is the storm god set and the thunder god of israel the same deity?

[Kori Houghton]

...The Left hand Path is one of worship of the individual Psyche-these are the oldest "beliefs" held by mankind- that the individual is indeed god and may through thoughtful awareness and conscious application of intelligence become the Highest of Life,

I was unaware that the oldest religious beliefs were LHP (as you define it). Can you specify examples of these 'oldest' religions and the cultures that followed them?

Thanks!

 

[EtuMalku]

I agree with Arimoff that "Judeo-Christian" is a rather problematic term. While it may be appropriate for Christians, who stem from Judaic spirituality, it is not appropriate for Jews, who do not recognize Christianity as a valid part of Judaic experience. And while I appreciate and support the right of Sireal and Adramelek and others to define "LHP" and "RHP" as you find necessary, I must respectfully disagree with said definitions. I would agree that Judaism is "RHP," but not just because it involves worshiping an external deity. Worship does not always translate into self-denial - Tantrists, the Carpocratian Gnostics, and ancient Setians being particularly good cases in point. The evidence indicates that the ancient Setians actually worshiped and prayed to Set, much like every other pagan cult did with its deities at the time. I think a more helpful distinction to draw is whether the deity that is being worshiped is a "lawgiver" God, like monotheistic Gods are normally proposed to be, or a more "counter-cultural" deity like Set was understood to be. Obviously, worshiping the latter will require a more antinomian disposition (i.e., greater individual freedom) than that of worshiping the former. But if "RHP" and "LHP" are defined strictly by whether one worships an external deity or oneself, then it must be concluded that even the ancient Setians were "RHP," with which I cannot agree.

This being the case then perhaps we should start referring to them as Egypto-Judeo or Chaldean-Judeo? :run:

As for Judaism I am more than slightly familiar, it is not much different than it's two cousins in the evil god department:

Genesis 7:23 He killed, intentionally, every man, woman, and child on the planet save eight of them.
Genesis 19:23-25 God burns down a whole city (women and children included) simply because they were supposedly homosexual.
Genesis 38:10 God murders Onan for refusing to commit incest with his sister in law.
Exodus 12:29 God decides to kill all the first born of Egypt. The lord reduced himself to murdering the innocent when he could have simply freed the Israelites himself with his “omnipotent” power.
Exodus 21:2-6 God endorses slavery, the selling of ones daughter. He even set up laws as to how slavery was to be carried out, and goes as far as okaying beating them.
Leviticus 27:28-29 God ordered and allowed human sacrifices.
Numbers 16:35 God killed 250 Levite princes who disagreed with Moses’ leadership. Later he put a plague upon 14,700 Jews who thought there was something wrong in killing 250 princes.
Numbers 31:17-18 God commands Moses to kill all the Medianite people including children and women. To top it off he commands that the virgins be saved for later raping by Moses’ soldiers.
Deuteronomy 3:3-7 God ordered Moses’ army to “utterly destroy” 60 cities, killing all the women and children within!
Deuteronomy 7:12 God ordered the Israelites to kill all the people of seven nations. He even adds, “show no mercy unto them”.

I could go on on but I think the point is clear.

 

[Adramelek]

Hmm... all the more reason why the Jewish, Christian, Muslim "Gods" are called the "Death gods of men" by Our Dark Prince, who Him Self is known as the Highest of Life.

The Three-fold Commandment of Set:
I. Arise in your glory;
II. Behold the genius of your creation;
III. And be prideful of being;
"For I am the same, I who am the Highest of Life."

/Adramelek\

 

[Darth Brooks]

This being the case then perhaps we should start referring to them as Egypto-Judeo or Chaldean-Judeo? :run:

Why not just "Judaic?" It's simple enough. Anything else is overcomplicating the issue.

I could go on on but I think the point is clear.

Your point is very clear, but mine seems to have been overlooked.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I like the theory and all, but as a person who has had personal experiences and interaction with Set- Set really, really doesn't like being compared to other gods, or placed besides them, or things being said of him that aren't so. That being said, Set is also the evil god, that is to say, the god who is evil in order to repel the greater evil of Apep, the uncreated. The Abrahamic god supposedly is good, and has no evil in him, according to any Abrahamic book I ever read, so nope, Set can't be him, Set is definitely evil, evil in a good way, but still evil.

 

[Darth Brooks]

I like the theory and all, but as a person who has had personal experiences and interaction with Set- Set really, really doesn't like being compared to other gods,

I've have personal experiences and interaction with Set for fifteen years, and He doesn't seem to mind responding to names like Typhon or Sabaoth, both of which were originally names for different deities. There are also Setians who identify Him with Odhinn, Tezcatlipoca, and other non-Egyptian deities, and they do not appear to have any trouble with it. Being that Set is the God of Foreigners, such foreign comparisons appear to be a recurring theme in His following, historically. So I don't think you should speak of what Set "really, really doesn't like," considering that everyone's experiences with Him will be quite different.

or placed besides them,

Historically, Set has been worshiped beside deities like Nephthys, Anubis, Anath, Ashtoreth, and even Horus.

or things being said of him that aren't so.

The way you describe Set makes Him sound a lot like the biblical deity. A jealous God who doesn't like to be worshiped beside other deities, who can't stand "false" things being said about Him. I'm not sure you realize how much you are eroding your own argument with these statements.

That being said, Set is also the evil god, that is to say, the god who is evil in order to repel the greater evil of Apep, the uncreated. The Abrahamic god supposedly is good, and has no evil in him, according to any Abrahamic book I ever read,

Have you read the Old Testament?

Isaiah 45:7 (New International Version)
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.

Psalm 74:14 (New International Version)
It was you [the LORD] who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

As the Hebrews originally understood him, YHVH was not exactly an "all-benevolent" deity. He had both good and evil qualities. He had a very dark and savage aspect, as can be seen from the story of Exodus. YHWH's negative aspects are also exemplified in the Kabbalah (specifically in the sephirot of the left pillar, e.g., Geburah). It wasn't until much later, during the century before Christ or so, that YHWH was declared to be "all-benevolent" - which is what necessitated the invention of "Satan" as an independent entity. YHWH was also a "monster-slayer" God; as the slayer of Leviathan he resembles both Set and Ba'al.

so nope, Set can't be him, Set is definitely evil, evil in a good way, but still evil.

I can respect this as your opinion - but it isn't a fact. I think "evil" is a very subjective term.

 

[Adramelek]

I like the theory and all, but as a person who has had personal experiences and interaction with Set- Set really, really doesn't like being compared to other gods, or placed besides them, or things being said of him that aren't so. That being said, Set is also the evil god, that is to say, the god who is evil in order to repel the greater evil of Apep, the uncreated. The Abrahamic god supposedly is good, and has no evil in him, according to any Abrahamic book I ever read, so nope, Set can't be him, Set is definitely evil, evil in a good way, but still evil.

I too have experienced the Presence of Set and have been one of His/Its disciples for over 21 years. I agree with you Yosef, sometimes it takes evil to destroy evil. However, evil is a subjective term. But as the late Anton LaVey said "Evil backwards is Live". And yes, during the times in Egypt when Set was revered he was known as the Slayer of Apep, the serpent of disolution who every morning attempted to devour the mighty Khepera, the Dawning Sun of Rebirth. In modern Setian cosmology Apep is still regarded as the enemy of Xeper and the Setian Initiate must take care not to fall into the trap of Apep's insidius power of Self-delusion.

Even still, as the Setian Initiate continues to Xeper he/she can still fall into that trap, that is why we must become our own slayers of Apep within our Self for even the best of us can fall. Case in point, the fallen Magus V* R.K. Barrett back in the early 1980's, he succumbed to Apep and in his lust for power his iron claw rule over the ToS as High Priest of Set almost destroyed the Temple, but luckely he was exposed in time. He actually ploted to make a human sacrifice out of Michael Aquino so that Barrett's Word Xem could overpower Xeper. Once exposed Barrett was immediately discommunicated from the Temple of Set. He died some years later. That was one of the darkest times in history of the ToS. Black Magic is most diffenetly not for the unstable of mind, eventually they will be exposed.

The ToS recovered and is the worlds most prestiges LHP school of the Black Arts. Though the pain of the Barrett years lasted for quite some time, and the Temple lost a good many great Setians in the aftermath. The Aeon-Enhancing Word Xem is still studied and explored by many Setians as it is concidered a relevant Principle in the Quest for Xeper.

Xeper!
/Adramelek\