Do you belive other gods exist?

[Cider]

:newidea:
Theology class connection! That may be another reason the Romans let the Jews be as opposed to the early Christians. (I’m too stoked I’m such a nerd )

The Roman Republic ( Pagan Rome) was quite tolerant of the religious beliefs of it’s conquered peoples. Everyone was expected to take part in the public cult, which was viewed as a way to win favor from the Gods, so it would prosper but otherwise, people were free to worship as they wanted. Belief didn’t really even enter it. Which is what I was referring to in my previous post about orthopraxy not orthodoxy.

Of course all that changed once Christianity became the official religion of the Romans.

So yes, good job on the connection.

 

[Peter_Plato]

:newidea:
Theology class connection! That may be another reason the Romans let the Jews be as opposed to the early Christians. (I’m too stoked I’m such a nerd )

I am not clear how the siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 70 AD qualifies as letting the “Jews be,” however.

That event might be better explained by the fact that there were militant factions among the Jewish people whereas Christians tended to be less inclined towards using aggression. Better to engage what appears to be a passive dog than one that might bite back, perhaps?

 

[Cider]

I am not clear how the siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 70 AD qualifies as letting the “Jews be,” however.

That event might be better explained by the fact that there were militant factions among the Jewish people whereas Christians tended to be less inclined towards using aggression. Better to engage what appears to be a passive dog than one that might bite back, perhaps?

There had been multiple Jewish revolts against the Romans prior to the destruction of the Temple. Most conquerers aren’t inclined to allow their conquered to revolt.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Are you or were you ever Jewish? I was before I become Catholic and I’m married to Jew. So thanks for telling me what Jews think and believe.

Cider-

Is this uncharitable, condescending or ineffective?

I mean, you are concerned about these things, right?

Or do those standards only apply to me?

 

[Lokadottir]

The Roman Republic ( Pagan Rome) was quite tolerant of the religious beliefs of it’s conquered peoples. Everyone was expected to take part in the public cult, which was viewed as a way to win favor from the Gods, so it would prosper but otherwise, people were free to worship as they wanted. Belief didn’t really even enter it. Which is what I was referring to in my previous post about orthopraxy not orthodoxy.

Of course all that changed once Christianity became the official religion of the Romans.

So yes, good job on the connection.

I think they may have even had an exception for Jews at the time of Jesus.

 

[jmcrae]

If a friend and I build a shed, for example, we were both responsible for its construction. Maybe I held a stronger or lesser role in it, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not part of the creative force, so to speak.

Actually, the person who wrote the blueprints is the person who “created” the shed. You and your friend are “angels” or lower-case “gods” participating in its creation, but you are not its “creators” and neither of you is its Creator.

And actually it is the person who first came up with the concept of “shed” who is ultimately the Creator of your garden shed. Everyone else along the way is simply an “angel” or lower-case “god” participating in its creation.

 

[Skadi]

I see that the Ask a Pagan thread is closed (darn), and I have a question for the Pagan posters. I was wondering, what do you believe the purpose of life is? Why did the Gods create us? Also, how do you view the role of Jesus Christ in Christianity, i.e. a divine Savior, God, who came to earth, showed us the way to live, and suffered and died for our sins, and that we receive eternal life only through Him? Is there a similar concept in your Pagan faith?

Thanks!

I know its been stated this is of topic but ill just answer quickly. Theres very little written in the creation myth (or atleast the versions i have read) that say exactly why Odin and his brothers make mankind, but those stories are allegory anyway. However the goal of life is to live honorably and be a credit to ones ancestors. In ancient times when warfare was a part of every day life this culminated in a honorable death on the battlefield. Personally though im a believer in Deistic Evolution, I think life came into existence as that first single cell with supernatural help (from the Is All, rather than a specific deity) and from that point evolution went on. As such man is not some chosen race, we simply happen to be more intelligent than other animals and can grasp these concepts.

Thor is the protector of Midgard (the world of men) and is destined to be killed in battle with the Midgard Serpent, but hes not a sacrifice that is to be offered up, he is a guardian. Jesus’s ascribed role in Christianity is interesting because of the concept of original sin, but to me that and the success of his religion are realy the only things that differentiate him from other historical savior figures.

 

[Skadi]

I think they may have even had an exception for Jews at the time of Jesus.

Jews were exempt because they would have revolted, and the Romans only cared about taxing them. After the Jews revolted in the late 1st and early 2nd century however, they lost this protection. About the same time Christianity, being a fringe religion with a very different theology and many nasty rumors. Christians sometimes called their masses “love feasts” and this lead some Romans to believe the practiced cannibalistic orgy’s. they made perfect scape goats for roman politicians, which is why they were persecuted.

 

[Lokadottir]

Actually, the person who wrote the blueprints is the person who “created” the shed. You and your friend are “angels” or lower-case “gods” participating in its creation, but you are not its “creators” and neither of you is its Creator.

And actually it is the person who first came up with the concept of “shed” who is ultimately the Creator of your garden shed. Everyone else along the way is simply an “angel” or lower-case “god” participating in its creation.

Unless Mac and his friend also made the design in collaboration with each other. Which is highly possible.

 

[Lokadottir]

Jews were exempt because they would have revolted, and the Romans only cared about taxing them. After the Jews revolted in the late 1st and early 2nd century however, they lost this protection. About the same time Christianity, being a fringe religion with a very different theology and many nasty rumors. Christians sometimes called their masses “love feasts” and this lead some Romans to believe the practiced cannibalistic orgy’s. they made perfect scape goats for roman politicians, which is why they were persecuted.

Oh how things hath come full circle. sigh

 

[Cider]

I see that the Ask a Pagan thread is closed (darn), and I have a question for the Pagan posters. I was wondering, what do you believe the purpose of life is? Why did the Gods create us? Also, how do you view the role of Jesus Christ in Christianity, i.e. a divine Savior, God, who came to earth, showed us the way to live, and suffered and died for our sins, and that we receive eternal life only through Him? Is there a similar concept in your Pagan faith?

Thanks!

What’s the purpose of life according to the Catholic Church? I’ve never really thought about it. Is it just to be born and as a result become subject to original sin and then hopefully be saved?

 

[dafodilly]

The Old Testament refers frequently to gods with a small “g”. In the NT, in John 10:34 “Jesus answered them “Is it not written in your law, ‘I have said you are “gods’…” So I guess it depends on how you define ‘god’ w/ a small g.
I asked a Sister friend of mine what was meant, and she replied that there are two angles: the source for and explanation for things you don’t understand or can’t obtain for yourself. So the ancients worshipped the earth, because it bore fruit, the river because it brought fish, the sky/sun/ because of what it brought in the way of goods or comfort. And they asked the sky for rain, and eventually it rained, and they thought it rained because they asked it to. In that sense, God is the God above all gods.
I used to think the word god is a job description, not a Name. God is the ultimate source (Alpha) of everything, and the explanation (Omega). “Science” is the technical mastery of physical reality, but makes a poor “god”. It is the proximate source of much good, but can’t answer the big questions. Other sources of goods are real, like money or pleasure, but fall short, if we don’t submit them to the God above all.
There are supernatural powers that do not submit to God. I will not call them a god.
They have been defeated.

 

[Credo_in_Deum]

What’s the purpose of life according to the Catholic Church? I’ve never really thought about it. Is it just to be born and as a result become subject to original sin and then hopefully be saved?

The purpose of life is to love, honor, and serve God with all of our heart, mind, body and soul. And to love our neighbor as ourselves. We acknowledge Christ as our savior and our model for how we can do this perfectly, and He guides us, strengthens us, and preserves us through His mystical body the Church with the sacraments. Our temporal life is lived through Him, with Him and in Him, and is a preparation for our death which is our rebirth to eternal life with Him in heaven.

 

[drac16]

Well, let me first say that I’m not a Christian, so by default, I’m obviously not a Catholic. I believe in one God and that there is no deity except He. I believe that there are a lot of quote-on-quote ‘gods’ in sense of idols; an idol is something that’s given more affection than God. An idol is not necessarily a statue of, let’s say, a pagan deity-- money can be an idol, for example, if you love money more than God. Some people worship money because that’s all they think about and all they desire.

I hope that’s not confusing. It’s hard to explain.

 

[marydaze]

Um… excuse me. I have never attacked your religion in this manner don’t insult mine and bundle it with what it isn’t.
Wait woah woah WOAH! Ecclesiaticus? Man I thought we were getting along!

PASTED: Originally Posted by Ecclesiaticus S
I hate new age religion trash.

No one knows what the ancestors practiced and worshipped.

Stupid naïve fools that practice ridiculous “wicca” and other pathetic new age trash know nothing and another point is few properly follow the old ways…

Hey, wait, was this post (the one pasted above) also reported? I said something COMPLETELY nicer than this and yet I was reported. It seems I am being treated unfairly. Scroll up and down and look at how many other rude comments ther are - there are a ton if you judge by the standards by which I received an infraction for, which was basically Catholics view of Wiccans, not a character assasination or something. The subject matter of the question that was asked that started this whole post was controversial in the first place and will obviously lead to controversial replies. Why doesn’t the moderator jsut remove this entire thread? I don’t get it, and I don’t get why I received an infraction for politely stating my opinion when other’s get away with things such as this, what you have quoted here Lokadottir, is what I mean,I don’t mean your reply to the it, obviously. But why is this thing allowed to go on? If it does continue then I should be un-infractured because you can see just by the quote here that what I posted is not bad, and this is an example of something the moderator should pay attention to. Jsut saying…

 

[OliverR]

The First Commandment says that we should have no other gods before/besides God.

So do we as Catholics or even if you are not Catholic do you believe that other gods exist or not?

Without wanting to sound too " street", I would think this as warning against the human failing of mistaking little g gods with the one God.

So more a human failing than a case of multiple gods.

I could today set up a church of the elephant god but it wouldn’t make that deity exist, it would simply be another way to drift away from God.

 

[Peter_Plato]

PASTED: Originally Posted by Ecclesiaticus S
I hate new age religion trash.

No one knows what the ancestors practiced and worshipped.

Stupid naïve fools that practice ridiculous “wicca” and other pathetic new age trash know nothing and another point is few properly follow the old ways…

Hey, wait, was this post (the one pasted above) also reported? I said something COMPLETELY nicer than this and yet I was reported. It seems I am being treated unfairly. Scroll up and down and look at how many other rude comments ther are - there are a ton if you judge by the standards by which I received an infraction for, which was basically Catholics view of Wiccans, not a character assasination or something. The subject matter of the question that was asked that started this whole post was controversial in the first place and will obviously lead to controversial replies. Why doesn’t the moderator jsut remove this entire thread? I don’t get it, and I don’t get why I received an infraction for politely stating my opinion when other’s get away with things such as this, what you have quoted here Lokadottir, is what I mean,I don’t mean your reply to the it, obviously. But why is this thing allowed to go on? If it does continue then I should be un-infractured because you can see just by the quote here that what I posted is not bad, and this is an example of something the moderator should pay attention to. Jsut saying…

Marrydaze, note that Ecclesiasticus S has been banned but your status was only temporarily affected. Obviously the mods have treated your replies quite differently than his, no?

 

[Lokadottir]

So the ancients worshipped the earth, because it bore fruit, the river because it brought fish, the sky/sun/ because of what it brought in the way of goods or comfort. And they asked the sky for rain, and eventually it rained, and they thought it rained because they asked it to.

This confirmation bias approach to ancient religion could as easily apply to Christianity.

 

[jmcrae]

Unless Mac and his friend also made the design in collaboration with each other. Which is highly possible.

True. However, unlike God, they both would have shared a common idea in their minds of what a shed looks like, and what its function is - which is why the real Creator of the shed is the first person who ever thought of building a structure to house gardening tools. The idea “shed” already exists, and when you make one, you are simply making a kind of “copy” of the original idea of “shed” - which may not even be a physical thing, but it’s the “substance” by which we recognize sheds when we see them - or think of building one.

 

[Lokadottir]

True. However, unlike God, they both would have shared a common idea in their minds of what a shed looks like, and what its function is - which is why the real Creator of the shed is the first person who ever thought of building a structure to house gardening tools. The idea “shed” already exists, and when you make one, you are simply making a kind of “copy” of the original idea of “shed” - which may not even be a physical thing, but it’s the “substance” by which we recognize sheds when we see them - or think of building one.

So what if instead they designed and made a skirimidoo and it performs a purpose never before concieved?