i read a book a long time ago that stated the Greek gods were not meant to be worshipped, but they represented different aspects about humans, and all the legends about them were meant as lessons to humans about how to live their lives and understand why humans do the things we do. yet after time the teachings fell by the wayside and people just began to blindly worship, instead of actually working on their lives and understanding each other.
has anyone ever read that book or heard similar views? what have you heard?
2007-04-13 03:52:53 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, I have heard this. The Gods and stories were allegories to teach life lessons and spiritual truths. There was much sybolism within the stories that alluded to these teachings. This type of teaching is found in many religions...and this history seems to repeat itself throughout them all...meaning, the esoteric teachings get lost in the mix and people begin to worship and take for historical fact what was meant to be allegorical teaching. The teachings in the Bible itself contains much of this symoblism and deeper teaching/truths...but as with all these other religions, most have forgotten what those symbols mean, what they are saying...and so much of the deeper meaning is lost in place of a much more superficial, and incorrect, interpretation.
2007-04-13 04:03:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hades just means the place where dead people go. Whether it is real or not, or whatever you believe, that is what the word means. Just because they translated it into the Greek word for that place doesn't mean anything, except that people at the time it was translated thought that word best fit the meaning of the word they were translating. Christians do not worship Greek gods. They worship the same God as the Jews and Muslims.
2016-05-19 16:24:27 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No I have never heard such a theory as far as their origins. It sounds more like a later philosophy.
Gods tend to start out as beings that must be appeased through worship and sacrifice in order to make nature do something beneficial. They later accumulate a whole backstory and ongoing theology. At some point, some people may begin to try and separate the "theo" from the "logy", if you will - the god stuff from the philosophy.
This has never been a mass movement within any religion. From the ancient Greeks to modern day christians, when it comes to religion, most people are far more comfortable with worshiping than they are with thinking.
2007-04-13 03:56:53 · answer #3 · answered by Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all sounds very interesting, but I don't understand how you could still worship the Greek gods when we know they aren't tangible. I know some would say to me that the God of the Bible isn't tangible either, but the God of the Bible is an invisible God (Romans 1:20) which can be found within his creation, his word, and his true followers. The Greek gods were made up by the Greeks and Romans to explain not only human behavior but nature. The God of the Bible isn't used to explain anything, if anything God tells us to live by faith and not by sight. I'm sorry, but I don't know which book you are talking about, and I don't think people should worship or follow false gods.
2007-04-13 04:02:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Greeks had a very pessimistic view of life and the cosmos, even their gods were unreliable and subject to whimsy. But yes they were worshiped to various levels throughout Greek History
2007-04-13 03:57:18 · answer #5 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
of course they were..but they are much more capricious and cruel than the One True God.
Here's one for you. Check out revelations. There is a greek god mentioned. In the NT he is called Apolloyon, the destroyer. But, in greek this name also means Apollo!
Read the context of revelations and see what kind of gods the greek pantheon was made up of.
The greek gods were real..its just that they were not true gods, but merely demons.
2007-04-13 03:59:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never heard that, but the Greek gods were what the Greek religion was all about. They did get worshipped.
2007-04-13 03:58:15 · answer #7 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No they were Nephelums, angels and humans interbreeded.
Thats why they were put on a pedestal, they were like giants to the people.
2007-04-13 04:00:39 · answer #8 · answered by Kbella 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure how true this is, because they had temples dedicated to different gods,
2007-04-13 03:59:09 · answer #9 · answered by elfkin, attention whore 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not interested to know. I will gain nothing and no knowledge could be taken from your question. sorry my friend.
jtm
2007-04-13 03:59:19 · answer #10 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋