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The Gods Are All Around Us

I always find it so strange when some Atheists rage that us that are religious are stupid or weak because we believe in something outside of ourself that we can not see or touch, though arguably some pepole say to be able to touch their Gods, I am one of them, so let us rather say something outside of ourself which is immaterial. What these Atheist seam to forget is that Gods are all around us. What is a God, well if we look at the origins of the word then we find that God means what is evoked, or what is called out to. And if we look closely at the Gods of various religions we find that they are, when one boil it all down, concepts up on a pedestal. The Egyptians even called their Gods Nether or Netheru which do loosely translate as concept, or ideal.

But let us look at some other Gods to explore this concept further. Let us look at the Christian God, Jehovah, when one read the old Testament one see that He is an embodiment of the ideal king or warlord at the time. Striking down position and those which did not adhere to his philosophy, but kind and caring to his own followers as long as they where obedient. If we look at the kings and leaders of the time which was much admired we see the same qualities. In other religions we see this concept even clearer, look at Greek or Roman or Norse for that matter mythology and we see various Gods as personifications of concepts and ideals in society. Yes religious pepole worship a spiritual being, but in a way what we are worshiping is a concept. Let us go back to Christianity, to the new Testament, we can see a change had happened in society because the new God, the new concept pepole begun to hold onto was more an ideal of forgiveness and mercy. And slowly the Christian God went though the centuries from being a harsh but generous warlord, to being a loving heavenly father. The concepts pepole wanted to put on a pedestal changed.

Now what many Atheists forget is that it is not just in what most pepole see as religion that we find such worship or evocation of ideals if you will. The Gods, or the concepts are all around us. Let me make some examples. Most nations celebrate their national day with rituals to honor the concept of their nation. In Norway children, and some adults walk in a procession though their given cities and wave banners with the Norwegian flag and sing songs to honor Norway. In USA why fire up fireworks in honor of their nation, what make these rituals so different from going to mass or attending a Pagan ritual? Such celebrations are religions rituals meant to honor our nations.

An article like this can not be complete without touching on celebrities. They are Gods, look at how many pepole behave around them. Plastering pictures of these pepole that they do not know on their walls, not pictures necessary from a movie to praise the good story, but pictures of a given actor, or a singer or a politician. When I was a young girl, in the middle of the Backstreet boys craze, whenever the Backstreet boys songs would be played over the sound system at the school balls many of the girls would scream. Tell me that is not worship, for these young girls the presence of their Gods, even a recording of them was so strong that it filled them with emotion. It is a reason why stars are called Idols. And what are a Idol? An Idol is a physical thing worshiped as a God, or perhaps the real God worshiped when pepole put up pictures of their favorite stars on their walls and look at them in adoration or pay good money to sit in the back of a concert hall in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their Idol is the concept of beauty, youth, fame or whatever the Idol in question can be seen to stand for. Perhaps these concepts are the Gods and the stars are their priests and priestesses and their concerts and movies and public appearances are their mass.

The Nether, concepts, Gods are all around us. The President of USA is a God, not not the man, but the position, many Americans honor the position of President, even if they may dislike the man who currently hold it. Much like in Ancient Egypt when every Pharaoh was seen as a personification of Horus, every President is a personification of the God, the Nether the President. The same with Norway and other nations with a monarchy, for King and country was a common battle cry, for the Gods the King and the Country. No the man who is presently King is not worshiped, he is flesh and blood, but he is a personification of the King. Or let us look at soldiers, often they get tattoos with slogans for whatever military they have belonged to or speak in reverence of their branch of the military. The concept of the military becomes their God and their commanders the priests. Just look and compare for yourself, listen to an army dude speak of the military, or marines or whatever breach which holds his allegiance, then listen to a Christian or a Pagan or other religions person speak of their Gods and you will find many similarities.

And what of more incorporeal concepts? Take love for example, a most powerful God, Her symbols are everywhere, women where heart shaped jewelery, have little hearts in the pattern of their clothes or on things like coffee mugs or literary anything, some men do to, so many pepole try to honor this concept, this God through her symbols or through actions in the hope that it will bring them Her touch, create a special connection to another person, to an animal or even to a concept or immaterial object. In Norway we say it plain out, when a loving couple go to spend some quality time together we say they have gone to worship love. Or let us take revenge, some pepole dedicate their whole lives to satisfy this concepts, becoming His loyal priests. Everywhere we turn there are concepts, there are Gods.

Many Atheists say religions pepole are idiots, but really, how many pepole on this planet is not religious? How many of us do not believe in some concept, some non physical ideal greater then ourself. Whatever that be the honoring of ones nation, or adoring some celebrity, worshiping a traditional God or for that matter worshiping the concepts of science and reason to a point where their rulings determine a person's entire world view like the Atheists do. How is this different than evoking the concept of a heavenly father, or a Goddess of love or a sun God? What makes a group of school children standing by as their nations flag is hoisted up in the schoolyard, or someone adoringly looking at a picture of their favorite musician any different then a group of Catholics going to mass? There are Gods everywhere, they are the concepts, the ideals, the things greater than ourself what we worship and by that invite into our lives because we think they have great power, or we think that concept would benefit our lives. So perhaps those Atheists which are not content with having their own beliefs but have to insult others on theirs should stop and think, how is their talk of reason and science different than a Catholic speaking of God and the Church or a Pagan speaking of the God and the Goddess? We are all priests and priestesses, and we all worship something.

Very nice post!
It is often said that a lot of people have the tendency to insult that which they do not understand, or describe it as false or incorrect. I think that is a part of what fuels Atheïsm, not understanding why one would "worship a God" - while they don't realise they might have a favorite band (for example) and know all their songs by heart, which is "worshipping" an idol, as you stated.

I think that Atehism is okey, what I have a problem with is born again Atheists who have been forced to go to Sunday school by strict parents and who now feel they have the right to try to force their opinions on everyone else to save them from the oh so horrible snare of religion. Because religion is bad, after all their daddy spanked them when they where little. But just believing that there is nothing Spiritual, that is a belief like any other. Preaching and disrespecting other's beliefs now that is annoying no matter what you believe in.

But yes, in older times, worship was so much more a part of life. Gods where not being in the sky, they where the mighty kings who the elders spun tales about, or in our day and age, stars and celebrities. How many have not gone out and said that they where deep into drugs, and then they went to see a concert with a favored band and the experienced moved them so they got their life into order, how is this different than those who say they have been save by Jesus?

RE THE GODS ARE ALL AROUND US.
I agree with you that atheism is ok, just as long as they're not aggressively trashing the beliefs of others.A friend once said that if you are going to destroy somebody's belief system then you should have something of equal value to offer in its place, very true I feel.Simply treating people who do have a belief as simple minded or contemptible or as self aggrandizing neurotics is an unacceptably bullying tactic that belongs in the name calling tradition of schoolyard warfare.That the gods of the past were based upon memories of ancestors seems to make perfect sense.Looking back into the dimmest parts of available history, it may only be reasonable to assume that the earliest tales we told each other probably were recounted stories of the deeds, misdeeds and adventures of some ancestor/ess and their gang.Many gods and goddesses probably grew from that sort of tradition, weaving together the tales, rumours, memories and outright fibs surrounding favoured or reviled individuals.Through time , the original characters themselves are forgotten and the gap filled with a conglomeration of remembered tales surrounding either a theme (bravery, beauty,wisdom, magical ability or what have you), or a character associated with or seen as the incarnation or epitomy of such.
No one with on ounce of sense today believes in the literal truth of Cernunnos,Odin,Mithras or the late JC but we can believe in a symbolic reality, where these act as the vehicle for realization, and self improvement.Good point about atheism being a belief, liked that.
The omnipresence of the Gods of old was, symptomatic of the general Weltanschauung of the people in question, regardless of whether they be German, Swedish or Bantu.Worship was such an integral part of day to day life that it manifest in the hundred and one little rituals that bounded and defined their every act.Some peoples (Romans for instance) had a deity for just about every aspect of life.

I agree with you that atheism is ok, just as long as they're not aggressively trashing the beliefs of others.A friend once said that if you are going to destroy somebody's belief system then you should have something of equal value to offer in its place, very true I feel.Simply treating people who do have a belief as simple minded or contemptible or as self aggrandizing neurotics is an unacceptably bullying tactic that belongs in the name calling tradition of schoolyard warfare.

I definitely agree with this, though I feel that one should not go around destroying the beliefs of others period, offering what one self believe in so pepole have a choice, fine, trying to ridicule what others believe, not fine, even if one have something one self think is of greater or equal value, the other person might not think the same. It is schoolyard bulling and nothing more, definitely.

No one with on ounce of sense today believes in the literal truth of Cernunnos,Odin,Mithras or the late JC but we can believe in a symbolic reality, where these act as the vehicle for realization, and self improvement.

Oh not anyone? I do sometimes, depends on my current Paradigm.

(Romans for instance) had a deity for just about every aspect of life.

I like that, it makes for a good merging of the Spiritual and the mundane. Or perhaps there is nothing to merge, perhaps every act, every thing is Spiritual, is magick and all we need is to open our eyes and see it.

Ok. the point you highlighted about 'nobody believes in the literal truth of.....'etc? Admittedly that was an unfair and inaccurate generalization on my behalf, I should have thought that statement out a bit better because there ARE people who believe in the literal truth of not only the Bible but any other belief system you can name AND I suppose that I kinda fell into my own trap by even starting with "No one with an ounce of sense..." Oh dear.

Can I just point out that the statement about destroying someone's belief originates with something that a friend said many years ago.In (something approaching a) defence of it, what was meant was that it is patently unfair to destroy the beliefs of another person at all and if you do cause someone to change their beliefs through the strength of your own argument then it is only fair to leave them with something worth believing in otherwise there is no point in discussion because taking away,or diminishing the beliefs of another and then just walking away from the wreckage is soooo wrong.It IS what these aggressively (my opinion) stupid born again atheists are doing to people. However, if someone wished to, discussion even such as this could be construed (if you wish to see it that way) as an attempt by me to destroy, change or damage your beliefs, or you mine. None of us has any more access to The Truth (if such a thing even exists)than any of our fellows. I know you shouldn't go around undermining the beliefs of others but it happens all the time. Humans are as competitive as we are cooperative and even gentle and reasoned conversation may change someone's opinions.

Can I just point out that the statement about destroying someone's belief originates with something that a friend said many years ago.In (something approaching a) defence of it, what was meant was that it is patently unfair to destroy the beliefs of another person at all and if you do cause someone to change their beliefs through the strength of your own argument then it is only fair to leave them with something worth believing in otherwise there is no point in discussion because taking away,or diminishing the beliefs of another and then just walking away from the wreckage is soooo wrong.

I agree completely, but if you look at it from an Atheist point of view they are giving pepole something better when they destroy someone's beliefs. To an Atheist there is nothing, all there is in the world is what you can see and measure and put into neat little boxes, there is nothing after life so all a person is is a collection of minerals and water and cells, and once that collection have existed for some decades it is gone, there is nothing more. To such a person wasting that precious time worshiping what they see as fantasy is horrible and making someone stop believing they see as freeing them or giving them something better. As it is with most every religion. They do not preach and convert to be evil, they do it because they honestly believes their way is better.

I believe the gods are beings which will never die.I also believe they in exist in another realm,unseen to us,but are able to interact with us.The gods I know have a personality,they are "alive",and can be called upon,with the response being an event or message relevant to the evocation.To say that "money" or "love' or "hate" are gods is a figure of speech.These things are not alive,cannot respond,are not individuals.There are gods which are involved with these things and ideas,but they are real beings,while the concept of love is just that...a concept.As far as atheism goes,it's a lot more fun and interesting to believe in something rather than nothing.