Old revered gods daemonized by who? why? ah... the stains are deep.
2007-09-30 18:09:25 · 7 answers · asked by Invisible_Flags 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
J V... You got it... I wasn't calling down the Christians... I was calling down the Tyrants.
2007-09-30 18:28:49 · update #1
Actually J V, you got it more right than you probably realize... and I keep seeming to realize more and more...
2007-09-30 18:30:17 · update #2
Could you rephrase this question so its more focused?
Do you mean:
Why were pagan gods regarded as demons?
As for the who part it wasnt only Christians who did this!
I can think of several European mythos in which older gods who appear to have been dieties worshipped by older pre indo european or earlier indoeuropean settlers were demoted or demonized.
It's a fact if that's the right word of mythology.
Older gods tend to dwindle and fade into "faery" or turn into demons or minor spirits! Where the newer religion has syncretized with older cults the old gods may become guardian figures.
2007-09-30 18:25:35 · answer #1 · answered by J V 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Monotheistic religions tend to demonize the Gods of Polytheistic religions because if the Gods of the "Other People" are REAL Gods, then those religions are afraid that their worshippers might go "Whoring after foreign Gods"......
Painting the Gods of other religions as DEMONS allows them to also say "Our God is Good, Their Gods are Demonic and Evil" where a Polytheist says "Our Gods are our Gods, Their Gods are Their Gods -- When in Rome, honor the Gods of Rome"
2007-09-30 18:17:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anne Hatzakis 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A conqueror first has to discredit the local gods in order to rule. It is often cited as the reason why they conquered. That is, if your god was good, you would have won. We won, therefore our god can beat your god.
Destroy the competition's basis of culture, and you destroy their will to rebel. The kids will grow up believing in the conqueror's religion.
2007-09-30 20:04:43 · answer #3 · answered by auntb93 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My God's better than your God.
Most every God/Goddess not only is repeated in every culture and time, but also has counterpoint God/Goddess to compliment and balance out the various aspects we desire from our deities.
That being said...I just gotta say....horns are so sexy. ;)
2007-10-01 10:09:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Christians, first thing Christians did to change a town or villages religion was to vilify the gods they worshiped.
2007-09-30 18:16:24 · answer #5 · answered by blue chaos soɐɥɔ ǝnlq 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Those who came over in force seeking power and control....many centuries ago.....
Many of the spawn of those original wackadoos are still alive and thriving today going under the presumption that their religion and faith is the only true one.....
Bless them all...
)o( Trinity
2007-09-30 18:16:38 · answer #6 · answered by trinity 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the notion that it was to scare people into choosing momotheism but unfortunately we will never know the complete truth to their motives.
2007-10-03 14:18:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋