Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[LuckyR]

Well if deity means a god and a god originally (before monotheism) meant an entity which is worshipped and has superhuman powers, then they almost certainly exist. Though essentially no one currently worships them.

[Lagayascienza]

Yes, the sun is more powerful than humans. Life on Earth depends on it. That's why it was worshipped. And the earth and its ecosystems and animals, which provided for all our needs, were also more powerful than humans and so they were also worshiped. So, yes, those powerful natural entities were worshiped. But then humans started inventing imaginary, non-natural, invisible, supernatural deities on some of which today's global, organized religions are based.

The difference between the ancient, visible, natural gods and the gods of present day organized religions is that the natural gods really existed whereas the more modern, non-natural, imaginary gods do not exist. At least, given their purported status as omniscient, omnipotent, and omni-benevolent, I find it difficult to see how they could possibly exist in a world of evil and suffering and given what we now know about the earth and the greater universe. These more recent, problematic, supernatural deities are ineffectual and long passed their use-by date.

[Pattern-chaser]

Well if deity means a god and a god originally (before monotheism) meant an entity which is worshipped and has superhuman powers, then they almost certainly exist. Though essentially no one currently worships them.

Gods have been venerated since there have been humans. Religion is not uncommon, even today. If you are saying that religious observance is fading, I would have to agree. But I don't think it's gone already...?