Deity... literal? symbolic? non-existent?

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Permalink Reply by Ritalin-Bunny on October 5, 2012 at 9:04am

I believe that spirits occupy everything, well almost everything. The universe is abundant with entities, some sublimely intelligent, some dumb as a rock. Some are loving, others are despicable. I believe there is no order to it all, it is random and chaotic.

I also believe we ( mortal humans ) can manifest spirits into being with no more effort than thinking of them. I believe this is the basis of God, Gods, and Goddesses. The greater the amount of those who wish a God into being, the greater the God's ability.

That the Gods seems absent for some and custodial for others is directly related to the chaotic nature of so many people thinking/praying at cross purposes.

Focus is the basis for manifestation. Some mortal humans and spirits are very good at focusing intention, others are lazy - even trapped in thinking patterns that will never allow the positive to outweigh the negative, and such being the case they do in fact reap what they sow.

Old colloquiums are nearly catholic in their distribution. In all languages there are equivalents to the sayings like "What you would have done unto yourself, do unto others", "Do as you please if it harms none", "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it", and "As above, so below". All resonate with the manifestation of spirit.

We truly create the Gods, and once created it's up to the worshiper to keep the God alive.

Permalink Reply by Kixs on October 5, 2012 at 10:12am

I believe very much as you do RB.

But I also believe there is something, a higher power of some type. That started all of this.

I don't believe it gets to involved with the running of the show, but possibly just sits back and watchs to see what it can see.

"Old colloquiums are nearly catholic in their distribution. In all languages there are equivalents to the sayings like "What you would have done unto yourself, do unto others", "Do as you please if it harms none", "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it", and "As above, so below". All resonate with the manifestation of spirit."

I actually believe that there is a type of DNA morality in the human spieces and these sayings are our way of expressing it. There is an interesting study being done with babies, to see if they can see the difference between being nice to someone and being mean to someone at a very early age. I do believe there was a story on the net about it. I'll have to see if I can find it and post a link.

Permalink Reply by Kixs on October 5, 2012 at 10:22am

Permalink Reply by Sagemoon on October 5, 2012 at 9:12am

I believe in archetypes, not literal beings called gods.  We are all a piece of this Universe and we all have a bit, or can access a bit, of what we see as admirable.  So our human minds have created gods to explain and categorize the traits we see as desirable. 

Permalink Reply by Psyche on October 5, 2012 at 11:06am

I personally believe in them literally that they are with me and bring life and meaning to all things. I do not believe in the archetype because I feel that its dumbing down the gods themselves (this is my opinion so those who believe they are archetypes don't get haughty at me for not sharing your beliefs). I believe that spirits are just as literal and influence the world around us.

SponsorPermalink Reply by Kara on October 5, 2012 at 11:51am

I'm Atheist but i can still relate to the myths and characters of deities. But no, non of the evidence says it's possible for it to be real.

Permalink Reply by Tara Flower on October 5, 2012 at 2:53pm

I believe there is a supreme power above the gods, something like the Ain Soph Aour in Kabbalah. The gods and angels with whom I communicate have all the characteristics of a higher race above humanity, in many ways very like human beings.

They can interact with many people and be in many places at the same time because of the macrocosm and the microcosm. A  god comes to us through our own microcosm, which is almost the same as sayng they are archetypes.

I've noticed that certain gods are more often used to represent the higher force above the gods; however any one can be used in this way: to disagree with that means prejudice against certain religions.

I'm very interested in the Christian question of whether worship by means of idols is right or wrong, possibly because I believe in something above the gods; however in the end it comes down to devotion. The god I am most devoted to is Cernunnos and he asked me to worship himself and the Goddess using picture of them, so I do. He says it is a religion of love and joy,and I agree.

Rob you mentioned Cybele. I find it hard to be positive about the practices is ancient  temples of Cybele because castration seems barbaric to me, however some people who are transgender identify with worshipping Cybele and I know someone like that who worships her.

Permalink Reply by Lilitu Xoc on October 5, 2012 at 2:56pm

I see gods as both literal and symbolic. Like Tara I believe in a higher power above gods. I think brahman and chaos are references to the same thing. Brahman is the most accurate concept I could find about this being. I also believe in at least two other forces above the gods but below brahman. One who is the prototype of all gods, and the other the prototype of all mazoku and chaos. (besides primordial chaos.)

Permalink Reply by Tara Flower on October 5, 2012 at 3:09pm

That's very interesting Xoc. At one time I used to say Brahman and Ain Soph Aour are the same but I do not think someone  Hindu or Jewish would be happy with equating them exactly.

Permalink Reply by Lilitu Xoc on October 5, 2012 at 3:15pm

This is how I am looking at it, I am not invalidating cultural perceptions... But I believe it's existence is way too vast for humans to fully understand and it is at it's core we have a limiting understanding of it. Therefore, humans give a variety of attributes to it and describe it in their own ways of relating to it. This is the same concept with gods and how their conceptions vary wildly from region to region. 

Permalink Reply by Lilitu Xoc on October 5, 2012 at 6:08pm

Similar. Though I do not consider this force a god, above them. But the origins of all things good and evil, if you want to put it in those terms. I believe it holds us, I believe it is everything. If it withdraws support from us we cease to exist. It is best called the ultimate reality.

Permalink Reply by Victor Night on October 5, 2012 at 3:53pm

First off, I believe that I am my own God. I'm the supreme authority in my own life.

Second, I believe in the compulsions, desires, and emotions within my own psyche that I personify as gods. These are associated symbolically with forces of nature. I believe in these things literally and my rites focus on them.

I probably don't mimic historical contexts for the simple fact that most of my choices in gods are ancient, and I haven't gotten around to building a dedicated shrine/temple with statues that I lay food out for and whatnot.

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