist, Goddess of Magic. "Or Isis, if you prefer." And bids him welcome to the afterlife.

Cute, yes?

Alas, I think Lester del Rey did a story very much like this. Without the Egyptian gods. A devout Christian in the afterlife cannot buy the notion his "God" doesn't exist, and that the afterlife is very much like Earth, only better.

I'd have to extend this in some fashion. perhaps our intrepid priest thinks this is Jehovah's way of testing him, or his faith. Tempting him with a pleasant, eternal existence without "God." Naturally he'd find like-minded people and join them. But imagine millions of very devout people, perhaps a mix of different Christians, Jews and, Muslims, pray very hard for centuries or even longer, all in vain.

If you ask me, that would be hell.

Imagine if he finds Jesus there >:)

I may have something. What I'm not sure I can do is portray belief in Jehovah sympathetically. And I'd hate to make it seem as though there are real gods, even if they're the nicer, more abstract parts of the Egyptian pantheon.