zeus vs god?

Question

i found the answers interesting on this question about why the christian god took over where zeus had been http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An5pgdtEzYy7EpmbbzCajaPd7BR.?qid=20070323080618AAhogPG
people are saying things like "because people realized zeus wasn't real"
well the greeks had just the same amount of evidence to proove their god was real as the christians did. - word of mouth!
there were many stories of the greek gods to explain the world, just like christianity. if you believe in the christian god, then how can you so easily dismiss the greek god zeus (or any other god for that matter)
please provide real answers, not "because our god tells us he's real" (cause the greek gods said the same thing)
or "because we know the truth in our hearts" (because the greeks knew that too)
and don't use bible quotes that are easily misinterpreted please.

absolutely labgirl.

janet - thats a great answer, i believe jesus most likely did exist, i just question whether he was really the son of a god or not.
as far as your other points, many people have been blessed with the ability to heal and perform magic, and they are usually labelled as a product of satan.
most pagan societies were converted to christianity by way of the sword as labgrrl mentioned, not through proof.
someone else mentioned that the christian god was the new shiny thing, and i think this may have played into it. for some, maybe their gods weren't cutting it for them. they heard of this one and thought they'd try it out!

i appreciate everyone's answers. thanks for not just shooting off bible quotes. when people do that, it shows me ignorance, not understanding, of their religion.

as lupa put it: Do I believe Jesus existed? Yes. Do I believe he was the son of God? Yes but in the reasoning that we are all children of our particular Deities. Do I believe he performed miracles? Yes, but so have many others, before and after him.

i think that sums it up beautifully

Answer 1

I think God and Zeus as a concept are one in the same, no one has physically seen God, and the same can be said about Zeus, or any other leading Deity. The belief in one or the other is what makes it real to the believer. Its not the Deity themselves but what they do, what they create, the mirecles that are performed in their name.

I am pagan, but don't doubt the existance of Jesus, his life has been well documented. As for being the son of God, well to the Greeks the son may be Hercules, to the Christians, it may be Jesus, to the Wiccans, it would be the son of the Goddess, to the Asatru, it would be the son of Odin, see the pattern?

I think the name God, Zeus, etc. is just that, a name, something that we have given the energy bigger than we are, so that we may understand them, and create a personal relationship with our Deity.

If I choose to call my god Zeus, Cerridwyn, The Horned One, Allah, Jehovah, or just the Lord, does that make him any more powerful to me then if a Christian names their Deity God? No, it is just as meaningful, just as real, and just as personal, and just as strong as the Christian belief in their one true God.

What people fail to remember is that the accounts of Jesus's birth, life and death are accounts as seen by man, witnessed by man. You could have 100 people see the same accident, and each would have a different accounting of it. They interpret events in their own way.

Just as the Greek stories are labeled myth, so could you label some of the stories in the bible. All through every religion there are Creator myths, myths on the wonderful supernatural feats, and its the followers that make them come alive, and make them real.

Do I believe Jesus existed? Yes. Do I believe he was the son of God? Yes but in the reasoning that we are all children of our particular Deities. Do I believe he performed miracles? Yes, but so have many others, before and after him.

Answer 2

Well, I said God and Zeus might be the same.

But the difference, to Christians, is exactly the fact God sent his son in flesh to prove His existence. And there is nothing that says Jesus didn't existed. Many things in the Bible might not seem what they say, due to parables, symbols, examples, and the translation itself through centuries, but one thing is true, Jesus was a man that lived in this world and cured people, performed miracles, exorcised demons (spirits to me). He was really a Master and an example to be followed, and if He says He is God's son, I believe Him.

Zeus was a mythological God, but he could well be The God.

I am not a fanatic Christian, but I believe Him. I don't follow the Bible.

My religion is Spiritism.
Peace!

Answer 3

The god of the Bible was believed in prior, during, and after some believed in Zeus. The greeks hardly has the "same evidence". All of the mythological Gods had very human attributes, attitudes, and weaknesses.

Does the belief in false gods make God any less real? No. The belief that everything just sorta happened on its own seems to many to be as ludicrous as believing in Zeus.

Answer 4

You're right. Zeus and the other Olympian Gods were just as real to their worshippers as the Christian God, and there is just about the same amount of proof for each. I've even read something that compared the stories of Hercules to Jesus. One major difference was that unlike the Christian God, Olympian Gods were just as flawed and carnal as the humans that worshipped them.
Here's some more information:

Greek Gods

The ancient Greeks worshipped many Gods as personifications of the forces of the universe. Greek Gods appeared in human form but possessed supernatural powers, superhuman strength and ageless beauty. Each God possessed and implemented their individual sense of justice, their anger was harsh and they were often vengeful. According to the Greek mythology, Gods possessed a material called ichor in their blood that granted them their immortality. Zeus was the chief God of the Greeks. They offered sacrifices and won favors through faithfulness and piety.
Each Greek city was under the protection of one particular God, here their deity was worshipped with unique emphasis. Athena is the God of Athens, Artemis is the God of Sparta, Aphrodite was worshipped at Corinth, Apollo worshipped Delphi and Delos and Zeus was worshiped with special reverence at Olympia.
Every Greek God was associated with specific aspects of life. The important Greek Gods are,

Zeus -the supreme lord and sky father
Hera –his wife -the marriage and fertility goddess
Demeter -the earth mother
Hestia -the virgin goddess of the hearth
Hephaestus -the God of fire and the forge
Hermes -the God of travelers
Hades -the lord of the dead and underworld
Poseidon -the lord of waters
Aphrodite -the Goddess of love
Ares -the God of war
Athena -the virgin goddess of wisdom
Apollo -God of light, poetry and music
Artemis –his sister -Goddess of wildlife and later Goddess of moon

Greek Worship

The Greek worship formula was do ut des, it meant, I give sacrifices so that God will reward me in return. The ancient Greeks considered sacrifice as the appropriate method to worship God. Public worships were held to obtain public blessings, rain, good harvest, military victories, etc. Private sacrifices were offered for fulfillment of personal goals, wishes and victories. Blood sacrifices of animals such as oxen, sheep, horses, swine, dogs, birds, fish, fowl etc were common in the temple of Gods. The Greek temples were part slaughterhouse and part barbecue. During sacrifices, the people offered the blood, bones and hides of the slaughter animal to the God, the remaining portions were used up as food for themselves.
Greek prayers were held in a highly formulaic and ritualized manner in temples. The Greek temples were small buildings that contained the cult idol of the deity. Most of these temples did not have a professional or full time clergy or priest.

Answer 5

All civilizations has story's on how creation was started. So Zeus in theory is the Christian God. No matter how you look at it. Even if a civilization has many gods for different things. In theory it all the same.

Answer 6

What CAN we say? God doesn't physically appear to people you know. Th true God has no statues made in His likeness. In the bible (HIs book) there are many accounts that don't seem to follow the expected course one might assume the story to take. Indicating an historical fact rather than just 'myth'. The God of the bible was worshipped before the mythological gods of Greece. Also, God created us with a 'built in' desire to relate to Him. Unfortunately, through the ages, we have made unto ourselves manmade gods to satisfy this desire. But the good thing is that these false ways don't stand up to the test of time.

Answer 7

Who we worship depends on the power structures at that particular point in time.

How many HAD to convert to Catholicism or Protestantism in Europe who didn't have a choice besides torture and death depending on fickle overthrows of power???

South America is Catholic ONLY because of the Spanish invasion and onslaught.

Answer 8

Hi Riegan,
The Apostles went to Athens and performed miracles in the name of Christ after HIS Death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. They saw first-hand what a real miracle was about and many converted at that time. Have a great day.
Thanks,
Eds

Answer 9

This is not something easily understood by unbelievers, but we actually HAVE a personal relationship with God.
As far as Zeus is concerned, I've never met the gent, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other whether he exists or not.

Answer 10

They don't like the real answer, which was people were converted by the sword.

Now the same techniques are used to keep people from leaving monotheist religions.
:(