What is a god?

[Phoenix]

After reading a bit on Lovecraft's work, and having a little chat with Hidden, the question arose. What makes a being a god? I still don't have my own conclusion, but I'm fairly sure I took out God's godhood with some thought. So, what do you think? What's a god?

 

[Abel]

Setting aside the notion of "a" god for a moment, what was in the past the definition of God by some religious philosophers like St. Aquinas has been "that than which no greater can be conceived." There are many arguments in favor of the existence of God (e.g. cosmological, teleological) that subscribe to this description, and there have been many counter-arguments to them. But excuse me for digressing; What makes God or "a" god really depends on the specific religion you intend to examine.

 

[Phoenix]

According to Aquinas' definition, in Greek mythology, nobody except Zeus was a god, since he was the king. Or, better yet, neither Jesus, nor the Father, nor the Holy Spirit are gods, since I can conceive something greater.

 

[Savior of Dawn]

Well, discluding all of the religious beliefs in the world.. The definition of God is a very hard one. I would, usually, say that a God is a being that can change the world in some way at whim.

Yet, that isn't a very good one. A single person can change the world at whim. Similar to light (and other such things) a person takes every possible route at every possible moment they can. However, each one is separated into different dimensions, which we don't know how to get to. This is also why time travel backwards is impossible, since the past is also fluid, which also contributes to the infinitely possible things that can happen at every moment. So, that said, every living organism is a God, according to that definition.

So, I think the best definition of a God is a being that can bend the world at whim, and is worshiped. The whole worshiping thing makes you special.

 

[Abel]

According to Aquinas' definition, in Greek mythology, nobody except Zeus was a god, since he was the king. Or, better yet, neither Jesus, nor the Father, nor the Holy Spirit are gods, since I can conceive something greater.

Okay, so you want to go Greek.

That is just his interpretation of their religion since he probably couldn't/wouldn't grasp the concept of polytheism. I say wouldn't because of the pressure from the church; Just like how Rene Descartes reiterated a generic argument for the existence of God to avoid persecution from the church, Aquinas probably promoted monotheism for the same reason.

I like your observation that you could conceive something greater; the next logical step is to think something could be so great that you couldn't conceive it. There are plenty of twists and turns to take in this line of thought.

 

[Phoenix]

In Lovecraft's work, thse beings exist in more than one dimension, they don't conform to our natural laws, and they can destroy our world on a whim. Yet, they aren't gods, they're merely aliens. Or are they gods?

SoD, even objects can be worshipped.

So, a god needs a certain degree of power. Doesn't this make the Devil a god?

 

[Abel]

I think saying "a" god soils the argument, but fine. Anything can be "a" god in relative terms.

Some godly characteristics to be considered:
- worshipped/feared (piety)
- omnipotence/some degree of supernatural powers
- omniscience/some degree of supernatural thought
- different plane of existence

Anything else you can think of?

 

[Savior of Dawn]

In Lovecraft's work, thse beings exist in more than one dimension, they don't conform to our natural laws, and they can destroy our world on a whim. Yet, they aren't gods, they're merely aliens. Or are they gods?

Power at whim is one of the more notable abilities of Gods. They have god-like abilities, to say the least.

SoD, even objects can be worshipped.

Exactly. The definition of God is so flimsy, people can take advantage of it and make religions based off of it.

So, a god needs a certain degree of power. Doesn't this make the Devil a god?

As far as I know, he just tortures people down in hell. : /

 

[TheTerrorofDeath]

A god is considered to be anything that is held responsible for giving life. Hence all the different religions. People worship different things considering what they were taught. Basically god is anything with power that is thought to have complete control over anything.

 

[Phoenix]

Some godly characteristics to be considered:
- worshipped/feared (piety)
- omnipotence/some degree of supernatural powers
- omniscience/some degree of supernatural thought
- different plane of existence

Anything else you can think of?

Define supernatural.

As far as I know, he just tortures people down in hell. : /

And tempts 6 billions humans. Godly, if anything.

A god is considered to be anything that is held responsible for giving life. Hence all the different religions. People worship different things considering what they were taught. Basically god is anything with power that is thought to have complete control over anything.

Ares didn't. Neither did Hades, Thor or Osiris.

 

[Abel]

Good, another thing to add to the list.

Godly characteristics to be considered:
- worshipped/feared (piety)
- omnipotence/some degree of supernatural powers
- omniscience/some degree of supernatural thought
- different plane of existence
- connection to creation of life/existence

By supernatural, I mean better/moreso than anything that can be found in our natural plane of existence, the universe.

 

[Phoenix]

Most Greek gods have no connection to the creation of life.

 

[Savior of Dawn]

And tempts 6 billions humans. Godly, if anything.

Oooh, so that's who's been making that little voice in my head.

Don't forget that every God had their own realm. Relation to nobles in the past, whoever had the biggest land was the richest. (No wonder heaven is so big.. Methinks God is compensating for something.)

 

[Abel]

Most Greek gods have no connection to the creation of life.

I don't see how that is supposed to rule out the suggestion. Speaking in Greek terms, a god is just one of the Olympians; but applying it to a broader base of religious terminology, Gaia or even the Titans could be considered gods as well.

 

[Phoenix]

Oh yes. But saying it needs to be involved in the creation of life rules out other beings that are clearly gods as well, meaning the definition is incorrect.

Soil was involved in the creation of life, but we don't worship soil... most of us, anyway.

 

[.:Game Master:.]

Well, discluding all of the religious beliefs in the world.. The definition of God is a very hard one. I would, usually, say that a God is a being that can change the world in some way at whim.

Yet, that isn't a very good one. A single person can change the world at whim. Similar to light (and other such things) a person takes every possible route at every possible moment they can. However, each one is separated into different dimensions, which we don't know how to get to. This is also why time travel backwards is impossible, since the past is also fluid, which also contributes to the infinitely possible things that can happen at every moment. So, that said, every living organism is a God, according to that definition.

So, I think the best definition of a God is a being that can bend the world at whim, and is worshiped. The whole worshiping thing makes you special.

There's a difference between god and God.

 

[Abel]

Oh yes. But saying it needs to be involved in the creation of life rules out other beings that are clearly gods as well, meaning the definition is incorrect.

No, I'm not saying all of those are requirements to be a god, it's just a list of properties that could be attributed to any hypothetical god, for consideration purposes. Any/all/none of them could apply to cetain historical ideas of a god. I was just keeping track of the ideas brought up in the discussion.

 

[Phoenix]

There's a difference between god and God.

Oh? But God is a god, no?

 

[Milky]

In Lovecraft's work, thse beings exist in more than one dimension, they don't conform to our natural laws, and they can destroy our world on a whim. Yet, they aren't gods, they're merely aliens. Or are they gods?

SoD, even objects can be worshipped.

So, a god needs a certain degree of power. Doesn't this make the Devil a god?

This being would need MUCH power. Yet what had given birth to a being of such that would end up creating this world as it is now.

 

[Phoenix]

This being would need MUCH power. Yet what had given birth to a being of such that would end up creating this world as it is now.

As far as we know, the beings are as natural as the Universe. But say God, the omnipotent, omniscient one, is also as natural as the Universe. Does he stop being a god?