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Can it really be said that other gods are Demons or Evil Spirits?

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
This thread is a sort of spin off of another thread of mine, in which it came up that the Pagan gods might be evil spirits. My question is how can one show this, that they are evil spirits? They answer prayer, they teach people to do good and avoid wrong, and they teach people to be both bodily and spiritually pure/clean. What do you make of this?
 

Thesavorofpan

Is not going to save you.
This thread is a sort of spin off of another thread of mine, in which it came up that the Pagan gods might be evil spirits. My question is how can one show this, that they are evil spirits? They answer prayer, they teach people to do good and avoid wrong, and they teach people to be both bodily and spiritually pure/clean. What do you make of this?

It's all about the eye of the Beholder really. I would ask how is the Aztec sacrifice of human's justifiable and you would ask how is the sacrifice of Animals by the Hebrews justifiable. It will just turn into a huge argument that I really don't want to get into.
 

I.S.L.A.M617

Illuminatus
You really started it by calling other religions evil in the first place. All that's being asked is why you believe these religions are evil, not just that they are wrong.
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Well I'm not sure from the modern perspective that either human or animal sacrifice was right, but it's an inescapeable part of human history. The Hebrews also sacrificed their children at points throughout history in the valley of Hinnom, and some Pagan nations later made human sacrifice illegal. I learned earlier today that the ancient Egyptians used to burn the enemies of Egypt alive on the altar of my mother, Sekhmet-Mut.
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
In the book of Judges it says Josiah offered his daughter as a burnt offering
 

Breathe

Hostis humani generis
ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹੁ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
Beḏ kaṯeb kahhu maṯ jẖūṯẖe jẖūṯẖā jo na bicẖārai.
Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.


In my opinion, no. One cannot show or demonstrate that the gods of another faith are evil - if they teach people to do good things, that's good enough for me and they deserve my respect.

Although, I am of the opinion that all roads lead to Rome, so it doesn't matter to whom one prays. :)
 

Tiapan

Grumpy Old Man
It's all about the eye of the Beholder really. I would ask how is the Aztec sacrifice of human's justifiable and you would ask how is the sacrifice of Animals by the Hebrews justifiable. It will just turn into a huge argument that I really don't want to get into.

Some humans do strange things to other humans. The Fore tribe of Papua-New Guinea eats their relatives as a sign of respect, should we disregard this cultural because we as external observers find this distasteful? Surely they have the right to live uninterrupted as they have successfully for 30,000 years? More than the so called advanced civilizations that have post dated them.

Cheers
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Thesavor- Jdg 11:30 (Revised Standard Version) And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. 33 And he smote them from Aro'er to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. 34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow." 36 And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites." 37 And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."38 And he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
People seem to fear those who are different they are. It starts at a very young age, too, when little kids torment one kid because he/she is not like them. This fear can cause a person to become bigoted. You need to feel sorry for those who are bigoted, because they miss out on so much and miss out on making friends they could have made, and so on.
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Yeah, and then the other example in the Bible of the ancient Hebrews engaging in human sacrifice is when it says they threw their children into the valley of Hinnom, but it also says the Lord gave them no command to do so, and it did not please him.
 

Thesavorofpan

Is not going to save you.
Thesavor- Jdg 11:30 (Revised Standard Version) And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. 33 And he smote them from Aro'er to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. 34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow." 36 And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites." 37 And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."38 And he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.


So when does he burn her?
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Verse 39- He did according to the vow, which he had made.

31 then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering
 

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
Well, look into the history of any people and you will find atrocity... the Christians with their pogroms and crusades and inquisitions... Aztec with their sacrifices and so on.

None of us walk without some shame in the way we have treated others. What is important is what we do to see it never happens again. None of us is holier than another.

wa:do
 
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