If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him ~ Voltaire
Gods And Jungian Archetypes
Considering that most, if not all, deities can be tied in with the twelve Jungian Archetypes, it seems that all of the gods and goddesses are possibly just the creation of the human mind. But why? What is the driving force that causes us to imagine and invent paranormal superbeings? Is it because we were hardwired to worship something greater than ourselves, or do we simply recognize that we are in fact, created beings?
Conversely, it could also be that these beings actually do exist in some way outside of the human mind, either because they are alien entities with their own experiences in the universe, or because they are the product of some kind of common-belief-factor that we as yet do not understand; self-aware entities brought into being and empowered by the inventors/worshippers themselves. Currently, there is no way to be truly empirical or objective about it, but we can still take a look at their purpose and usefulness.
People tend to worship or pray to divinities for three reasons:
1) Cultural/filial expectations, habit
2) For adoration
3) For assistance
Of course, these reasons can, and often do, overlap.
Still, at the root of this worship, is an underlying admittance that the divine being in question is the embodiment of what the worshipper themselves want to be. We recognize that these deities have qualities and abilities that we do not have, but wished we had, so we appeal to them. On an individual level, this behavior seems healthy and admirable.
If, however, someone pays homage to a god or goddess simply out of fear of punishment, then not only is that admittance of guilt (because the truly righteous need not fear divine punishment) but it's also a compounding negative habit that reinforces weakness and servitude. To spend one's life on your knees simply because you fear the being you're kneeling to is self-imposed slavery.
While the Church of Thea Apo Mesa most definitely supports the worship and adoration of divinities of all kinds, we absolutely do not condone craven weakness, or subservience to anyone or anything.
To be willing to serve another is a great strength because it demonstrates self-awareness, compassion, and humility. To be willing to 'bend the knee' is a great weakness because it requires you to surrender your will and purpose to another out of fear of punishment.
Any being that actually deserves respect would not ask for you to abandon your free will.
Angels, Saints, Demons, and Devils
While on a surface level angels, saints, demons, devils, bodhisattvas, Loa, etc seem to be completely different from one another, there is a common denominator they all share that is worth exploring; None of these beings are known for being creators. Some serve greater beings, others do not, but none of them claim to be responsible for our existence. They are beings in-between the worlds of humans and gods who pass through the doors of reality for purposes unknown to us, which is particularly interesting when one considers the contrived, digital nature of our universe.
That they are often considered servants or messengers to more powerful entities demonstrates the existence of a hierarchy outside of our reality; outside of the server which houses this simulation, indicating that these beings are more in line with what we would consider to be the actual coders themselves (or perhaps even hackers, as in the cases of 'spirits' who show no fealty or obligation to higher powers). This would also explain the lack of full Administrative privileges as they are only able to affect certain smaller outcomes in the simulation which could occur through the temporary altering of variables and values.
To appeal to angels, demons, and the like clearly carries its own dangers and concerns because they may or may not be operating with our personal best interests in mind, and in fact could be making alterations in the system outside of proper or accepted channels. In these cases, careful introspection should be made before pursuing involvement with this classification of entity, as well as thoughtful discussion with others as to the merits and repercussions of such involvement.
In summation:
Gods and Goddess are either:
1) Written into the simulation [as independent entities, or as group-created thoughtforms] to aid in our evolution/development,
or
2) They are the Software Developers themselves, occasionally stepping in to help, and guide us with full Admin powers at their disposal.
While:
Angels, Saints, Demons, etc are either:
1) Written into the simulation [as independent entities, or as group-created thoughtforms] to aid in our evolution/development,
or
2) They are Simulation programmers or hackers with limited privileges who can tweak variables within the system to favor certain outcomes.
Thea Apo Mesa officially supports the worship and adoration of deities from all cultures provided it is for self-improvement, and/or the betterment of humankind.
We look forward to your comments in the discussion area.
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