How to make a good monotheistic religion which is not a poor imitation of Christianity?
Make a poor imitation of Islam
>>43556286
You don't. Most monotheisms, Christianity included, are almost entirely the same lorewise.
>>43556286
Gods an asshole and everything we do is in defiance of him. He would like nothing more than for us to destroy ourselves over petty reasons such as race or land, but we must rise to the heavens in eternal defiance to destroy our father.
Make a poor imitation of Sikhism
>>43556286
Have you tried Zoroastrianism?
>>43556286
>>43556298
>>43556308
Wait, are there even monotheistic religions that aren't part of the abrahamic tradition?
>>43556319
Zoroastrianism is going to feel too similar because of the duality of God vs Satan
Try Tengri
>>43556341
See >>43556315 >>43556341 and >>43556344
All three have no connections to the Abrahmic faiths
Though some people think the Hebrews based their faith on Zoroastrianism, there is no proof of this and it's more likely that El, a major god in their Pantheon, just became more and more important over time.
>>43556341
Sikh: IRL Paladins.
*Created in reaction to Muslim invasion
*All men must carry a dagger at the minimum (women are suggested to also)
*Encourage training in traditional armed and unarmed combat
*Are specifically not allowed to preach or attempt conversion
*Offer anyone free meals every day at the temple, without any religious obligation involved, for no charge.
I've never met a Sikh I didn't like. If they didnt have other strict rules, I'd give it thought.
>>43556341
>>43556286
Make it a poor imitation of Akhenaten's take on sun worship. Thing is that, yes, monotheism is kinda isolated a phenomenon. Generally you need a fairly homogenous cultural sphere with a strong sense of identity in order to get away with that shit.
>>43556397
Sadly the Sikhs are having their own modern day issues with dickbags who are trying to radicalize and exclude outsiders. Though in their case it mostly takes the form of protesting interfaith marriages.
>>43556286
Zoroastrianism.
>>43556341
Bábism, the Bahá'í Faith, Cao Dai (Caodaiism), Cheondoism (Cheondogyo), Christianity, Deism, Eckankar, Islam, Judaism, Rastafari, Ravidassia religion, Seicho no Ie, Shaivism, Shaktism, Sikhism, Tengrism (Tangrism),Tenrikyo (Tenriism), Vaishnavism, and Zoroastrianism and elements of the belief are discernible in numerous other religions including Atenism and Ancient Chinese religion
>>43556454
that's a shame, they seem cool dudes.also yes, Zoroastrianism is the way to go.
>>43556344
>Try Tengri
Not monotheistic, is it?
>>43556286
Choose a god from a pantheon and make it widely accepted as that one being the only one, either due to refusal of acceptance of other deities or because it's widely believed that the particular god being worshiped the most up and killed all the others.
>>43556286
My setting's religion doesn't have a god, but it worships a mage who is periodically reincarnated and introduces a new form of magic each time. First incarnation introduced 'divine' magic, second incarnation introduced 'natural' magic, and current incarnation is a psion. Each incarnation is separated by hundreds of years.
'Arcane' magic is a relic from the time of the dark gods who travelled to the great lands to battle the giants and never returned. As such it is against the law for any except members of a certain faction due to an ancient treaty.
>>43556454
You could say the same for orthodox Jews on that front.
Then again, any religion with an insular community and strict lifestyle will produce such problems, especially because it seems Sikhism only recently has been notice by the public popular.
There are multiple aspects of that god, like in a pantheon, but it's well known they're merely faces of the same God. I think Dark Messiah did it well. The Goddess Asha. Her main depiction is that of a dragon, but she is a shapeshifter, and each form comes with a set of personality and realm of control. The Dragon is the realm of Order. The necromancers worship Asha's aspect of the Spider. They all call her Asha, but also mention the specific aspect they pay tribute to.
>>43556538
>Merely faces of the same God.
so basicallyHinduism?
>>43556524
True, and who are these Sikhs who feel marginalized and that they must enforce stricter more literalist interpretations? Why, disenfranchised European expats of course. Living in England.
>>43556286
Lear about non-christian monotheistic religions?
I.E. Zoroastrianism
>>43556538
>>43556606
This is what I'm doing in a nutshell. They worship a god, but that god has like 10 different avatars or aspects that act as representations of a duality. For example, the aspect called Raam represents both Order and Chaos. Each aspect has a sect dedicated to it, but they all worship the same god.
>>43556397
If that was America, he could be a hipster larper.
>>43556397
Sikhs are bros. I couldn't be part of their faith though; I am too shallow regarding looks so I can't be doin' with the bearded women. But everything else I have seen about them, aside from their silly intra-faith fighting, and the hypocrisy regarding "temples", it's pretty boss. Like, probably one of the sanest religions out there.
>>43556286
I want to run a game based on gnostic religion where the players have to destroy the false god everyone is worshiping. The key aspect being when materialized within the universe the immensely powerful fake gods have to obey the laws of the universe and are thus somewhat vulnerable. The primary weapon against godlings being man portable nuclear weapons called Godhammers, that are basically davy crockett recoiless rifles with a 1kt nuclear shaped charge. It would be glorious.
>>43556372
Hell Yahweh had a wife before he took over the pantheon.
>>43556881
>England
Britbongistani problems.
But seriously, while I can't speak for the religion, I have never seen or heard of that issue in the US or Canada.
>>43557088
He's dressed in his traditional kit for teaching Ghatka (Indian Martial Arts)
>>43557137
Same. I spent a lot of time teaching I.33 sword and buckler fencing at the New Orleans temple in between self destructive alcoholism a few years back. Great people, and a damn sane religion, but I like smoking/drinking/shaved women/premarital sex too much.
That said, the moderate Sikh girls who don't follow all the modesty rules..... Unf
>>43557207
See, now that's fucking exotic.
>>43557207
>Dressed in traditional kit
I know man, 's called a joke, m'kay? Don't get your qamchi-karud in a knot.
>>43557207
>>43557225
North Indian women in general are fucking gorgeous. Shame they age like yogurt.
>>43557246
I'm dating an Asian that I'm probably gonna stick with, so I feel dat. She's got another 25 years before she becomes a little old Asian man though.
>>43557245
Im just pointing out bro. No need to get defensive.
>>43557260
I dated an Indian girl for a while. The worst part about dating them is their fathers.
>>43557246
>>43557260
what is it with asians, after 40 they all just suddenly transform into Babayaga
>>43557280
You have no spoons.
>>43557260
>>43557280
Menopause my man, it hits all women, but it hits asian women like a pillowcase full of doorknobs.
>>43557280
I would argue that. Koreans, Japanese and some Chinese age like freaking elves. They look fucking amazing until they get past 50.
Then over night they become asian Yoda.
>>43557298
>>43557304
You're damn right about that.
>>43557273
>The worst part about dating them is their fathers.
There's also the awkwardness of the designated shitting streets.
>>43557362
Thats if you're dating and Indian girl in India. Or Florida.
>>43557373
Yeah really, its pretty damn awkward running into people you know why your gf is taking a dump right in the street.
>>43556286
That would require Christianity to be a monotheism.
>>43556454
Eh, calling being against interfaith relationships etc. radicalism seems a bit extreme, and especially since its thousands of times less virulent than, uh, the other kind of radicalism that I'm not going to mention.
>>43557389
>>43557436
the father, the son and the holy spirit.
add the holy virgin.
and all the apostle.
>>43557595
>the father, the son and the holy spirit.
Are all the same being. Different aspects and forms of the same being.
Mary and the Apostles are not worshiped. They are asked to pray for you to god.
>>43557612
>Mary and the Apostles are not worshiped. They are asked to pray for you to god.
Someone tell the Catholics that.
>>43557612
>>43557612
Satan is to Christianity as Hades is to the ancient Greeks. Hades is a god. What makes Satan not a god? Because he's considered evil?
>>43557655
>Satan is to Christianity as Hades is to the ancient Greeks.
...that is not remotely how Satan or Hades works. Do you work for Disney?
>>43557628
That is how the Catholics work.
I'm surprised this hasn't devolved into /pol/ yet
>>43557655
Because holy shit have you never read even the most basic of Christian theology? Like, it doesn't matter if you believe in it, but get your facts straight before you start thinking you're poking holes.
>>43557671
it's getting there.
>>43557612
So God sacrificed himself to himself to change a rule he made. How absurd.
>>43557669
Sure it is.
>>43557671
/pol/ is all over us recently.
I don't know what something so innocuous as dorks playing make believe dice and card games does to garner the attention of people who like to argue, but we've clearly done something bad karmatically sometime in the past.
>>43557684
It's not that strange, by religion standards. Didn't Odin also sacrifice himself to himself?
>>43557720
Not as far as I'm aware. I can understand the mythical implications in it for lesser types of gods, but it's fairly absurd when you're the omnipotent uber deity that is supposed to the Christian god.
But then again most of the attribution of that power comes from people through the ages gaining more and more understanding of the fundamentals of nature and needing to keep god as the top entity. So we go from some powerful tribal god who commands the weather and immediate forms of nature, to nowadays with a being able to spawn universes and crafting billions of galaxies.
Then again he is only described as crafting the Earth instead of the universe so whatever.
>>43556319
The sheer existance of a concept like xwedodah marriage would throw players for a loop.
>>43557655
Satan is the new title for the former Metatron, Lucifer. Angels are servitors of God.
>>43557669
Roman Catholic family
Catholic school
Communion, confirmation etc etc.
Saint and mother worship were pretty damn direct as far as my exposure has been. Technically, you're not supposed to do latin mass anymore, or keep momento mori either, but that stops no one.
>>43557720
No, Odin offered parts of himself to the tree of knowledge, and also embraced all facets of existence (living as a man, woman, ruler, slave, fulfilled and suffering) with his final act being the experience of a life of suffering, pinned to the tree by a spear.
For all the christian allegory, you could make the same argument for the Buddha or an incarnation of Vishnu.
>>43557894
>For all the christian allegory, you could make the same argument for the Buddha
Which is probably why the Buddhists consider jesus to have been a Buddha. Christians sadly do not reciprocate, they haven't even made Buddha a saint.
I'd say "Oh God", but the way this shit is going, I might bait someone on accident.
>>43557828
>xwedodah
This was very common in Egypt, actually.
>>43557927
Among the Ptolemy dynasty. But that wasn't for sacred reasons: was because they were Macedonians and didn't want to mix their blood with the native Egyptians.
>>43556286
Praise the Machine God, one true Lord of all Mechanisms.
>>43557669
You're obviously not Catholic.
>>43556286
The original gangster
>>43557911
Why would they make Buddha a saint?
>>43557982
Neither are you if you misunderstand the concept of saints like that.
You must be a protestant.
>>43557894
>Saint and mother worship were pretty damn direct as far as my exposure has been.
That's...not remotely how it works.
Latin Mass is also basically dead. The number of people who actually speak fluent enough Latin for that is tiny.
>>43556454
>radicalize and exclude outsiders
>protesting interfaith marriages
haha niqqa what the fvck
they probably just don't want to have chocolate milk grandchildren
>>43556454
>being against interfaith marriages
>radical
>>43556473
Yes it is.
>>43556286
Simple. There is only one god, who is neither good nor evil. The universe is in fact this god's mind, and we are but the thoughts of an intelligence beyond comprehension.
Priests of this faith seek truth through rituals which give them visions they then interpret through esoteric practices. They act somewhat similar to how the Oracle of Delphi worked in ancient greek society - actually just an information hub that's used to try to resolve disputes and discourage rulers from making dumb decisions.
The main tenant of the faith is that there is a divine plan but humans don't necessarily follow it, and making us adhere more closely to the divine plan will improve existence to the point that we will become one with our god when we match it exactly. The founders of the faith (a succession of philosophers spread over several hundred years) all are claimed to have ascended to become part of the godhead in this manner.
>>43557669
Marianism is still very strong.
>>43557982
Not all Catholic traditions are Marianist.
>>43558035
The local Catholic Church in my town still offers a Latin mass after the English mass on Saturday evenings.
But they also teach Latin as a mandatory class in their school (PreK-8), so they kind of maintain their own foundation, so to speak.
>>43559698
It identifies a single creator god in Tengri, but it is animistic at heart and doesn't deny the existence of gods besides Tengri.
>>43559758
Eh screw it, I'm bored. Here's some more details of the hypothetical non-abrahamic monotheism.
>They don't perceive reality as objective; everything is subjective, and reality is illusory, a metaphor for the workings of the godhead's mind that we just don't quite understand.
>They ascribe everything around them to supernatural influence, because the entire universe is god's brain.
>Some schools of thought are strongly aescetic and naturalist, arguing that as everything is part of god's plan it should be left to do what it would naturally without human intervention. Others are materialist, arguing that its gods plan that they do what they end up doing to the material universe. These two sects don't get along at all.
>>43556286
I've tackled this issue and discovered that desperately trying to differenciate from the know monoteistic religions (be it Abrahamic religions, or the more bizzare eastern variations of hindu) can easily lead to "my dwarves are tall and love trees and my elves are stocky, beardy and love machines" scenario.
For the purpose of my world building excercise I've made up a monotheistic religion called (for now) simply Atonism. As his historical namesake, Aton, the central god of this religion is believed to be both the original creator, and an embodiment of order, and it is believed that rather than controlling the world directly, he build and governed it by laws which are universal and unchanging since the act of creation. That makes him a bit unique to other monotheistic religions: Aton has very little actual interest or investement in the physical reality, he is a demiurg rather than a classical god.
His role within the religion is that of a model rather than a personal diety. The Atonists believe that humans aughts to imitate the divine order (the order of the celestial bodies, highest of Aton's creations), and impose a strict, hierarchical social order. There is a LOT of theology surrounding this religion, mostly heavily influenced by novoplatonic philosophy, but of course, the idea of an impersonal, singular god is pretty difficult to swallow to commoners. Which leads to a folk-simplification of the religion, that simply associated Aton with the original, older cult of solar dieties - the priesthood was quick to capitalize on it too.
Atonism is often described as "machinistic religion" by outsiders, and the description is quite fitting: in the eyes of Atonists, the whole world is most easily comparable to one giant clockwork machine and they believe human society should be rather similar. It's also not without interest that Atonists are the only culture within the fiction that believes in heliocentric universe.
Maybe try stealing from Neoplatonism?
>>43557304
>all my step-sisters are korean
>we're in our 50's and they all look like they're still late 20's, early 30's
They're fucking magic.
>/tg/
>Thirty Years' War every time Catholics are brought up
I find it amusing. Especially since there is always one guy who insists he is Catholic, despite making statements directly contradictory to the teachings and theology of the church. And then there is one the one guy who posts a picture of a reformist, and then a guy who read Aquinas and actual theologians comes in and makes a long post nobody replies to.
>>43557628
It's exactly how we do it: ask from prayers.
It's protestants that don't get it.
>>43557655
No. Satan is a fallen angel, and allready defeated. The story of the universe il litteraly God humoring him, his rebellion and our sins because he won't infringe with our free will; not even if it means we choose to ho to hell.
If God was an asshole, he would've just mindraped everyone into obeying Him and he would be done with that.
>>43560258
We know that's how it's SUPPOSED to be for you guys, but don't believe in it ourselves and also think that it's a really easy jump from prayer to worship.
>>43559891
quite like the concept.
regarding OP's wish to not make it Christianity all over again, I have to say the whole folk religion being taken over by the faith sounds very alike to how Christianity adopted existing holidays etc.
>>43557686
Yes it is. Let's read together.
"Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen."
So first we repeat the words the Archangel Gabriel said during the Annunciation (words even the most anal sola schriptura bitch must aknowledge) then we ask her to Pray for us.
"Marianism" might "still be strong" and "saints and virgin" might "still be venerated" (in the sense of patina respect and asking for prayer) but Christianity is monotheist, whatever its heretic offshots might parrot while they hemorrhage faithfulls.
>>43560294
Then i'm sorry You people have such a wrong idea of what we do and believe.
>>43560222
Trips for truth.
>and then a guy who read Aquinas and actual theologians comes in and makes a long post nobody replies to
I feel it because its often me.
>>43559758
>Simple. There is only one god, who is neither good nor evil. The universe is in fact this god's mind, and we are but the thoughts of an intelligence beyond comprehension.
So, freemasonry as a setting's religion.
Cool.
>>43560332
>quite like the concept.
Thanks, but being the guy who invented it, I kinda don't. I like to amuse myself with the intricacies, the theological disputes, schizms, interpretations and misinterpretations, the philosophical history, the details, conflicts, and the folk variations, all of it distracting from the fact that a state-wide religion based on the concept of an uninvolved demiurge is really, really impractical.
>I have to say the whole folk religion being taken over by the faith sounds very alike to how Christianity adopted existing holidays etc.
Well, that's where the first paragraph is supposed to apply, but to be honest: this happened everywhere with every religion. Religions merge ALL the time. Things like adopting holidays is particularly common, since 90% of all existing holidays already had a astronomical foundation in the first place and were tied to the agrarian cycle, so...
There are other similarities to Christianity with the religion though. The whole neoplatonism ordeal in particular. Most of the theology and philosophy is based on the greco-christian theology of near east.
>>43560291
Making the universe so that everyone is tainted from birth because of the actions of two people makes you an asshole.
Is the Bloodborn style old hat now?
A monotheistic religion based on a provable eldritch abomination, and the social, theological and political impact that would have on the average farmer is kind of a fucking awesome idea.
Yeah it's probably over done at this point.
What about people worship the Jewish and Catholic Demiurge! A half brained, jealous and totally flawed creator. A complete dickhead to his creations out of loneliness and confusion as to his own nature. Everyone knows this to be true but nobody can do anything about it because he's literally the nearest thing to a God we've got and is, when all is said and done, our creator.
>>43560291
Just because he outsources the mind raping to his little human cult doesn't make him any less of an asshole.
>>43560528
The fundamental mistake, I think, is basing your religion on a provable existence of gods. I understand it's kinda the standard in Fantasy, but it's also pretty shit way to go around it. And "look how our god is actually totally flawed" schtick is worn out to hell too.
>>43560489
He Made the rules and he won't break them. He Came here in part circumvent this mess, and saved the virtuous pagans that accepted him in Hell When he went there.
He has allready bent his own rules for You, and done infinitely more than what was necessary to do and was SANE to ask him to.
Where Idols ask for sacrifices He sacrificed himself. Yet You call Him an asshole because He won't accomodate You further.
Fine, it's your choice to make at this point.
>>43560484
it's pretty heavy on philosophy that's true, ot really cut out for the common rabble. Maybe it could be the religion of a state that has the resources to allow for that kind of detatchment.
Maybe thanks to a particular knack for magic
I'm going to "big up" Glorantha's Malkioni, who are a primarily monotheistic religion (there's some henotheistic offshoots)
Of course, it developed from/owes much of it to the writings of Zzabur, who has been known as the god of atheism.
>>43556286
take the xenoblade approach.
your civilization survives on the dead and static husk of your god. but the life juices of your once vigorous deity now sustain all creatures and plants growing on its rotten skin. this dependence on the Godgoo warrants a religious devotion.
>>43560556
Simply ridiculous.
I was mindraped by the media, i was mindraped by "spiritual teachers" i was mindraped by the new atheists, i was mindraped by ideologies...
The only people that never mindraped me were catholics. The only people that simply told me Why they believed something and then left me make My choices without lying nor misrepresenting other people were catholics.
It was said to be slave to the Powers of Air. I Pray you'll get out like i did, and leave this thread so as to cease this offtopic.
>>43556461
Many of those are Abrahamic or semi-Abrahamic, and some aren't monotheistic at all.
>>43560633
>Maybe thanks to a particular knack for magic
Magic in my world is a lot closer to how magic in real world works: a question of perception and interpretation, with a bit of craft and bit of deceit - and admitedly, occasionally a little bit of ancient advanced technology, but really, really rarely.
As for the society, the solution is much more simple: The common folk worships Aton simply as the Sun god, which is straight-foward and understandable, while the priests keep them in line with theatrical tricks and back-up of the nobility and thus, army. The priests generally present Atonism to the masses through similar trick that NeoConfucianism did: as self evident mirroring of orders - the celestial orders, where the Sun is obviously the highest being, the social order, where king serves as the Sun, and so on.
The philosophy if exclusively for the clergy, and the difference between the folk belief and the "educated" belief is drastical. Well, much like in medieval european theology.
>>43560258
Catholic here: IN THEORY. In practice we straight up pray to them.
>>43560598
No matter which way you argue it making the rule in such a way in the first place is immoral in the extreme.
It is NEVER okay to condemn people because of the actions of their ancestors, if you argue it is you are an amoral sociopath.
Any god who demands belief when there is no rational reason to choose that god in particular out of thousands of different ones is also an asshole.
>>43558035
>latin mass is dead
HAHAHA. Nigga, you dumb. And its not about fluent understanding, but rote memorization... Kinda like medieval peasants.
It's hard to come up with a monotheistic religion that doesn't feel like Jew'ery. I think it's a hard one simply because, once you boil down the Abrahamic God, strip away Jebus and the other Christian bits, all you've got left is a very vague notion of a generic God-head that's indefinably "good" (whilst also being a vengeful bag of jelly and salt) that wants you to shut the fuck up and worship the grou~are we sure he isn't a woman?
>>43556286
"Good" how? In a realistic human society-building sense? Very difficult. It's hard to come up with shit like that, unless you're a prophet who knows what people need and want. Especially difficult if you have to avoid doing it in an Abrahamic fashion, given that it features so much of what people want and fear and such. "Abrahamic" includes such a wide range as well, it's hard to avoid sharing many features with Abrahamic traditions.
holy moly. so many of you people are dreadfully unimaginative. you seem to accept that a task is "difficult" and thusly resolve not to attempt at it.
just think of something, ANYTHING and compare it to your existing knowledge base. change it if you want, but spend like 10 minutes on it and you'll probably arrive at a novel idea
>>43560598
You sound like an extremely abused girl talking about her shithead boyfriend while lovingly stroking the cigarette burns on her arm.
>>43560891
>and you'll probably arrive at a novel idea
Novel, and shit. The reason why people don't do this is because they are already aware of the limitations of being novel for novel's sake and perhaps they might even understand the subject matter and wish to employ that understanding.
>>43556286
has nobody mentioned that Christianity, specifically Catholicism, worshiping the trinity (father, son and holy ghost/spirit) is essentially a polytheistic faith?
>>43560761
In theory or in pratiche. Else i call the Most Holy Office for the Doctrine of the Faith on You.
>>43560572
>The fundamental mistake, I think, is basing your religion on a provable existence of gods
This! So much this!
>>43556286
Single trickster god who impersonates a bunch of different gods. Neither benevolent or malicious.
>>43556397
>*Created in reaction to Muslim invasion
Except that's wrong you dumb fuck. Or at least the wording makes it wrong despite its technical correctness.
It was created in reaction to the Muslim aristocracy and Hindu everyone else. As in, well after the invasions and as a more peaceable "bridging/infusion of faiths" thing rather than a "let's kill these damn Muslims" thing.
>>43556397
>>43561060
Oh yeah and also if that's the guy I think he is he's a fucking poseur.
>>43561050
Kind of a meta religion.
>>43560891
>dreadfully
>thusly
>holy moly
>>43557188
Ba'laat Gebal didn't do nuffin but run a city
>>43560785
>tips fedora
>>43556454
Huh, I did not notice this.
I am a product of one such marriages! This saddens me, all my visits to the temple have been fairly pleasant. I feel slightly out-of-place due to only knowing a few punjabi words, but still.
I have always been tempted to adopt the lifestyle at some point - I've always stopped myself due to my inability to have faith in a deity. This is not necessarily damning in Sikhism, I know, but it feels disingenuous.
Don't Catholics pray to saints?
Is it still monotheism if the God is not omnipotent and omniscient?
I haven't read the entirety of the thread, it's gotten pretty big, but here are a few ideas off the top of my head:
Sun worship, of course. The Moon (if there is one, at all, keep in mind that a moon or moons are not absolutely necessary to the development of life) is just the Sun while it sleeps and dreams, or if there are moons, they are cosmic monuments to prophets/heroes/past incarnations of God.
God killed all the other gods. Maybe they were bad gods? Maybe God's just a dick. Imagine if an enormous number of people followed the Cimmerian religion of Conan/Sithrak. You don't worship God, you just hope not to piss him off or disgust him.
God is dead, and we killed Him. God was primordial chaos from which all possibilities arose, but His madness threatened our own existence, so we murdered Him and now maintain a complex but orderly religion of rituals and hierarchies to keep Him dead so that the universe does not tear itself apart. The purpose of our lives is to create Order so that we are not suffocated by clouds of flesh and rendered by oceans of flame.
>>43559758
Best idea in the thread.
>>43560222
>despite making statements directly contradictory to the teachings and theology of the church
You greatly overestimate the knowledge and open-mindedness of the average church-goer.
>>43556454
I had a weird experience.
I'd always thought you could only be born into Sikhism, like Judaism. But when I talked to a Sikh, he said it was super easy to convert to it.
>>43561160
Through them. Sort of like sending your message to a postman rather than to the guy you're actually getting it to.
>>43561180
Sure, just slightly begs the question of "well what ELSE is there?".
>>43559891
>and it is believed that rather than controlling the world directly, he build and governed it by laws which are universal and unchanging since the act of creation. That makes him a bit unique to other monotheistic religions: That makes him a bit unique to other monotheistic religions: Aton has very little actual interest or investement in the physical reality, he is a demiurg rather than a classical god.
That's deism. Imagine a Founding Father or some other deists of the Enlightenment. Bam, there's your adepts.
>>43561187
>You greatly overestimate the knowledge and open-mindedness of the average church-goer.
That some fail to understand it, does not change the nature of what is fundamentally true.
Why not do it alternative Hindu style where every god is actually just a facet of the big G God?
>of course everybody worships Smengentynalokuitotopurishnajeshivastronekandramanistopolesnfokrantiblegesdon Of the Million Faces, but who had the time to worship each face individually? Just pick a couple of mask aspects and kill all the people who worship inferior mask aspects.
>>43556372
Zoroastrianism has a massive connection to the abrahamic tradition.
Judaism as a monotheistic religion is a poor imitation of zoroastrianism to begin with. Sikhism is inspired by islam.
>>43560891
He did say good. I mean, some are willing to call Star Trek cultures "good", and I figure they are within the context of sci-fi TV, but frankly speaking they're usually one-note and unsubtle. "Poor imitation of Christianity" kind of ups the ante, if he wants something more advanced than that we're getting into very difficult territory. I mean, real large religions have grown a lot over the course of millenia, you can't just whip something of equal complexity up on the fly. Even simply understanding Abarahamic religion is difficult.
>>43561009
>implying the inquisition gives a shit
Let's be honest, the cults of saints turning into divine cults is something the church only tried to fight after the reformation and only extremely half-assedly.
As far as muslims and aryans/unitarians care, mainline christianity is not monotheistic.
>>43561298
Considering people where actually killed for it. Not really.
>>43561298
>mainline christianity
Which mainline christianity?
>>43561188
>I'd always thought you could only be born into Sikhism, like Judaism. But when I talked to a Sikh, he said it was super easy to convert to it.
Sikhism is a bit weird that it encourages being a good member of your existing faith and a good person over converting to Sikhism, but they won't turn down converts either. If you genuinely feel that Sikhism is the best way, who are they to tell you no? They obviously think it is too, or they wouldn't be Sikhs.
>>43561344
Orthodox-Catholic
Nobody gives a shit about the tiny ass protestant sects with their chronic inability to expand even in lands they conquered and settled in the first place, and their rejection of saints varies from the rabid to the downright unconvincing (I'm looking at you, anglicans).
>deaf child area
>is a street name
Dammit capcha
>>43561211
>That's deism
I thought the connection to deism was pretty obvious through the use of the word "demiurge". Yeah, I'm well aware of that history, and I took inspirations from that, but it's not entirely fitting my narrative, since the society is considerably less technically and socially developed - the enlightenist observations available to to the classical deists are largely inaccessible to them.
>>43561366
Small oppressed militant sect not wanting to burn bridges with potential allies and converts? I don't know much about Sikhism, feel free to school me on my presumptuous lack of knowledge.
>>43561243
>Why not do it alternative Hindu style where every god is actually just a facet of the big G God?
While being hugely fond of this whole line of thinking, the Gnosticism lot that this inevitably leads towards has been very much done and trivialized, particularly by the TES stuff.
>>43561219
Just like how Jews, Christians etc believe God is fundamentally Good, Perfect, Absolute, Love etc etc yet still haven't came up with a convincing argument in two millenia for why he's such a jerk?
He creates humanity without the wisdom or knowledge to know right from wrong and then expects them to blindly follow orders. He denies them the Fruit of Life and curses the whole species as a result of this despite an apparent intent to bestow it on us, implying the entire Trees situation was probably a bullshit test in the first place. Oh, and since free will is a difficult thing to argue can exist without basic awareness, intelligence and informed consent to the state of the world, I guess that means he was keeping that from us too for a little while.
This is a recurring motif in the Old Testament too - every time God fucks up his creation or something doesn't fit his narrow view of what should be the case, he punishes humanity with cataclysms and curses rather than show even a tiny sliver of self-awareness.
What else.... most of his 'rules' are bullshit and the one he tends to care most about is worshipping him and no-one else, despite his own original role as a god of dubious domain(storm and war being the common guesses) among the pantheons of the time, demonstrating a pretty self-absorbed personality where he can clearly be seen to value his own popularity and his plans above things like human life or prosperity.
It takes all the way until the New Testament for him to clean up his act, and Jesus' personality and vision of God is so radically different from the Old Testament that plenty of Gnostic sects simply assumed they were DIFFERENT BEINGS because the idea of OT Yahweh actually being a loving and pacifistic entity was too absurd to even consider.
Like, I have nothing against the religion or any religion in general, but you have to admit it takes a very, VERY nuanced understanding of the terms to call the Abrahamic God 'perfect' or 'benevolent'.
>>43561371
I'm so Catholic that if the words 'Deus volt' are uttered within 1000 meters of me by anyone of religious authority I would jump up and start on a warpath to the Holy Land.
But Catholic and Orthodox are only mainline in some parts of Europe, South America, and Eastern Europe. In other places it represents a minority when compared to Atheism, Protestantism, or in England the Anglican Church.
In the US, Catholics are a minority. In my own state we represent 1% of the religious population, and happen to have actually been the only Catholic family in the state for a hundred years.
Brushing off the second fastest expanding sect is a bit asinine, especially considering that they're expanding more rapidly in China than the Catholic Church.
>>43561505
>Love etc etc yet still haven't came up with a convincing argument in two millenia for why he's such a jerk?
Not him, but figuring that shit out is not fucking difficult. ESPECIALLY for an atheist that can analyze the causal chain behind emergence of such narrative.
>>43561505
>yet still haven't came up with a convincing argument in two millenia for why he's such a jerk?
>laughingdescartesandkierkegaard.manuscript
>>43560598
It's not accomodation to expect basic decency, not even upstanding morals, BASIC DECENCY from a deity claimed to be the Absolute and making some rather hefty demands on his followers.
And no, being a dick doesn't magically cease being a dick just because you're God. Divinity shouldn't be used as a shield from responsibility, and I'd be dubious of any religion who portrays its main god that way.
>>43556286
Make it a poor imitation of Zoroastrianism.
>>43561160
Sort of.
In Judaism, to ask forgiveness you would sacrifice an animal, burn the meat, and offer the blood as penance.
Each tabernacle had a High Priest, who is the only man who could enter the Holy of Holies, the room with the Mercy Seat; which was pretty much an altar where he would sprinkle the blood. From the seat towards himself and the people on the other side of the curtain behind him. They weren't allowed to see.
He was the one that would pray directly to God on your behalf.
Catholics believe that the Saints now fulfill that role, and you would ask specific saints to carry prayers of their patronage.
Protestants believe that Jesus acts as High Priest, and so pray directly addressing the Godhead.
The high priest would also have bells tied to his ankles and a rope tied to him, in case they needed to pull him out if God struck him down for some transgression, but that's not relevant to the discussion.
Everyone worships Ormagöden.Just rip off the religion from Brutal Legend.
There is a singular God named Dominus, it is he who fashioned the Earth from the primordial chaos into a stable realm. He rests atop a large throne on a mountain at the crown of the world, and from there he sees and knows all. Dominus is a simple, non-interventionist God; his only commandment is such:
"There are two types of men in this world, masters and hounds. Masters command hounds and hounds obey masters. Figure out who is which."
Thus the world is set into a great game, as those with ambition seek to rule over men by sword or by word, and those ruling men defining the morals of society as they personally see fit.
>>43556344
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUCzFFrMM9I
PRAISE TENGRI
>>43561505
I suggest you read some books before you make an ass of yourself.
Aquinas covers most of that, and Descartes is equally great. Probably one of the best modern theologians in my opinion.
>>43556286
The Egyptians if I remembered prayed to the God, Atom before who a Monogod
>>43561591
>In Judaism, to ask forgiveness you would sacrifice an animal, burn the meat, and offer the blood as penance.
>Each tabernacle had a High Priest, who is the only man who could enter the Holy of Holies, the room with the Mercy Seat; which was pretty much an altar where he would sprinkle the blood. From the seat towards himself and the people on the other side of the curtain behind him. They weren't allowed to see.
>He was the one that would pray directly to God on your behalf.
>The high priest would also have bells tied to his ankles and a rope tied to him, in case they needed to pull him out if God struck him down for some transgression, but that's not relevant to the discussion.
Man, I love this sort of stuff. It also reminds me about how in the epic of Gilgamesh the gods clustered around Utnapishtim's sacrifice like flies because of its sweet scent (in the bible, God merely appreciates it)
Give me that old time religion, it's good enough for me.
>>43561505
> his plans above things like human life or prosperity.
cool down bro,you seem a little bit too anthropocentric
>>43561568
>It's not accomodation to expect basic decency
from a being that's not even human?
>>43561801
Aton, and it was a very brief period - the cult of Aton as a single and sole god was enforced by a single ruler who was swiftly murdered for it and then everything went back to their usual polytheism bordering on totemism.
Also, I'm pretty sure the proto-abrahamic religions existed in that era already, and while they weren't originally monotheistic, they already had an inclination towards it.
>>43561876
Why does a being that isn't human get to expect humanity to conform to its mostly-self-interested standards, whilst humanity cannot expect anything of such a being in return?
The door swings both ways. If it's absurd to expect human values and behaviour from a god, it's equally absurd for said god to expect humans to conform to its dogma without good reason.
>>43561854
Hey, I feel for all the goats and snakes that Yahweh kinda screwed over across history too, but they at least avoided getting forced into a metaphysical catch-22 situation from the earliest days of their existence. Truly the lucky ones.
>>43561962
>Why does a being that isn't human get to expect humanity to conform to its mostly-self-interested standards
ever asked anything similar of pet owners
>>43561962
>Hey, I feel for all the goats and snakes that Yahweh kinda screwed over
no, what i mean is why do you seem incapable of grasping the relationship between a being and its creations
>>43561886
It's Aten. But yeah it's kind of an interesting situation.
I used Aten to run a PnP dungeon, pic related, but he was just the initial trembling manifestation of the Black Sun on the PCs home reality.
>>43556286
Make god hard core
>>43556286
make a poor imitation of Judaism.
Imagine yourself as God, and come up with a bunch of laws that you think society should follow (e.g: Try not to contribute to Entropy by more than a set amount), and dumb it down for a bunch of retarded bronze age nomads, then think of how the society would develop; over time, schisms may appear. different factions might emphasize different laws over others or whether it is more important to worship or follow the law, some might some making up/removing laws, some may break off and become incapable of basic math.
>>43556286
Most sects of Christianity are monotheistic. Catholicism, for example, venerates Mary almost as much as god, believes in an equally powerful evil god, and has innumerable demigods.
>>43561962
>Why does a being that isn't human get to expect humanity to conform to its mostly-self-interested standards
because it created humanity?
>>43561795
I've read a little of both, though philosophically speaking Kant was always more my jam.
Either way, it's a little excessive to immediately assume ignorance on my part just because I don't consider any of the explanations given by such authors as sufficient. Much of Descartes' writings apply the same conundrums whether they're viewed in a theological context or not, while Aquinas, while he offers a somewhat interesting view of topics like original sin and the nature of reason in Christian thought, he still ultimately struck me as something of an apologist for his deity, seeking roundabout explanations rather than confronting the actual issue of God's common portrayal in theological discussions simply not matching the reality of the Biblical God.
An apologist for man and god alike.
>>43556286
Make a religion where there used to be a pantheon of hundreds and thousands of gods that went into a universe spanning war that left only one of them alive.
>>43557673
>Christian theology
My made up shit is more true than your made up shit.
>>43562026
>It's Aten.
Actually, since the Egyptian graphems in their phonetic forms only represents consonants, we don't know if it's Aton or Aten or whatever, just as we don't know for sure if it was Ra or Re or whenever the country called itself Kemet, Komet, Kemot or Kmet. We only have the letters Jtn, actually some speculate the reading may have been Iton or Atonu.
I've based the idea of Atonism that I've mentioned in this thread earlier on this history, though I have to admit I took little more than the name and the identification of the only god with Sun, which hardly is a novel idea in and off it self.
>>43562050
>believes in an equally powerful evil god
and who pray-tell would that be?
>>43562069
>>43562017
The idea that creation of a life form gives you some inalienable right to decide its fate is rather insidious and is something very few people actually believe - this can be seen in how most decent parents back off once their kids reach adulthood, since they're aware that once they're smart enough to look after themselves, it's no longer their right as creators to exert needless authority over their creation.
Similar ideas and thought experiments could be expressed with a programmer - AI relationship, but the point is that you don't get to claim absolute control and dominion over something just because you made it. That's a grossly negative attitude to have and not something you should expect from a 'perfect' being either.
>>43560676
>The only people that never mindraped me were catholics. The only people that simply told me Why they believed something and then left me make My choices without lying nor misrepresenting other people were catholics.
>To be so mindraped that you think the rapers gave you a choice.
>To be so mindraped you capitalize random words.
Yikes.
>>43562170
Don't be dense.
>>43562183
uh, parents don't create their children
>>43562183
>is something very few people actually believe
how do you know this?
>>43562248
Where, praytell, do they come from? Holes in the ground?
>>43562092
All an apologist is, is a man who argues in justification of something, which all theologians would fall under. If you did not find Aquinas reasoning on free will and human morality to be sufficient then my arguments won't sway you.
>rather than confronting the actual issue of God's common portrayal in theological discussions simply not matching the reality of the Biblical
Concerning Aquinas, this statement is incorrect. He tackles that issue multiple times directly. Including the nature of evil and free will. Which he considered important topics. That you don't consider his answers satisfactory, or that you seem to forget he even tackled it, is not something I can change.
>>43562375
dude,don't bother
>>43556286
in what system or just in general?
>>43562375
I don't recall asking you to change my mind, so rest easy that you've not disappointed me.
The answers being unsatisfactory and mostly dodging the subject is the issue here. Aquinas sees the roadblock presented by this radical conflicting account of God within his own faith and rather than ask the purpose of the roadblock, attempt to pass through it or examine the street more thoroughly, he simply goes down a side road and comes out the other end, proclaiming that he has conquered the roadblock.
No you fucking didn't, the problem is still there, all you did was go around it because you didn't have the means to solve it.
Which is perfectly fine in a topic as fundamentally difficult to adequately 'solve' as the nature of God, but people greatly overstate his contribution. All he offers is excuses instead of explanations where explanations are necessary to profess God's perfection and love of humankind - excuses do not hold in the face of a mountain of evidence that Jehovah isn't a people person.
>>43562262
I can't know it I suppose, but I'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt rather than assume the majority of my species are possessive sociopaths.
An unpopular belief on 4chan no doubt, but damnit, I'm an idealistic sunnuvabitch.
But who are you, man, to answer God thus? Will what is made say to him who made it—Why have you made me this way? Does the potter not have power over his clay, to make, from the same mass, one vessel for honour, and another for dishonour?
ROMANS 9:20-21
>>43562365
Of course magic sky man makes everything! It only makes sense!
>>43561560
you forgot about the moral argument for the existence of god.
>laughingImmanuelKant.manuscript
/tg/ discussing fictional games characters is a bloodbath
/tg/ discussing religion calm cool collected and civilised.
This board is amazing
>>43562833
So humans have the same moral worth and agency as clay pots? By analogy, it's righteous for a parent to give everything to one child and beat and starve his other? Round here we call those types 'abusive'.
>>43562995
/tg/ theology threads are pretty awesome, they happen about once a week or so
>>43562997
I think you've bought into humanism much too much. God does not have to abide by a human's intuitions of what is and is not "good" or what does and does not have "value."
And the definition of abuse gets more and more, and I hate using this phrase, "sjw" with every month.
>>43563098
Are you telling me that you see nothing wrong with Romans 9:20-21?
Because that right there is horrific in every conceivable way and I would be chilled to the very core of my being if I believed that, not only was there a creator, but it followed that logic.
>>43562538
Oh. I was misunderstanding your stance and argument. My apologies, It seems that I have made an ass of myself.
We can't understand God fully. I don't think we ever will. Even though I fully believe after my death, if I lead a good life, (and I severely hope I can get my shit together) that I will join him. I don't think I would understand him even then. I am of the believe that we are like dogs, trying to understand our owner. It will always be limited.
>>43563154
Oh hai Lovecraft.
>>43563154
Mind you, I'll say one thing for God. The Bible was very obviously written by man and filled with our projected fears and insecurities and the social laws and structures of a bygone age. If there is a God I can only assume that it is closer to the Gnostic God-Head model.
>>43563098
So why would this being deserve my worship? Just because my father can beat me to death, does not mean he deserves my love.
"It was with anguish and horror, and yet with acquiescence, even with praise, that I felt or seemed to feel something of the eternal spirit’s temper as it apprehended in one intuitive and timeless vision all our lives. Here was no pity, no proffer of salvation, no kindly aid. Or here were all pity and all love, but mastered by a frosty ecstasy. Our broken lives, our loves, our follies, our betrayals, our forlorn and gallant defenses, were one and all calmly anatomized, assessed, and placed. True, they were one and all lived through with complete understanding, with insight and full sympathy, even with passion. But sympathy was not ultimate in the temper of the eternal spirit; contemplation was. Love was not absolute; contemplation was. And though there was love, there was also hate comprised within the spirit’s temper, for there was cruel delight in the contemplation of every horror, and glee in the downfall of the virtuous. All passions, it seemed, were comprised within the spirit’s temper; but mastered, icily gripped within the cold, clear, crystal ecstasy of contemplation.
That this should be the upshot of all our lives, this scientist’s, no, artist’s, keen appraisal! And yet I worshipped!" -literally you.
>>43563154
>But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?
Did your father not ever yell at you when you where being a little shit? It's the same thing.
>Because that right there is horrific in every conceivable way and I would be chilled to the very core of my being if I believed that
I think you're being a bit dramatic.
>>43563154
Of course I don't see anything wrong with it. Your "chill and horror" is fairly vacuous as well. An O3 deity must by necessity own everyone and everything, and decide everything for everything, and it's good not because the things like and agree with what happens, but because the deity which defines goodness says it is good. Disagreeing with and fighting the divinity is not noble.
>>43563265
Did your father never beat you and break your limbs?
>>43563279
No, but one time when I was arguing with him he did get mad and tell me that "I made you, so you better start acting like it."
It doesn't diminish how much I love him or he loves me. He was just putting me in my place when I was acting like an asshole.
>>43563252
>Infinite cold intellect in every vast direction.
Yup, I'm ok with that conception of the first Person.
Sorry you want warm fuzzies. I truly, actually am. But I'm ok with God as calculation.
>>43563272
Non-humanists, everybody. You have more sympathy for an inhuman, ineffable spirit than your own fellow humans. 'People' like you ought to be gassed for the good of everyone else.
>>43561729
Nietzsche? Is that you?
>>43563316
Sympathy? What need has God of sympathy?
I simply apprehend what eternity and omniscience necessitate a being that resides within eterniry and holds omniscience must be. I also don't believe human moral intuitions hold any water at all.
>>43563272
But by the same logic, isn't everything God does good as long as he wills it?
About the issue of free-will, why doesn't he decide that free-will isn't good and instead makes us act good? He can simply decide that denying us free agency isn't wrong.
From the moment a being is the Law, the laws all seem arbitrary, no?
>>43563393
Okay, it's clear you aren't an actual christfag. I take back the gassing bit too. That's essentially what I believe an eternal all-poewrful soirit must be too. Non-humanists I have no trouble with, just christfags passing themselves off as such.
>>43560222
/tg/ is Catholic-bashing central. I blame the overwhelming presence of 'muricans.
>>43560450
I think the religion I posted would probably rapidly devolve into many competing sects since there's so much room for interpretation. But yeah, most would probably be mystery cults. Most of the common populace would be pretty ignorant of what the faith does but worship it/respect it anyway, similar to the Mandaeans of Iraq.
>>43557911
Barlaam and Josephat my friend. Barlaam and Josephat.
>>43563470
Everything God does is good, not because we like it and agree with it, but because he says it is so. This is divine command morality, and it's acceptable to disagree with that because people can disagree. But it's the natural consequence of an omnipotent being declaring some things good and others not, just how it's gotta go.
Free will doesn't exist, well, I mean more "to a being outside of time, everything has already happened, thus, you've already lived and died in every way it's possible for you to live and die." Rather than "your life is on rails like a bad GM."
Compose for me the idea of "arbitrary" as a negative values judgment when the perfect arbiter is deciding things.
>>43563506
Thank you for telling me what I am not. I've been so confused up until this exact moment.
>>43563575
Not much consolation when this being's moral judgement and notion of perfection doesn't sync with your own.
It's just horrible.
And who's to say that you are the one that understand this being's will the best? Who's not to say he isn't misleading to purposely punish you? He already decided you will deserve it and that is good enough to him, as it should be to you.
>>43563598
If you were a christfag you'd be trying to convince me that you ARE a humanist. You clearly aren't, so whatever you are, I have no trouble with it.
>>43563098
His methods are sloppy, his goals are highly questionable. He is a poor God in every sense imaginable. Both intellectual and emotional.
>>43561592
This guy gets it
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AcPm-MQiCQ8
>>43563622
Then sync your judgment with his.
Sorry, just another consequence of eternity. You might as well lament that Frodo didn't ask the eagle to do it as lament that to someone outside of time, our lives are already done.
If God is capricious then that's that. It's doubtful though; more likely his rules are abhorrent to us because we're inherently corrupt.
>>43563663
Humanism as a framework of moral decisions didn't exist until nearly 1600 years after Christianity began. Sorry bro.
>>43563708
Yeah, because anti-human philosophies like christianity and islam and buddhism have had a stranglehold for more than two thousand years. The only way christians can snag new followers is the hucksterism of "god is (human) love", god has a plan for you that will bring you salvation, etc., or by preying on people's fear of death. Then once you've grown to hate all your human passions and imperfections like a good catholic, you'll always keep coming back like the beaten wife to her husband. Every time you have a bit of fun, you'll get the fear in you.
But as you've elaborated, you believe in essentially a conscious azathoth, so whatever. Your beliefs might essentially be consistent with the nature of the christian god, but you don't present yourself like a missionary.
>>43556344
>duality of God vs Satan
Christianity is not a dualistic religion. God is all powerful and satan can't do shit to God.
>>43563853
And yet he is allowed to keep existing...
>>43563685
Fuckin' brutal. Fuckin' metal.
>>43563686
But you can't ascertain that your judgement is truly in sync with his own because his mind is that much greater.
For all you know, you were supposed to be raping babies and gutting your siblings and the Bible was just a test, much like the snake on the Tree of Knowledge. God allowed it to be so that humans had the chance to be corrupted. Maybe he allowed the Bible and Jesus to be to lead the people astray from the true path: murder-rape-palooza.
If I all I can do is hope that I'm doing the right thing, then most people already do that, no?
>>43563914
>urge to run Hail and Kill intensifies
>>43563902
God vs Satan isn't some boxing match to determine the fate of the world, it's fucking solitaire.
>>43563840
>But as you've elaborated, you believe in essentially a conscious azathoth, so whatever. Your beliefs might essentially be consistent with the nature of the christian god, but you don't present yourself like a missionary.
Basically sure. But I'm not trying to convert you (learned long ago I'm not a missionary) and it's not like I stand on street corners with giant placards that read GOD DOESNT MEAN THE SAME THING AS YOU DO WITH WORDS LIKE LOVE.
This is an anonymous image board too, chances are good you think I'm trolling anyway so whatever.
>>43563902
Book of Job Satan was an angel that god used to test people by provoking them and seeing if they lost their faith.
Satan being a ruler of hell and gods antithesis is a modern concept that largely came from fiction as opposed to serious theology. In the scripture, Lucifer isn't in charge of hell, he's just locked up there. God has already overpowered him.
As to why he's allowed to exist at all - well, why does any evil exist at all?
Why are there things instead of nothing?
>>43564064
Because why the hell not.
>>43557148
So what's the difference between your gods and really powerful wizards?
>>43564114
OK, then.
>>43563926
I wanted a reply.
Please.
>>43563967
No no, I fully believe you're sincere, and not nearly as poisonous as the average christian looking for a convert. I ope you have a good day.
>>43557280
>what is it with asians, after 40 they all just suddenly transform into Babayaga
Yeah, just imagine how ugly this woman would be if she were over51.
>>43556397
you forgot "murders those they were hired to protect and gets praised by other sikhs for it"
>>43564030
Frankly I would consider popular conceptions of religion to be far more important than the opinions of Theologians.
>>43560222
Try being Mormon when that breed of misinformation starts flying around.
>>43564229
Sorry, I just left the office and was driving.
Yes, most people "do their best" in my opinion which is another reason I don't share my sophistry out and about. God is calculation and cold intellect yes, but that probably means his math isn't nearly like mine. So I imagine there's far more people in paradise any of us would be comfortable with.
>>43564805
>Mormon
Get the fuck out Arian scum
>>43559758
thats literally ancient Judaism
>>43563305
>"I made you, so you better start acting like it."
That doesn't even make any sense.
>>43564030
>well, why does any evil exist at all?
When you claim existence of a O3 god, you better have a good answer for this.
>>43564912
That's sort-of weird. Your thinking seems self-consistent from where I'm standing, though. OK.
>>43565459
Because the son's behavior wasn't living up to the father's reputation/behavior. How does that not make sense?
>>43557655
Hades isn't evil, at least not in comparison to his brothers. They're nothing alike ya retard.
>>43556286
Sithrak!
>>43561187
This guy gets it!
>>43559758
I remember a cool religion in Anathem.
The story is basically about a Thief that rapes and murders a young innocent female after robbing her and being brought infront of a judge. The Judge says that if the robber can give him any good reason not to sentence him to death he will do so.
The robber ponders the question during the night and in the morning he tells the judge ''that what I did was to quench a possibility for something beautiful; the little girl might have been a great person and could have changed the world. She was innocence and beauty with endless potential. ''But'' the robber says, ''if i can show you that I have that potential you can't execute me; because then you would also have to be killed''
So the robber starts telling a story to a judge about a world; our world. Every day the judge asks more questions to the thief and everyday he gets more answers. If the world is good The Robber will be allowed to live but otherwise he will be killed and we will disappear. It is therefore importnant that everyone do good things to appease The Judge.
Kinda screwy but very cool!
http://anathem.wikia.com/wiki/Kelx
>>43564030
A lot of the christian mythos related to the divine seems to be based on stuff not in the bible. Like the angel heriarchy, satan's origin as an angel and whatnot.
Is anyone going to come up with some interesting ideas or are we just going to shitpost about religions that OP DOESN'T want to discuss?
>>43570616
Read
>>43559758
>>43559862
I honestly can't tell what inspired this but its certainly original.
>>43556286
Make a religion with a god that is not a fucking dick.
>>43556286
The only good answer to that is don't take it seriously. You are trying to create lore for a game not trying to make a new religion
>>43556286
Maybe a god that never wanted to be a god?
Sentient races spawned from him accidentaly.
I don't know, maybe humans formed from his sweatdrops, elves from his tears, orcs from his dead hairs, dwarves from his farts and so.
Maybe one day he just sneezed and the universe was created.
Now he is trapped in the same reality he accidentaly created, and we follow and pester him everywhere he goes.
He does not like us, we are disgusting to him (how would you feel if your shitstains suddenly came to life and cried "waaah daddy daddy hug us!"?), but he doesn't exterminate us because he feels somewhat responsible for all this and doesn't feel it would be correct.
>The new temple to the Allfather is finishied! Rejoice, brothers in His glory!
>What the fuck are you fucking screwballs blabbering now??
>What is this shit? I told you all clearly that i don't want temples, or followers, or anything, i just want you to leave me fucking alone!
>crushes temple
>Aaaaawh, the Allfather is all embarrased from our display of affection and unending loyalty. Isn't he a sweet guy?
>Shitfuckingdammit i hate you all!
>>43556286
What about a literal living god? Literally an immortal glowing dude on a throne (inb4 40k, this one is still alive and can fight battles) or a giant living on a mountain and looking down at everybody.
Hard to worship anyone else when there is one that is physically present. He would be more than just a god, probably a king/emperor, and one that would be hard to defy or question.
>>43570779
>>43556286
pick LITERALLY ANY SINGLE-GOD CULT.
That is now the dominant religion.
Done.
>>43571098
So there is only one god with quite limited domain? If people want good harvest or be protected from storms they are fucked because the only existing god is a god of cheese?
>>43564418
I mean, if you send troops to lay siege to a Sikh temple, you should probably tell your Sikh bodyguards to take the day off.
>>43571148
you better sacrifice some cheese and pray for good (cheesemaking) weather.
>>43571148
Hey, people seem to have done alright worshipping the storm god El for everything.
>>43563311
Then why bother calling it god?
If you just are fine using god as a synonym for calculation, why bother with the redefinition?
>>43557690
Well, given that this is a religion thread, who do we need to consult with regarding cleansing /pol/? Which faith has the best spiritual chlorine?
>>43556286
Make the religion (and the god) centered around a particular nation and its culture. What is the part of the culture the citisen appreciates the most?
>>43571490
>entire nation is centered around cheese
>people wear yellows
>nobles have yellows decorated with blue or similar colours
>the flag is jellow with a few black circles
>every saturday is cheese day
>>43564115
Man, do I have a game for you!
