... they invented angry, petulant, vengeful and fallible?
Is there an ancient god that comes to mind who is loving, docile, reassuring, and fatherly?
2006-10-29 09:12:37 · 10 answers · asked by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The ancient greek and roman gods were there to mainly explain the "unexplained' circumstances of a person's life. Like when it rains or even when had a bad hair day.
2006-10-29 09:17:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gods are invented by humans and therefore reflect some or all of our traits. Just as humans can be angry, petulant, vengeful and fallible, so can our gods. The ancients would have worshipped their gods out of fear and hope - fear of their wrath and hope that if they worshipped and sacrificed in the right way, the gods would give them real, down-to-earth help and comfort (such as good crops, victory over their enemies etc).
2006-10-29 17:18:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because people tend to anthropomorphise. Part of the comfort came from "knowing" with certainty why things happened. With our hugely social, empathising minds, built for understanding other peoples actions, it was easy and comforting to "understand" the world in the same way. A plague was the work of a vengeful being etc.
2006-10-30 14:37:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For many of the ancients, the world was not a nice place at all. It was often a daily battle for survival and their gods were thought to be responsable for control of the things that humanity could not. So they tried to appease them.
It is worth noting that in many human pantheons there are at least a few deities that are interested in protecting humans--teaching them and providing help. So your blanket statement doesn't entirely apply.
2006-10-29 17:21:42 · answer #4 · answered by Scott M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They weren't to comfort - they were to explain the unexplainable.
And you wouldn't call a deity that shoots lightening from the sky and turns day into night, shakes the ground with earthquakes, floods fields with rain and causes all sorts of rude things fatherly and comforting, would you?
2006-10-29 17:17:12 · answer #5 · answered by umwut? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Docile? What kind of God would be docile? Loving, reassuring, and parental, there's lots of them. It's just that most of them are Goddesses.
2006-10-29 17:28:27 · answer #6 · answered by rich k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Krishna He is Love he is not a god He is God and He is ones best friend, lover, and one can even have him as their child if they like. He only reciprocates through loving relationships. Because God is love (at least the God I know) It may be your karma you are mistaking for Gods wrath. Karma is just your suffering for the suffering you gave out, it has nothing to do with God. What goes around comes around. But God even takes heaps of our sinful reactions away when one comes to Him. I think that is pretty loving. Go to www.stephen-knapp.com for higher universal truths
2006-10-29 17:19:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The earliest gods were females. And they were nurturing. Check out the book "When God Was A Woman."
2006-10-29 17:15:45 · answer #8 · answered by Black Parade Billie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the egyptian god Thot wasn't angry, vengeful, or fallible. he was the god of writing and knowlege. and also the egyptian goddess hathor was the god of love and beauty plus they needed gods who would (they believed) would help them in times of war and distress
2006-10-29 17:16:18 · answer #9 · answered by crl_hein 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
good question.... is it rhetorical? sounds like it.
What do you think religion is the product of?
2006-10-29 17:19:45 · answer #10 · answered by Timothy H 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋