The Gods by Louis Evan Palmer
Why One?
Why Two?
Why Any?
It's not difficult to believe that there are beings as far "above" us, in power or understanding at least, as we feel we are "above", say, ants. Beings who for all intents and purposes are "gods" to us.
If there is an underlying unity to things, as in one God, at what level does it apply?
Are there layers of unity? - where there is a unity (i.e. one God) at layer one which differs from the unity (one God) that exists at layer two and so on to infinity.
And, if there is a multiverse where even an entire universe like the one we believe ourselves to be in is but a grain of sand on an infinite beach of other universes, could there not be "gods" or a "God" for each of them.
Unless we then travel to the substrate for the mutliverse, wherein the God of Gods dwells. If that is even possible?
Why is a hierarchy of gods such an odious concept when we have it for everything else?
It is possible that we can only ever "talk" to our designated god and the superior beings between us and our local "god" are who we can appeal to and no-one else.
Just as it is possible that there are no gods or God because there is no "us" and we are all part of the godhood and for some unfathonable reason are not able to see or understand that.
In fact, the most odious concept is that there would be a single entity who was "God" but it would only be known to selected persons and then only to other persons who received this information (about the single "God") and believed it and followed it because of faith or coercion or custom. And that people would be killed because of it even though these "faiths" would condemn killing.
The ancient idea that religions were different to express different facets of godliness seems remarkably tolerant and profound. Their candid fluidity of movement between physical and spiritual and past and future is invigorating and calming. There is no necessity for aggression or defensiveness. No need for trials for crimes of impiety or crusades or jihads.
God can be gods, can be this or that, can be physical or spiritual or both or neither.
A god becomes false through the machinations of people: people who imagine things, people who commune with evil spirits, people who want to control other people.
Maybe in a very real way, we make the gods ourselves - our belief, our obesiance, our memory and rituals.
Whether a small local god is a small local god or a manifestation of the one god should be irrelevant.
One big God can be just as evil and blood-thirsty as many small gods. And isn't it really - God is as God does.
Copyright Louis Evan Palmer
The Gods, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
If there is an underlying unity to things, as in one God, at what level does it apply?
Are there layers of unity? - where there is a unity (i.e. one God) at layer one which differs from the unity (one God) that exists at layer two and so on to infinity.
And, if there is a multiverse where even an entire universe like the one we believe ourselves to be in is but a grain of sand on an infinite beach of other universes, could there not be "gods" or a "God" for each of them.
Unless we then travel to the substrate for the mutliverse, wherein the God of Gods dwells. If that is even possible?
Why is a hierarchy of gods such an odious concept when we have it for everything else?
It is possible that we can only ever "talk" to our designated god and the superior beings between us and our local "god" are who we can appeal to and no-one else.
Just as it is possible that there are no gods or God because there is no "us" and we are all part of the godhood and for some unfathonable reason are not able to see or understand that.
In fact, the most odious concept is that there would be a single entity who was "God" but it would only be known to selected persons and then only to other persons who received this information (about the single "God") and believed it and followed it because of faith or coercion or custom. And that people would be killed because of it even though these "faiths" would condemn killing.
The ancient idea that religions were different to express different facets of godliness seems remarkably tolerant and profound. Their candid fluidity of movement between physical and spiritual and past and future is invigorating and calming. There is no necessity for aggression or defensiveness. No need for trials for crimes of impiety or crusades or jihads.
God can be gods, can be this or that, can be physical or spiritual or both or neither.
A god becomes false through the machinations of people: people who imagine things, people who commune with evil spirits, people who want to control other people.
Maybe in a very real way, we make the gods ourselves - our belief, our obesiance, our memory and rituals.
Whether a small local god is a small local god or a manifestation of the one god should be irrelevant.
One big God can be just as evil and blood-thirsty as many small gods. And isn't it really - God is as God does.
Copyright Louis Evan Palmer
The Gods, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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