| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
07 Oct 2003 06:46:51 PM |
| Object: |
A theological primer, or where did the gods go anyway? |
A copy of an article just posted to some crossposters in arcb, & no, they
are not included in this mesage. We have a sufficient numbers of
buffoons already.
Among the problems facing theologians, is that of the unconscious filters
generated by our society. There are many but there are five that are
prominent. The religious filters, the social-political filters, the
cultural filter, the contextual filter, & last but far from least the
gender filter. It is easy for people to overlook the difference in the
point of view of a polytheistic society versus a monotheistic society. Due
to the limitations of the monotheistic Society & approach to theology, it
is not able to concentrate on the multitude of the gods & goddesses along
with other dieties for they are limited in what they are empowered to
consider a appropriate diety. A make be presumption without foundation
that there can only the one god/goddesses. The polytheistic society is at
the advantage in that it can consider all aspects of reality to be under
the control of a diety. The concept of diety is not limited to any major
god or goddesses but can include all the way from Angels through the wee
folk or, fairies. & before anyone attempts to say otherwise, kindly define
your concept of god or goddesses in such a manner that it is neither
contradictory as in the xian god, and actually makes sense which is
contrary to any god claim that I am aware of. When you do so kindly
provide some reference cites other than a holy book. That is referred to
as circular logic & is no better than attempting to prove that Gulliver's
Travels are real because Jonathan Swift wrote about them.
Social-political filters, it is well known & accepted among students &
scholars of theology of the Middle Eastern Region that the religion of the
Society was in fact integral to be functioning of that society. There is
no way around it but it was a masculine dominated theology even though
some goddesses did play very important parts. Predominantly, it was a
man's theology when it came to the major gods & their roles in their life.
Cultural Filters, this is based on our conception of how the ancients
lived, and a tendency to believe they held the same outlook as we do when
it came to their gods. Until one actually commences to study the approach
that the Babylonians, Sumerians, Hittite's, Persians, & other societys of
the ancient Mediterainian Basin, it is an easy mistake to make.
Contextual filter, this gets involved when we began to understand our lack
of knowledge, evidence is fragmentary, the past social conditions being
only partially understood leads to misconceptions. Until we understand how
they actually understood their gods/goddesses & incorporated that
knowledge into their life we will continue to lack complete knowledge and
contextual filters will kick in.
Gender filters get involved when we receive the name of a diety & there is
no indication whether it is a god or goddesses. The god lists of ancient
Mesopotamia contain several of this variety of names.
Continuing the study of theology leads one to notice that there are
theonomics, toponomics, and personal names that help muddy up the water.
An example of a theonomics would be the Hebraic use of the word el. A
toponomic would be something like el Carmel or the god of Mount Carmel, &
the personal name can be invoked across all Mediterainian societys from
the era of approximately six thousand BCE until today.
We can add to that be self glorification of various nations when it came
time to claim their bragging rights. A case in point would be the Hebraic
pantheon. The consensus among serious scholars of either the Bible of the
xian myth or the regional history of the Hebraic nations/tribes is that it
was a polytheistic mythology. It had its foundation in the mythology of
Canaan & the primary gods of both mythologys have the same name &
characteristics. Well, actually, the Hebraic el is more of a buffoon & a
god still in training. The xian grimorie records several of these gods,
and the average person today fails to realize that every god mentioned is
a local god only with specific responsibilities & privileges. One only has
to start reading genesis to realize this, of course one has to bypass some
of their built in filters.
Included as an example of the confusion possible is a very incomplete
list of some of the gods & goddesses found in the xian grimorie, in no
less than one out of the 25 + that exist.
By the way, can any xian tell me when the xian grimorie indicates that
monotheism became a way of life for the Jewish nation? The answer is in
there by the way.
abaddon In the Hebvrew, it means place of destruction. For the Christian
mythology, it is a demon of great power.
adat This title, mistress, is found in the OT, but is open to discussion
pro or con.
addirim Noble ones, used to describe yaweh & people & gods [Ps 16:3] of
more than common stature
adon The word went from meaning Lord, to adonay, which is an epiteth for
yaweh
adonay The word lord used in conjunction with yaweh
adrammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
aion though not used to describe the Judaic gods, it is found in Eph 2:2-7
& Col 1:26
al the shorter & more ancient term for elyon
alay a variety of al used for elyon
aliyan An epiteth of yahwe
almighty An epiteth for yaweh found only in the NT
aluqqah a vampire
am either a dvine name in its own right, or a substitute for one
amalek A mountain deity [sourced from the Egyptian Leiden Magical Papyrus]
amaletheia either the goat or nymph that suckled zeus [Job 42:14 LXX]
amun The hidden one [Egyptian Jer 46:25 Nah. 3:8]
amurru The god of the nomads of the amorites [w. mespotamia 3rd
millenium]
anammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
anat Consort of yahu[yahwe] [Elephantine Is. Papyrus]
angel A lower ranking deity
angel of death A deity concerned with death & answerable to yaweh in
exodus
angel of yaweh Yaweh's personal messenger
anthropos A designation for the highest being [cor. 15:21-2 not something
to make christians happy, it is a gnostic concept]
antichrist nuff said?
anu Heaven
aphrodite A theophoric element Phil, 2:25 Col. 1:7
apis The sacred bull of Memphis [LXX Jer. 46:15]
apkallu Creatuers of extreme wisdom [Mespotamia[Gen. 6:1-4]]
apollo His name is a theophoric element found in acts, 1cor., & titus
archangel A deity one step below el, then yahwe
archon This refers to the highest ranking deity, name immaterial
ares A theophoric found in acts 17
ariel found in the LXX & Isa. 33:7
artemis yes, the Greek virgin goddess, see acts 19 [Jewish literature only
it seems]
arvad homonymous with a Assyrian diety, armad
asham the ugartic equivalent of isum
asherah consort of el & then yahwe, she was a Canaanite goddes whose title
was "Mother of the gods" in the Hebrew mythology it was "Queen of heaven"
in Israel [Jer:]
ashhur 1 chr. 2:24, 4:5
ashima II Ki. 17:30 samaritan moon goddess
ashtoreth I Ki. 11:05 canaanite goddess, considered an aspect of asherah
asmodeus not found in the Hebrew bible, but found in tobit
assur only useed as a theohoric element, but he is the god of assyria
astarte she blends with many of the other caaanite goddeses, Duet: 7:13
atargatis her sanctuary is mentioned in Macc. 12:26
athena her city & people are mentioned
atum by way of Egypt, Ex: 1:11
aya conflated with ea from ugarit, 2 sam: 3:7
azazel really a bit confusing, Lev: 16:10,21-22
baal I Kings 18:19 Canaanite God ("Lord") of fertility, vegitation, and
storms.
baal gad Baal of Gad, a toponym
baal hammon A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal hazor A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal hermon A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal judah A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal meon A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal perazim A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this
location, with exactly which properties is unknown
baal shalisha A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this
location, with exactly which properties is unknown
baal shamem A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal tamar A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal zaphon A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at this location,
with exactly which properties is unknown
baal berith Judges 8:33 A toponym which indicates Baal was worshiped at
this location, with exactly which properties is unknown
baal peor Numbers 25:03 baal of pe'or [Moabite [Jordan]]
baal zebub Luke 11:19 Philistine aspect of Baal.
baalim I Kings 18:18 Canaanite gods, plural
bacchus A theophoric element of bacchides [1 macc]
baetyl Literally a stone god, but is considered to indicate the presence
of a god. The evidence for this is found in the Sinai and Negev deserts
as well as Genesis, Amos, and possibly Jeremiah
barad An ancient diety of the Canaanites, possibly from eblaitic origin
Ps: 76:48
baraq Jud 5:2-31
Dictionary of Dieties and Demons in the bible ISBN 900411190
bashan Ps 68:23
Dictionary of Dieties and Demons in the bible ISBN 900411190
bashtu 2 sam 2:8 4:4
Dictionary of Dieties and Demons in the bible ISBN 900411190
bastet Ez 30:17 A theophoric
Dictionary of Dieties and Demons in the bible ISBN 900411190
bel Isiah 46:01 By way of Assyria/Babalonyian/Sumeria, the name equated to
Marduk
beltu Is 10:4 The femenine form of Bel which makes it mean lady instead of
lord
Bes Ezera 2:49 A theonomic
Dictionary of Dieties and Demons in the bible ISBN 900411190
bethel The Hebrew and Christian mythologies remember this as the place
where their god El, was wrestled to a stand still and had to depart prior
to day break like any other thing that goes bump in the night. The name
has evolved from the presence of god to the house of god, but a bethel was
any idol [normally a stone that had not been worked with any tool though
there are primitive ones that show work by tools] that indicated the
presence of the Hebrew god Ref: Elephantine Island Papyrius, Genesis
boaz A corruption of the name Baal, it was a pillar of the Temple of
Solomon, it is also an epiteth of Baal 1ki 7:2:1
Carmel A specific location that is home to two gods, el [el karmel] and
baal [baal karmel], it is here the contest between yahwe & baal took
place as described in 1ki 18
chemosh [kamis of ebla] Dictionary of Deities & Demons Of the Bible ISBN
0802824919
cherubim The Israelite version of the sphinx, they appear with two of
connections, one to guard a sacred tree and two to carry and guard a
throne
christ Found in very few Jewish writings and the LXX, it always is used in
connection with kings, prophets, & priests
cybele Gen: 23:9 17 19 25:9 49:30 50:13
There is reason to believe her introducion is later than claimed by Hommel
[1929] who staes that the field of Machpelah is named after aspect of
ma-cybele. Dictionary of Deities & Demons Of the Bible ISBN 0802824919
dagon A variation on a very important grain god from western semantic and
Babalonyian regions, the god dagan, he can be found in the Hebrew Bible as
well as the 70
daphene, This suburb of Antioch is found in 2 Macc. 4:33, & it also can be
found in Greek spelling for Hebrew place names [it is doubtful this is
used in the divine sense even though it is a divine name]
day This noun has been used to indicate a malovent being & as some
parallels in the Mesopotamia text it is also attested to as a diety in the
baal Epic and the old Aramic treaty of sefire
deber It would appear that the word pestilence is also a name of a diety
as indicated by hab 3:5 ps 91:3 hos 13:14
demon, a Greek word used originally to describe messengers of the gods,
conflated with evil in the christian mythology
destroyer, a god like entity working on behalf of yvwh & El, found in Gen
13:10, duet. 20:19
devil this Greek word is only used in the new testament
*****, though the Greek goddess of justice she appears in acts 28:4
dragon, another Greek loan word & this mythical creature is mentioned 13
times [at least] in revelations of the christian bible
*****, a Greek goddes found in Acts:28:4
dionysus, this Greek god of ectasy is found in Macc 6:7 & equated with
yahweh
dod presumed to be an epithet of yawhe, the word means love
dynamis [power], found as a conflation with yaweh, mostly new testamnet
el aka il [S. Arabian] Reigon of worship: Amorite, No. Israel,
Syria,Lebanon & Ugarit Period of worship: about two thousand five hundred
BCE until seven hundred BCE Cults centers: Tirzah, Samara, Bethel, Dan
and rather a lot of cults & local hill shrines.
Sources of information: Vetus Testamentum, Gods and Goddess, Devils and
Demons, Manfred Lurker, Encylopedia of Gods, Michael Jordan, A
comprehensive dictionary of the gods, Anne Baumgartner
Information: There is much conflict as to regarding the exact or correct
meaning of the name. In Ugarit he is the father of the gods & creator of
creatures, he also has the honors of creator of the earth and the bull [a
fertility symbol]. His throne is located at the source of the rivers in
the depth of the abyss. In the Palmyra region he was known as the creator
of springs. He is also found in the Hebrew and Christian mythologies
where he is claimed to be the sole creator of the universe. In the
Amorite myutholgy, he is responsible for the fertility of humans.
Attributes: He is claimed to be kind, merciful, generous, the creator of
the entire universe and everything that is in it or will ever be in it.
Nothing is known about the Hebrew claim as regards the primordial waters
and earth.
el berith aka baal berith baal of the covenet [Judges 8:33 & 9:4] el of
the covenent [Judges 9:46] This is the only location in the Christian old
testament to verify this particular god. This is a particular aspect of
the Canaanite fertility gods baal & el of shecchem [tell balath]
Sources: A Dictionary Of Dieties And Demons In The Bible ISBN 082824919
2nd edition lists a large number of references for this particular
individual deity.
el creator of the earth Gen 14:19-22
elohim Sources: Vetus Testamentum Known period of worship: from
approximately one thousand two hundred BCE until approximately one
hundred C.E.. Comments: this is a plural word and used originally to
refer to the senior order of the gods, to differentuate them from the
lower order of the gods. A similar situation can be observed in the
Mesopotamian mythologies with various gods going to the earth and
performing labor until humanity was invented. It is used as an epiteth for
Yaweh after he took over the Hebrew mythology just after he mooned Moses
on the mountain.
eloah, an epithet for el, a divine name found in Job, it is of Canaanite
origin
El olam, an epiteth for el found in Genesis, thought to be an addition
el roi, found in Genesis only, considered an insertion
el rophe, found in Numbers 13:19, can refer to either Baal or el
Elders, now this is bizzare. They reside in heaven sitting on thrones &
their job is to prostrate themselves before yhwh, eternally.
Elyon, a neat word, can be descriptive [as in highest place], divine or as
an adjective as used in Ps. 89:27 when used to describe the king
eshum, a Phonecian god found in Isaiah
etemmu, means ghost & found in Isaiah
eternity, odd, but derived from the Phonecian god's name, oulomos, &
possibly the source of el olam
As you can see, there is a very long way to go.
walksalone who does understand the differance of the roots of theology &
the popular useage. He also understands by observation that very few
xians really know anything about their gods, all of them.
alt.religion.christian,alt.religion.christian.baptist,alt.religion.christian.biblestudy,alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic
.
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