Why is God deified?

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nobspeople
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Why is God deified?

Post #1

Post by nobspeople »

It's a simply question; does it have a simply answer?

What about this thing creates the desire for people to deify it?
What about this thing is worthy of being deified?

Why do you answer the way you answer?
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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #21

Post by 1213 »

Goat wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:21 am I am sure the Hindu's disagree.
Do you know why they disagree?

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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #22

Post by Tcg »

1213 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:31 pm
Tcg wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:04 pm None of this addresses the time before Yahweh evolved into the "one and only true God." Therefore, it doesn't address my post at all.
And what was the reason, why do you believe Yahweh evolved?
It's not a matter of belief, it is a matter of documented fact which I've already provided.


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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #23

Post by Miles »

nobspeople wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:50 am
Miles wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:58 pm
nobspeople wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 2:11 pm
Miles wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 3:03 pm
nobspeople wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:38 am
bjs1 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:47 am [Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

God is not deified. God is a deity. That is a tautology.

Asking “Why is God deified” is like asking, “Why are horses changed into horses.” The question is nonsense.
How is he a deity? How do we know?
How about by definition?


Synonyms for god

Synonyms: Noun deity, divinity
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary
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This article is about the concept of a supreme "God" in the context of monotheism. For the general concept of a being superior to humans that is worshipped as "a god", see Deity and God (male deity). For God in specific religions, see Conceptions of God. For other uses of the term, see God (disambiguation).
Source: Wikipedia
___________________________

GOD

(in certain other religions) a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity.
Source: Oxford English Dictionary

__________________________

god in British English
(ɡɒd )
noun
1. a supernatural being, who is worshipped as the controller of some part of the universe or some aspect of life in the world or is the personification of some force
▶ Related adjective: divine
2. an image, idol, or symbolic representation of such a deity

------------------

god in American English
(gɑd ; gɔd )
1. any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over the lives and affairs of people and the course of nature; deity, esp. a male deity: typically considered objects of worship
Source: Collins Dictionary

_____________________________

god (gŏd)
n.
1. God
a. A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions.
b. The force, effect, or a manifestation or aspect of this being.
2. A being of supernatural powers or attributes, believed in and worshiped by a people, especially a male deity thought to control some part of nature or reality.
Source: The Free Dictionary

______________________________



And just for confirmation, take a look at "deity."


Meaning of deity in English:
deity
Pronunciation /ˈdeɪɪti/ /ˈdiːɪti/

noun (deities)

1 A god or goddess (in a polytheistic religion)

1.2 (usually the Deity)The creator and supreme being (in a monotheistic religion such as Christianity)

1.3A representation of a god or goddess, such as a statue or carving.
‘also on show is a bronze falcon deity’
Source: Oxford English Dictionary



.
So, if something else comes along that meets these criteria, are we to deify it as well?
At least call it a deity. What you want to do with it would be something else.


.
So by calling it a deity, it's deified it seems.
Not at all. "Deity" is a noun. "Deify" is a verb. Here . . . .

de·i·ty
/ˈdēədē,ˈdāədē/
Learn to pronounce
noun
noun: deity; plural noun: deities

a god or goddess (in a polytheistic religion).
the creator and supreme being (in a monotheistic religion such as Christianity).

_________________________________

de·i·fy
/ˈdēəˌfī/
verb
past tense: deified; past participle: deified

worship, regard, or treat (someone or something) as a god.
________________________________

So while Christians deify the deity of their religion, the god of Abraham, they wouldn't deify the deity of Hinduism, Shiva.
Does this means anything that can be considered, for lack of a better term, god-like, could be deified as well? Called a deity? A god even?
Sure. You could call my 1964 GTO convertible a deity, a god, and deify it; worship it. Don't know why you'd do it, but you certainly can.


.

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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #24

Post by Goat »

1213 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:31 pm
Goat wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:21 am I am sure the Hindu's disagree.
Do you know why they disagree?
For one, they don't use the bible as scripture.
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�

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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #25

Post by nobspeople »

[Replying to Miles in post #24]

So you can have a deity, but not deify it? That strikes me as "pickin'-n-choosin'".
They see something 'god-like' and then decide, based on their own internal bias, to deify it or not. I wonder what would happen if they see something 'bigger' or 'stronger' than their god, if that would change their minds. Not that I'd fully expect that - indoctrination and all that.

So it would seem, the deification of something isn't based on its status as a deity, but the status of a deity in their own lives.
Seems rather hypocritical.
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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #26

Post by Miles »

nobspeople wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:43 am [Replying to Miles in post #24]

So you can have a deity, but not deify it? That strikes me as "pickin'-n-choosin'".
Yup. Is there something wrong with that? It would be of like having date-able women around you and not picking one to date.
They see something 'god-like' and then decide, based on their own internal bias, to deify it or not.
Not sure who your "they" is, but okay. Image

So it would seem, the deification of something isn't based on its status as a deity, but the status of a deity in their own lives.
So what?
Seems rather hypocritical.
Why? What would be hypocritical about looking at a number of deities and choosing one to deify based on some X factor?


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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #27

Post by nobspeople »

[Replying to Miles in post #27]
Is there something wrong with that? (pickin'-n-choosin')
I guess that depends on if one wants to be honest and really seek the truth or be complacent.
It would be of like having date-able women around you and not picking one to date.
If the woman you choose doesn't denote the possibility of an eternity, I suppose so. I don't know any women like that, do you?
Not sure who your "they" is, but okay.
Being I was speaking about those deifying a thing, it would be those people.
So what?
See bolded comment; depends on not only what one's looking for and what they may be pontificating about to others.
What would be hypocritical about looking at a number of deities and choosing one to deify based on some X factor?
Seeing a potentially more deserving thing to deify, but not because it doesn't fit one's paradigm. Again, this is assuming (like I think most would assume) that the person deifying something is doing so honestly when there's something else more deserving.

Granted there are a lot of 'ifs' here, but the thinking needs done, IMO, for people who are honestly seeking the truth and not just something to tickle their fancy.

But if the truth isn't what one wants, deify an orange - it really wouldn't matter much.
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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #28

Post by bjs1 »

While this hypothesis has gained enough support that it should no longer be considered a fringe theory, the lack of evidence leaves a lot doubt about its accuracy.
Tcg wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:02 pm You've overlooked evidence that disagrees with your conclusion:

Although the Bible, and specifically the Book of Exodus, presents Yahweh as the god of the Israelites, there are many passages which make clear that this deity was also worshipped by other peoples in Canaan. Amzallag notes that the Edomites, Kenites, Moabites, and Midianites all worshipped Yahweh to one degree or another and that there is evidence the Edomites who operated the mines at Timnah converted an earlier Egyptian temple of Hathor to the worship of Yahweh.
It is true that some of the other Canaanite nations worshiped YHWH, but all evidence for this came long after the Israelites had worshiped YHWH as the Most High God. The evidence suggests that the surrounding nations adopted YHWH from the Israelites, not the other way around.
Tcg wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:02 pm Although the biblical narratives depict Yahweh as the sole creator god, lord of the universe, and god of the Israelites especially, initially he seems to have been Canaanite in origin and subordinate to the supreme god El. Canaanite inscriptions mention a lesser god Yahweh and even the biblical Book of Deuteronomy stipulates that “the Most High, El, gave to the nations their inheritance” and that “Yahweh's portion is his people, Jacob and his allotted heritage” (32:8-9). A passage like this reflects the early beliefs of the Canaanites and Israelites in polytheism or, more accurately, henotheism (the belief in many gods with a focus on a single supreme deity). The claim that Israel always only acknowledged one god is a later belief cast back on the early days of Israel's development in Canaan.

https://www.ancient.eu/Yahweh/
This part of the argument is much weaker. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 says, “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.* For YHWH’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.”

*Some manuscripts say “sons of God.”

Where your translation says, “the Most High, El,” the Hebrew texts just says “the Most High.” The Hebrew word is ‘el·yō·wn. The Canaanites did refer to their God El as ‘el·yō·wn. However, it is a theological interpretation to say that this was the meaning in Deuteronomy 32:8. The word can also be an adjective used to describe a physically high point, such as in Joshua 16:5. The word was used in conjunction with YHWH, such as in Psalm 7:17, to say, “YHWH the Most High.” It was also used to directly describe YHWH, such as in Psalm 9:2 and Psalm 21:7.

So the interpretation that Deuteronomy 32:8 is talking about the Canaanite God El is not impossible, but given how the word is used in other instances makes it extremely unlikely.
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.
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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #29

Post by William »

Both "God" and "Deify" seem to be matters aligned with the evolution of the human mind.

How [those who do] think about a creator being responsible for this universe generally transforms into a type of awe within the individual along the lines of IF there is indeed a creator mind behind the formation of this universe and life-forms on this planet THEN "Wow!".

It may even be the case the [assumed] creator mind did not intend for any of its incarnated creation to react the way that they did, but the resulting activities related to this might have been very interesting and IF that creator-mind saw it possible to use such a response in order to attempt to connect those other minds to the creator-mind in a manner which served as a device of communion, THEN the creator-mind would use such in order to 'make is so'...

The down-side to that of course, is that the creator mind would have to put up with being dressed up in all manner of attire [human belief systems re "God"] and work around/with that.

If that were the case then it would seem the creator-mind did not intend the creation for that purpose [to connect with the incarnate minds] but saw this as a possible type of sideline bonus which might occur. An interesting side-effect one could explore...more thoroughly ...

Part of the 'dressing up' of the creator-mind meant humans placed the effigy upon a pedestal/throne [somewhere 'on high'] and began worshipping it...apparently first through images of animals and then evolving into images of humans as humans established their dominance over the other planet creatures.

From a creators perspective this could be seen as harmless enough, except when it involved harm - such as with human sacrifice to ask for divine assistance for good crops etc...and through the dressing up of the creator mind in the costume of YHWH - this was regulated to animal sacrifice alone, and then with the advancement of human understanding, the last sacrifice of Christ in the form of the male human Jesus. A kind of "The buck stops here" occurrence because the creator-mind [perhaps yearning] wanted to be known for what it truly is, rather than for what humans dressed It up to 'look like'.

One cannot place a true image as to 'what the creator-mind looks like' because, as with all Mind, it is immaterial, and therefore does not 'look like' anything...which is why I refer to the Creator Mind as "It" rather than "he/she" - but even so "It" still denotes some 'form' and when speaking of The Mind, there is no form in which to point to...to show what "It" is...

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Re: Why is God deified?

Post #30

Post by nobspeople »

William wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 2:35 pm Both "God" and "Deify" seem to be matters aligned with the evolution of the human mind.

How [those who do] think about a creator being responsible for this universe generally transforms into a type of awe within the individual along the lines of IF there is indeed a creator mind behind the formation of this universe and life-forms on this planet THEN "Wow!".

It may even be the case the [assumed] creator mind did not intend for any of its incarnated creation to react the way that they did, but the resulting activities related to this might have been very interesting and IF that creator-mind saw it possible to use such a response in order to attempt to connect those other minds to the creator-mind in a manner which served as a device of communion, THEN the creator-mind would use such in order to 'make is so'...

The down-side to that of course, is that the creator mind would have to put up with being dressed up in all manner of attire [human belief systems re "God"] and work around/with that.

If that were the case then it would seem the creator-mind did not intend the creation for that purpose [to connect with the incarnate minds] but saw this as a possible type of sideline bonus which might occur. An interesting side-effect one could explore...more thoroughly ...

Part of the 'dressing up' of the creator-mind meant humans placed the effigy upon a pedestal/throne [somewhere 'on high'] and began worshipping it...apparently first through images of animals and then evolving into images of humans as humans established their dominance over the other planet creatures.

From a creators perspective this could be seen as harmless enough, except when it involved harm - such as with human sacrifice to ask for divine assistance for good crops etc...and through the dressing up of the creator mind in the costume of YHWH - this was regulated to animal sacrifice alone, and then with the advancement of human understanding, the last sacrifice of Christ in the form of the male human Jesus. A kind of "The buck stops here" occurrence because the creator-mind [perhaps yearning] wanted to be known for what it truly is, rather than for what humans dressed It up to 'look like'.

One cannot place a true image as to 'what the creator-mind looks like' because, as with all Mind, it is immaterial, and therefore does not 'look like' anything...which is why I refer to the Creator Mind as "It" rather than "he/she" - but even so "It" still denotes some 'form' and when speaking of The Mind, there is no form in which to point to...to show what "It" is...
I always wondered why the Christian God is a 'he' and not a 'she' or even an 'it'. Granted, what's written about him indicates a 'he' but it's possible (IMO) that's due to the writer's and the male dominated culture at the time. In other words, the Christian god may, if exists, truly be an 'it', or gender neutral (or maybe even gender absent).
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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