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Actually I thought of something else as I hit the send key which I
think puts this further into perspective: we *want* the gods to have
personalities and be like people. It makes them more approachable,
more reachable--more understandable. We want them to be able to
respond to us, hear us, and understand our human foibles. And yes,
I'm including myself in that "we". This is a very human thing here,
this thing called "projection." We do it to the gods and we do it to
each other.
> A combination, seemingly random, of cruelty and kindness. So, really,
> amoral - yes. So why then would gods, gods that are responsible for or
> inherent in these natural processes, be somehow moral by our standards?
> So they *wouldn't* be petty, commit adultery or rape, etc., but they
> *are* perfectly okay with killing off thousands of innocent men women
> and children - is that the moral guidance you're looking for?
Because that would make them human, and they are far greater than being human.
> Or do you
> believe in gods who are completely separate from these natural
> processes, just floating out there in pure spirit being wonderful and
> just and perfect?
Ahhh that word is a touchy one: "perfect." What does "perfection"
mean? I would suspect what you would conceive of to be perfect isn't
what I would conceive of as being perfect.
I think we see the gods as having flaws and no part in creation and
beyond as ever being "perfect". We try to render these "flaws" into
human qualities but in the end, I think it just comes down to this:
we don't agree on what constitutes as being "perfect."
think puts this further into perspective: we *want* the gods to have
personalities and be like people. It makes them more approachable,
more reachable--more understandable. We want them to be able to
respond to us, hear us, and understand our human foibles. And yes,
I'm including myself in that "we". This is a very human thing here,
this thing called "projection." We do it to the gods and we do it to
each other.
> A combination, seemingly random, of cruelty and kindness. So, really,
> amoral - yes. So why then would gods, gods that are responsible for or
> inherent in these natural processes, be somehow moral by our standards?
> So they *wouldn't* be petty, commit adultery or rape, etc., but they
> *are* perfectly okay with killing off thousands of innocent men women
> and children - is that the moral guidance you're looking for?
Because that would make them human, and they are far greater than being human.
> Or do you
> believe in gods who are completely separate from these natural
> processes, just floating out there in pure spirit being wonderful and
> just and perfect?
Ahhh that word is a touchy one: "perfect." What does "perfection"
mean? I would suspect what you would conceive of to be perfect isn't
what I would conceive of as being perfect.
I think we see the gods as having flaws and no part in creation and
beyond as ever being "perfect". We try to render these "flaws" into
human qualities but in the end, I think it just comes down to this:
we don't agree on what constitutes as being "perfect."
