Is There a License to Qualify as a God
Since recorded history there have been many invisible gods. There also have been many humans considered by other humans to be a god. The tales of this are entertaining. They would also be educational if people who believe in a god could see themselves in others who believe in another (fake) god. Unfortunately, most worshipers of a god they consider to be the only legitimate god do not see that others use the same reasoning for some other god.
The long link from the New York Times discusses the many humans who were thought to be gods. This was especially popular in the early days of world exploration by ship. From far across the horizon, where the god was supposed to live, came this ship carrying white men. Surely their white skin and other worldly ship is the one they had been waiting for.
Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778 during a religious festival. The festival was to honor a god who would bring prosperity to the native people. The god was to arrive on a ship. At the proper moment along came Captain Cook. Unfortunately, the Captain's crew spread venereal disease around the island and natives decided he was not their god and killed him.
Columbus was regarded as a god. This lasted for a while.
Prince Philip took a different approach when he was regarded as a god by native in the South Pacific. He accepted their gifts. In their mythology the god was to invite villagers to his palatial home. The Prince did just that eventually hosting half a dozen at the palace. General MacArthur was regarded by some as a god.
Many Shintoists in Japan once regarded their emperor as a god. At least some Kamikaze pilots went down praising their emperor. Ancient Egyptians regarded the pharaohs as gods. The chiefs in the Aztec and Inca empires were regarded as gods.
What are the qualities or characteristics that cause others to think of one person as a god. The link concludes regarding various humans as gods is no different than regarding spiritual or invisible beings as gods. Each individual can have his own god.
That's the way it has been since recorded history and that's how it will always be.
A friend once asked me if I believed in god. I asked her “which one?”
ReplyDeleteWhen asked if I too believed in god, I also asked; "Which one".
DeleteGrandma--Reasonable question! :)
ReplyDelete