# Why does God need to be the only God AND omnipotent to boot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 24, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866 "2011-08-24T04:28:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/41 "2011-08-24T15:56:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Where you’re going wrong is in thinking of God as like a protagonist in a comic book, when really God is analogous to the comic book artist him/herself. God is the original “Mary Sue”? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/42 "2011-08-24T16:44:05Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Where you’re going wrong is in thinking of God as like a protagonist in a comic book, when really God is analogous to the comic book artist him/herself. Don’t mock the Kirbytarian Faith. Bow before the One-Above-All. Praise Jack. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/43 "2011-08-24T16:52:45Z")
The reason is ‘God is One’ and ‘God is Love’. There is but One divine Spirit, that of God, which is also that of Love. Christians and followers of Jesus and also in Judaism call it the Holy Spirit, the Native Americans call it the Great Spirit and there are other names as well, but it’s the same spirit. Even though ‘God is one’ there are still many people acting in Love towards others, that is the one God working through them. Whenever someone shows you kindness, it is them in union and oneness with God your creator. As you receive that Love you are receiving God your creator. This is the reason that all things work for the good and why we want one God, instead of multiple gods in control. There is no lack of knowledge between the gods with one God. Also it does allow for individuality as God created you to rejoice in being you, not just a assimilated being but you living your live desiring and fulfilling (with God’s help) to Love and be Loved - which is oneness with God. It is also why we have the right to be called the children of God, because we are one with God. We don’t become our own god as Satan is trying to but we become God with God as God. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/44 "2011-08-24T17:16:10Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > it was probably like the pre-Crisis Superman power creep Good analogy. And just as with Superman, who started out fighting bank robbers and later was pitted against super-villians, Satan has also acquired omniscience and near omnipotence over the ages. ---
**Author:** ![humanafterall](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/humanafterall/32/19654_2.png) [@humanafterall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humanafterall)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/45 "2011-08-24T17:18:07Z")
I think I get what you are are saying, **kanicbird** , all the religions talk about the same God, but in their own way,and the problem today, as it has been since ancient times, is whose story is right. I feel that they are all right. Christians believe God sent his only son to die for their sins, Muslims believe really the same thing, with a few alterations, (Jesus= Mohammed), and as far as Judaism goes, I don’t know enough to say anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/46 "2011-08-24T18:01:20Z")
> [@humanafterall](#): > > I think I get what you are are saying, **kanicbird** , all the religions talk about the same God, but in their own way… I never get tired of hearing this. No, wait…I _do_. Do you even realize how superficial and disrespectful of other religions that idea is? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/47 "2011-08-24T18:48:57Z")
> [@humanafterall](#): > > I think I get what you are are saying, **kanicbird** , all the religions talk about the same God, but in their own way,and the problem today, as it has been since ancient times, is whose story is right. I feel that they are all right. I feel they all have been given aspect of God, and there is a more complete picture when they are brought together, and they are made to come together, as we all are God’s children and made to come together. By coming together in Love, the pieces will fit and we will know God much better then the individual aspects. > [@](#): > > Christians believe God sent his only son to die for their sins, Muslims believe really the same thing, with a few alterations, (Jesus= Mohammed), and as far as Judaism goes, I don’t know enough to say anything about it. I don’t know much about Mohammed, so I don’t really like to use it, but there was a practitioner of Wicca who did a very nice job describing her faith which was very acceptive and inclusive of other faiths here on the SD. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/48 "2011-08-24T18:52:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you even realize how superficial and disrespectful of other religions that idea is? Do you want to accuse me of blasphemy or is that what you are doing? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/49 "2011-08-24T19:00:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lago Ys-Transform] How did this happen? What’s wrong with having a God that’s A) not omnipotent and B) more importantly, doesn’t deny the existence of everyone else’s deities? [/QUOTE] I haven’t read the entire thread so apologies if I’m repeating info, but what you’re describing is called [henotheism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism). Many cultures have practiced it including- according to many if not most scholars of the ancient Middle East- the ancient Hebrews. God as a single omnipotent/omniscient/omnipresent deity is far more recent. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/50 "2011-08-24T21:08:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you even realize how superficial and disrespectful of other religions that idea is? Disrespectful or not, any religion willing to argue this way would also present a selective advantage… and provide a path from polytheism to monotheism. Polytheism can accept a new god on the scene (one whose followers have gained recent prominence, moved into the area, etc) as just another god, but a religion that argues for one-true-god with all others as aspects or saints or demons is necessarily agglutinative. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/51 "2011-08-24T21:53:03Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Where you’re going wrong is in thinking of God as like a protagonist in a comic book, when really God is analogous to the comic book artist him/herself. Not really, since he doesn’t exist. God isn’t telling anyone anything; it’s his believers who are. And they are both creators and fans; religion is more like fanfiction than like professional publishing. ---
**Author:** ![humanafterall](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/humanafterall/32/19654_2.png) [@humanafterall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humanafterall)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/52 "2011-08-25T01:42:54Z")
All great truths begin as blasphemies, **Czarcasm**. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/53 "2011-08-25T01:45:58Z")
> [@humanafterall](#): > > All great truths begin as blasphemies, **Czarcasm**. How pseudo-profound. Who are you quoting? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/54 "2011-08-25T02:40:41Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > No, you weren’t. According to the link - yes, I was. > [@](#): > > That’s plain silly. > > Is this not being for either label thing new? Things you’ve said on this board: > > You haven’t once called yourself a theist, until this thread where you claim to be both, neither and have no idea. I’m very sorry, but you seem to be the only one who doesn’t understand. I don’t expressly disbelieve or believe in God; I function as though He exists. I think of him in conceptual terms, not a literal one. Not quite sure where your assault is coming from, but it’s pretty unnecessary. When I say something like, “I’m an atheist”, I’m using the very literal definition used here on SDMB (like the one in your link) and it’s usually when I’m under assault for believing in a God I don’t literally ‘believe’ in. I believe in the idea of time travel more firmly than I do God. I think that because I can grasp the idea of space-time, I can grasp the idea of a God who is not only omnipotent, but omniscient and knows the future but does not interfere much with man. If anything, God is completely outside our concept of time and is nothing I can grasp. Or perhaps He doesn’t exist at all. But I very much love my religion, Torah study, philosophy, whatever. People who do believe in God don’t make me feel threatened (as seems to be the case with some atheists here) and I really do think that it doesn’t matter if Pie in the Sky God exists or not; people act as though He does. I mean, ‘love’ or ‘bonding with your child’ or having a ‘best’ friend is not a phenomenon, but people still give it a sort of extra-natural weight. Like I said before, belief in a god, afterlife, spirit world, or anything extra-natural is what separated us from non-humans tens of thousands of years ago. > [@Apollyon](#): > > Disrespectful or not, any religion willing to argue this way would also present a selective advantage… and provide a path from polytheism to monotheism. > > Polytheism can accept a new god on the scene (one whose followers have gained recent prominence, moved into the area, etc) as just another god, but a religion that argues for one-true-god with all others as aspects or saints or demons is necessarily agglutinative. Judaism was polytheistic at first - that was one of the points I was trying to make. I also have a hard time with Christians who say that there is only one God, but then give angels, demons, Jesus or Satan some extra-human power. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/55 "2011-08-25T03:02:02Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > According to the link - yes, I was. No, you weren’t. That linked gave you very common definitions which you said you were already aware of and I believe you as you’ve called yourself an atheist many times on this board. > [@](#): > > I’m very sorry, but you seem to be the only one who doesn’t understand. I don’t know where you’re getting that idea; no one here has jumped to your defense. > [@](#): > > I don’t expressly disbelieve or believe in God You’ve said in this thread that “an atheist believes there is no god” and in the few months that you’ve been here you’ve said you were an atheist several times. You’ve also said “I don’t believe in God.” You’ve never claimed that you were a theist or said “I believe in God.” It looks to me that you started playing devil’s advocate in this thread, to put it kindly, and now you’re backpedaling. > [@](#): > > I function as though He exists. How you function is irrelevant to your belief or lack of it. > [@](#): > > I think of him in conceptual terms, not a literal one. Not quite sure where your assault is coming from, but it’s pretty unnecessary. When I say something like, “I’m an atheist”, I’m using the very literal definition used here on SDMB (like the one in your link) and it’s usually when I’m under assault for believing in a God I don’t literally ‘believe’ in. You claim to be an atheist when you’re “under assault?” You believe in a God you don’t believe in? Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/56 "2011-08-25T03:04:02Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I’m very sorry, but you seem to be the only one who doesn’t understand. I don’t expressly disbelieve or believe in God; I function as though He exists. I think of him in conceptual terms, not a literal one. Not quite sure where your assault is coming from, but it’s pretty unnecessary. When I say something like, “I’m an atheist”, I’m using the very literal definition used here on SDMB (like the one in your link) and it’s usually when I’m under assault for believing in a God I don’t literally ‘believe’ in. > > I believe in the idea of time travel more firmly than I do God. I think that because I can grasp the idea of space-time, I can grasp the idea of a God who is not only omnipotent, but omniscient and knows the future but does not interfere much with man. If anything, God is completely outside our concept of time and is nothing I can grasp. Or perhaps He doesn’t exist at all. But I very much love my religion, Torah study, philosophy, whatever. People who do believe in God don’t make me feel threatened (as seems to be the case with some atheists here) and I really do think that it doesn’t matter if Pie in the Sky God exists or not; people act as though He does. I mean, ‘love’ or ‘bonding with your child’ or having a ‘best’ friend is not a phenomenon, but people still give it a sort of extra-natural weight. The term to describe you is ‘agnostic theist’. Atheists do not act as though God exists. > [@](#): > > Like I said before, belief in a god, afterlife, spirit world, or anything extra-natural is what separated us from non-humans tens of thousands of years ago. No, that would be opposable thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/57 "2011-08-25T03:08:52Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > No, that would be opposable thumbs. I thought it was that we had enough self awareness to laugh at ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/58 "2011-08-25T03:10:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I thought it was that we had enough self awareness to laugh at ourselves. Thumbs are kinda funny, so I concede the point. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/59 "2011-08-25T03:39:47Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > No, you weren’t. That linked gave you very common definitions which you said you were already aware of and I believe you as you’ve called yourself an atheist many times on this board. > I don’t know where you’re getting that idea; no one here has jumped to your defense. > You’ve said in this thread that “an atheist believes there is no god” and in the few months that you’ve been here you’ve said you were an atheist several times. You’ve also said “I don’t believe in God.” You’ve never claimed that you were a theist or said “I believe in God.” It looks to me that you started playing devil’s advocate in this thread, to put it kindly, and now you’re backpedaling. > How you function is irrelevant to your belief or lack of it. > You claim to be an atheist when you’re “under assault?” You believe in a God you don’t believe in? Whatever. Like I said. I’m very sorry you can’t understand the concept of someone who follows a communal religion while being ambivalent about the deity. I do not believe in God. I also don’t actively disbelieve in God to the point of freaking out when He’s mentioned, nor am I the type who refuses to engage in conversation addressing God. I also don’t really think of myself as a theist in the “I believe in God” sense…maybe “I have a religion/I don’t discredit other people’s God” puts me in a sub-category of \_\_\_ism. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866/60 "2011-08-25T03:43:37Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Like I said. I’m very sorry you can’t understand the concept of someone who follows a communal religion while being ambivalent about the deity. I don’t know where you got that idea. I haven’t once commented on that subject. I have no problems whatsoever understanding why someone enjoys various rituals and traditions of a religion without giving a damn if any gods exist. Nothing I wrote suggests otherwise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-god-need-to-be-the-only-god-and-omnipotent-to-boot/593866.md?page=4)