Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so we're all in agreement then it's NOT insulting.
I haven't heard otherwise.

It can be insulting, particularly when used as an insult as 11:59 pointed out. Comparing the God of modern Christians and Jews and Muslims to Santa Clause or the gods in ancient mythology texts, as an intentional insult to the intelligence of modern people of various religions is insulting. Also, usually when it is insulting, it is not necessarily because of the word "mythical," which has a broad academic meaning that can be aptly applied to any belief system, but because the insulter is often intentionally mischaracterizing the belief system, e.g., mockingly suggesting that the believer thinks God is a white man with a white beard in the white clouds granting wishes and striking down sinners with lightening, and such. In other words, taking paintings, and literature, and movies and other imagery in a literal sense for the purpose of mockery, and reducing an entire religion to that imagery.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here since plenty of people believe exactly that. I agree that mocking them isn't nice, but to suggest that they don't "literally" believe that is a bit delusional also.

You'll have to enlighten me on which religions define and teach that God is a literal old man sitting on a literal cloud. I'm not familiar with any, but always interested to learn. I realize that there are some Biblical literalist sects arising from a movement at Princeton Seminary in the 1920s (today's tent revivals), but I don't think even they hold this image as literal.

Deepok Chopra wrote a book called "How to Know God," which walks through the levels of intellectualism in modern religion. It's short and interesting starting point for those interested in exploring what different religions actually believe.

So who is "our Heavenly Father?" And I thought the souls of those accepted ones did lounge around on clouds, or maybe jus some comfortable cushions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so we're all in agreement then it's NOT insulting.
I haven't heard otherwise.

It can be insulting, particularly when used as an insult as 11:59 pointed out. Comparing the God of modern Christians and Jews and Muslims to Santa Clause or the gods in ancient mythology texts, as an intentional insult to the intelligence of modern people of various religions is insulting. Also, usually when it is insulting, it is not necessarily because of the word "mythical," which has a broad academic meaning that can be aptly applied to any belief system, but because the insulter is often intentionally mischaracterizing the belief system, e.g., mockingly suggesting that the believer thinks God is a white man with a white beard in the white clouds granting wishes and striking down sinners with lightening, and such. In other words, taking paintings, and literature, and movies and other imagery in a literal sense for the purpose of mockery, and reducing an entire religion to that imagery.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here since plenty of people believe exactly that. I agree that mocking them isn't nice, but to suggest that they don't "literally" believe that is a bit delusional also.

You'll have to enlighten me on which religions define and teach that God is a literal old man sitting on a literal cloud. I'm not familiar with any, but always interested to learn. I realize that there are some Biblical literalist sects arising from a movement at Princeton Seminary in the 1920s (today's tent revivals), but I don't think even they hold this image as literal.

Deepok Chopra wrote a book called "How to Know God," which walks through the levels of intellectualism in modern religion. It's short and interesting starting point for those interested in exploring what different religions actually believe.

So who is "our Heavenly Father?" And I thought the souls of those accepted ones did lounge around on clouds, or maybe jus some comfortable cushions?

And who is "Our Father, who art in Heaven"? We know there are clouds in the sky, but now that there are airplanes and spaceships, we don't think of God being up there in the same way as before, I don't think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so we're all in agreement then it's NOT insulting.
I haven't heard otherwise.

It can be insulting, particularly when used as an insult as 11:59 pointed out. Comparing the God of modern Christians and Jews and Muslims to Santa Clause or the gods in ancient mythology texts, as an intentional insult to the intelligence of modern people of various religions is insulting. Also, usually when it is insulting, it is not necessarily because of the word "mythical," which has a broad academic meaning that can be aptly applied to any belief system, but because the insulter is often intentionally mischaracterizing the belief system, e.g., mockingly suggesting that the believer thinks God is a white man with a white beard in the white clouds granting wishes and striking down sinners with lightening, and such. In other words, taking paintings, and literature, and movies and other imagery in a literal sense for the purpose of mockery, and reducing an entire religion to that imagery.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here since plenty of people believe exactly that. I agree that mocking them isn't nice, but to suggest that they don't "literally" believe that is a bit delusional also.

You'll have to enlighten me on which religions define and teach that God is a literal old man sitting on a literal cloud. I'm not familiar with any, but always interested to learn. I realize that there are some Biblical literalist sects arising from a movement at Princeton Seminary in the 1920s (today's tent revivals), but I don't think even they hold this image as literal.

Deepok Chopra wrote a book called "How to Know God," which walks through the levels of intellectualism in modern religion. It's short and interesting starting point for those interested in exploring what different religions actually believe.

I said plenty of people believe that. I didn't say any religions "define and teach etc." You're attempting to change the subject. We all have out individual images of God. Anyway, who are you to say what any of our individual image of god should be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It depends on the listener's definition of mythical, doesn't it? Mythical can mean "non-existent", or it can mean "extremely famous and has reached icon status".

I would assume that any decent, open-minded person would first seek confirmation of what is it you mean. It's only the narrow-minded insecure folk who get easily offended. I have some devout Catholics in my family who would not have their feathers ruffled. They're seen and heard it all already.

If you're going to tell a devout believer that their God does not exist, well, that's just rude.

Would it be rude to tell them that you believe in a god of another religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

What's an example of a proper noun that is not capitalized?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheist here. I think it's insulting to refer to a god (any god) that someone believes in as a myth when talking to that person.

What about in a forum like this when you are talking to virtually everyone?

You may not know their specific religion but you can be pretty sure that they don't believe in an ancient religion that has multiple gods.

For centuries now, the major religions have had only one god, and I think it's the same god, but with different beliefs depending on the specific religion (e.g., , etc.)

^ That's highly debatable. There were posts on the other thread (the one that got reported) by one or more people who strongly disagreed with that, and indeed were offended by that assertion.

I certainly didn't intend to insult anyone. When you say "...people who strongly disagreed with that...." are you saying that there are people today who believe in multiple gods? Which religions are those? Or are you saying that people (e.g., Christians, Jews, Muslims) don't believe in the same god?

The Hindus believe in multiple gods.
I've heard in argued the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three gods. Trinitarianism can be a difficult concept to grasp.

A Christian would not make such an argument. People of other religions don't need to grasp the beliefs of a religion they don't believe in themselves. I think the insult comes in deriding such beliefs, not in not believing in them, or in not understanding them.

Christiana believe in the Holy Trinity:

The man; the myth; the legend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

Talking about God is like the " n-word" . If you say it to someone outside your in-group, regardless of intent, someone will be offended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

Talking about God is like the " n-word" . If you say it to someone outside your in-group, regardless of intent, someone will be offended.

You might be on to something, but the "n-word" really is a slur and always has been. I knew that as a kid.

"God" is not a slur. It a universally used term for a supreme being. Plus, it's often used, even by believers, as an expletive, as in "Oh God!" or "God damn it!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

No, I am not religious, actually. But I am an editor and the Christian “God” I reasonably infer is being discussed in this context is capitalized as a proper noun. People who act in good faith and want a respectful discussion generally abide by norms such as grammar. It’s kind of like a conservative who wants a conversation about “democrat” policies (instead of Democratic) or liberals who refer to “rethuglicans.” The premise is undercut by the presentation. It’s not hard to capitalize “God” in this context if you are genuinely interested in an answer — studiously refusing to do is a red flag from the start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

What's an example of a proper noun that is not capitalized?

I almost wonder if pp is thinking of bell hooks or e.e. cummings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

What's an example of a proper noun that is not capitalized?

“God” is not always a proper noun. That’s the point. In polytheistic religions “god” and “gods” would not be capitalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

No, I am not religious, actually. But I am an editor and the Christian “God” I reasonably infer is being discussed in this context is capitalized as a proper noun. People who act in good faith and want a respectful discussion generally abide by norms such as grammar. It’s kind of like a conservative who wants a conversation about “democrat” policies (instead of Democratic) or liberals who refer to “rethuglicans.” The premise is undercut by the presentation. It’s not hard to capitalize “God” in this context if you are genuinely interested in an answer — studiously refusing to do is a red flag from the start.

Thanks for the explanation. "Studiously refusing to do so" is different from not knowing. I didn't know and I wouldn't be surprised if some religious people didn't know and didn't notice.

Also, it seems like mind reading to infer that pp is not acting in good faith. And, even as a non-editor, it seems to me that not capitalizing God is not the same as using the made-up, purposely insulting term "rethuglicans".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I think it is because the questions aren’t really asked in good faith. Good faith conversations would use proper capitalization of proper nouns, for example. Your studious refusal to capitalize “God” is exhibit one of your trolling. And trolling is insulting.

DP -- I would guess that you, pp, are religious, and in your religion, "God" is one being who comes with a capital letter. Not all sentences are contructed this way and people are not being inherently insulting when they do not capitalize the word "god" in a sentence. Perhaps you could be more open-minded about that, assuming that you can be accepting of differing religious views.

No, I am not religious, actually. But I am an editor and the Christian “God” I reasonably infer is being discussed in this context is capitalized as a proper noun. People who act in good faith and want a respectful discussion generally abide by norms such as grammar. It’s kind of like a conservative who wants a conversation about “democrat” policies (instead of Democratic) or liberals who refer to “rethuglicans.” The premise is undercut by the presentation. It’s not hard to capitalize “God” in this context if you are genuinely interested in an answer — studiously refusing to do is a red flag from the start.

Thanks for the explanation. "Studiously refusing to do so" is different from not knowing. I didn't know and I wouldn't be surprised if some religious people didn't know and didn't notice.

Also, it seems like mind reading to infer that pp is not acting in good faith. And, even as a non-editor, it seems to me that not capitalizing God is not the same as using the made-up, purposely insulting term "rethuglicans".

I found this https://www.learnreligions.com/god-or-god-to-capitalize-or-not-to-capitalize-249823 about when to capitalize the word "god."

[Excerpt] "Christians are accustomed to using God because they always reference it in a personal manner—they say that "God has spoken to me," not that "my god has spoken to me." Thus, they and other monotheists might be taken aback at finding people who don't privilege their particular god concept and so reference it in a general manner, just as they do with everyone else's god. It's important to remember in such cases that it is not an insult simply to not be privileged."

According to this, only #1 of OP's 3 questions might be considered insulting to believers. and in my non-editor view, I give OP the benefit of the doubt.