Wednesday, June 04, 2008

"Alien-ness" of Gods

I've noticed in reading people's accounts of their deities, and in my own upbringing and practice, that there seem to be distinct 'types' of gods that humans relate to. Broadly, I see three basic categories:

"Evolved' gods - These gods were once humans, or related to or 'born with' humans. Several of the Irish gods, the bodhisatvas (sp?), some of the Greek gods who started out human and achieved godhood through effort or favour.

"Representative' gods - more prominent in indigenous societies, and sometimes not defined as gods by everyone. I'm thinking of Coyote, Raven - actually, all my examples here come from FN culture, but that's because that's what I'm familiar with.

'Alien' gods - again, maybe not the best term. Gods who are outside of time and space, born possibly of the universe itself, having no connection with earth or humanity except by their own choice. I'm not sure if creator gods come into this one or not, but possibly the JCI god does.

What 'type' of god do you follow? Do you think the other types actually count as gods or as something else? What is the actual, way back when, origin of your god, if you know it?

Feel free to rephrase the question or go off into a relevant tangent if I've left out some part of your cosmology.

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