Religion

Permanut

(8,596 posts)

15. Huge subject, MineralMan, thanks for posting..

Wed Jan 24, 2018, 11:51 AM

Jan 2018

Seems that people have a deep desire to have humanity's origins and purpose explained, and are willing in many cases to accept one of the prevailing explanations in their community of origin. Lots of magical thinking and cult thinking; hard to figure what the evolutionary advantage is; maybe there is none.

“Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a worm, and yet he will be making gods by dozens.”

- Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays.

"Scriptures, n. The sacred books of our holy religion, as distinguished from the false and profane writings on which all other faiths are based."

- Ambrose Bierce, The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

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Do All Deities Worshiped by Humans Actually Exist? [View all] MineralMan Jan 2018 OP

I only worship my doG....and he is real! :) samnsara Jan 2018 #1

RIght you are. Zoonart Jan 2018 #2

Indeed. There is plentiful physical evidence of the existence of dogs. MineralMan Jan 2018 #3

Yeah it's funny how many believers point to martyrs as some kind of ironclad proof. trotsky Jan 2018 #4

Indeed. It appears that faith proves nothing. MineralMan Jan 2018 #5

The "I contend we are both atheists . . ." quote caught my eye several years ago. John1956PA Jan 2018 #6

Yes. I've seen that before. MineralMan Jan 2018 #7

This argument is powerless against special pleading. AtheistCrusader Jan 2018 #19

I believe Soxfan58 Jan 2018 #8

OK. However, you should probably expand your MineralMan Jan 2018 #10

Interesting question! Might it be that the act of worship calls the deity into existence? Glorfindel Jan 2018 #9

Yes. Perhaps all deities exist only in the minds of those who MineralMan Jan 2018 #11

In a dual purpose reply, aka-chmeee Jan 2018 #34

You should read American Gods by Neil Gaiman if you haven't already. Cuthbert Allgood Jan 2018 #14

Thanks...I haven't read it. Glorfindel Jan 2018 #16

You can read it online at the following URL cntrygrl Jan 2018 #26

Wow...thanks a lot. I didn't know that website existed. Glorfindel Jan 2018 #29

Though I'm a Kansan, I have prayed to Poseidon for many years TlalocW Jan 2018 #12

Apparently, you have propitiated that deity, then. MineralMan Jan 2018 #13

Huge subject, MineralMan, thanks for posting.. Permanut Jan 2018 #15

Yes. I'm certainly not the first to think of this. MineralMan Jan 2018 #17

Or all deities are a reflection of the Creator. guillaumeb Jan 2018 #18

I've seen no evidence of that, Guillaume. None whatsoever. MineralMan Jan 2018 #20

You imagined you saw that in my response. guillaumeb Jan 2018 #21

I can see that you're coming around, Guy. MineralMan Jan 2018 #22

Now this response sounds more in tune with the choir. guillaumeb Jan 2018 #23

.. MineralMan Jan 2018 #24

If every human "sees" a different thing.. Permanut Jan 2018 #25

Two people believe in superficially similar things. Act_of_Reparation Jan 2018 #32

Your first sentence is in direct contradiction to the second. guillaumeb Jan 2018 #35

Oh, picked up on the sarcasm did you? Act_of_Reparation Jan 2018 #36

The fantasy-novel "Aera" tackles that: DetlefK Jan 2018 #27

Li-Young Lee writes janterry Jan 2018 #28

Yes. There is a "deity clubhouse" where they all hangout left-of-center2012 Jan 2018 #30

Reza Aslan's interesting book, "God: A Human History," talks about The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2018 #31

When I was a kid in Catholic school in the mid-60s grumpyduck Jan 2018 #33

Considering children's relationship with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny... Pope George Ringo II Jan 2018 #37