From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!5941ux!machaids!hocda!spanky!ihnp4!ihuxv!portegys
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: Ritual and Polytheism
Article-I.D.: ihuxv.454
Posted: Mon Apr 18 12:48:20 1983
Received: Wed Apr 20 02:35:07 1983

On the subject of all-powerful, all-knowing gods, yes I agree it is
dull to have them.  Yes, it is much more interesting to stock your
religion with all sorts of crazy, idiosyncratic characters, each with
their own strengths and weaknesses.  It really does explain reality
better.  I mean, the reason my car won't start is because I neglected
to pay proper homage to Valvo, god of internal combustion engines.
But, the thing with religion is that it has to be there, for better
or for worse, to explain things, and more importantly, to tie them
up in the end.  I can't have Valvo killed off by his mutant brother
or going off to an alternate universe, because where does that leave
me and my car?  There has to be something staring over one's shoulder,
breathing down one's neck, now and forever, to make it work.  The
Greeks called it Fate, which even the gods could not cheat.  It was
spun out by three bland characters called appropriately, the Fates.
I bet if a close look is taken at any religion, the element of Fate
is there.

      Tom Portegys, BTL IH (...ihuxv!portegys)