Scholars when they research the polytheistic gods of ancient civilizations and cultures start with the assumption that the gods are imaginary inventions of the fertile human mind and purely mythical beings. I start with the opposite assumption, that is that ancient peoples depicted real (extraterrestrial) beings which to them were so advanced as to be deities - the gods. These ‘ancient astronauts’ have an actual ongoing presence which has filtered down through the present day, achieving now an actual quasi-mythology of its own, not just fictional as in say “Stargate”, but as a basis for serious speculation such as Erich von Daniken’s or even my own minor musings.
Continued from yesterday’s blog…
5) They, the extraterrestrials, made their presence felt at the dawn of mankind’s emergence; but hence, because there were so many of them, polytheism became the religious order of the day as far as the various human cultures were concerned. The humans obviously mistook the advanced extraterrestrials for supernatural deities, worshiping what they thought were the ‘gods’, but who in reality were at best pseudo-gods.
Discussion: One criticism of von Daniken’s (and others) ‘ancient astronauts’ was the ‘evidence’ in their use of their advanced technologies in building, or assisting in the building of the ancient Egyptian or Mesoamerican pyramid and other monumental constructions or well, monuments. Critics suggest that it insults the reasoning, resourcefulness, ingenuity, stubbornness, imagination, intelligence and other capabilities of our remote ancestors. If that’s the case, and I agree it is, then it’s equally insulting to suggest that they couldn’t distinguish fact from fiction and invented imaginary beings (their ‘gods’) out of whole fictional cloth as opposed to presenting their ‘gods’ as real entities. They certainly believed their ‘gods’ were really real, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they were indeed really real.
So what evidence do I offer up that the ‘gods’ were really real, albeit actual flesh-and-blood extraterrestrials. Well, there’s the consistency of the tales within each culture and often parallel consistencies between ancient societies and their mythologies. For example, parallel ideas central to a ‘paradise’ or to ‘sky beings’ or to ‘wars fought in heaven’. That’s very unlike the Bible which contradicts itself no end – like at nearly every opportunity. I mean, ‘turn the other cheek’ vs. ‘an eye for an eye’; ‘thou shall not kill’ but please execute homosexuals. Then there are the images of the ‘gods’ as wall paintings or rock carvings or as statutes, frescos, etc. So what? Well, these images are contemporary with the reign of the ‘gods; it’s as if the ‘gods’ sat for their portraits. The ‘gods’ weren’t camera shy! If the ‘gods’ didn’t exist, why would the ancient Greeks go to so much trouble as to construct the massive Statue of Zeus at Olympia which occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 12 meters (40 feet) tall; the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of the Greek god Helios, god of the sun, some 35 meters (110 ft) tall; or the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus which was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis and took 120 years to build. Oh, all of these are listed as being three of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. That’s big league territory. Sorry, not one of the Seven Ancient Wonders was devoted to ‘God’.
Then there is the nature of some of those images. I mean if you look at, or read a description of the Egyptian god Seth (Set), it just screams out ‘I’m an extraterrestrial’.
6) Therefore, the polytheistic pseudo ‘gods’ (or at least some, many or most of them) exist. Later on down the track, what became the monotheistic ‘God’, actually pseudo-God also existed. However, in the beginning, pseudo-God was just one of the pseudo-gods.
Discussion: If you assume the ‘gods’ exist, you may as well assume ‘God’ exists, but it’s also logical to lump them all together. On the other hand, if ‘God’ exists, why are there no images of ‘God’ from say 4000 years ago (to the best of my knowledge anyway)? There are no paintings; no frescos; no statues; no images at all. Perhaps that’s suggestive evidence that there is no ‘God’, or perhaps ‘God’ was just ‘camera’ shy!
7) Now I assume here that the ‘gods’ and ‘God’ are all related, but like humans, aren’t always one big happy family. In fact, if there’s any one word that describes the family of the ‘gods’, its “dysfunctional”!
Discussion: Take the ancient Egyptian ‘god’ Seth (or Set – whose appearance just screams out something extraterrestrial), who had quite a domestic spat with fellow ‘gods’ Osiris, Isis and Horus. Poor Osiris was murdered in fact by Seth. That’s dysfunctional!
Speaking of dysfunctional, there are lots of references in mythology to wars fought in heaven between the ‘gods’ (battles in outer space – a sort of ‘Star Wars’ perhaps?). There’s no doubt the ‘gods’ do fight among themselves for dominance. For example, the Olympian ‘gods’ (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, etc.) kicked out the Titans to achieve top ranking status as the Greek ‘gods’. Then there’s the Norse apocalypse of Ragnarok – more ‘gods’ behaving badly. Finally, there’s that heavenly battle royal between ‘God’ and company, vs. ‘Satan’ and company. [See Section 9]
8) Even further on down the track, was there was some sort of a falling out between ‘God’ (and His followers) and the other ‘gods’ for control over humanity? If so, ‘God’ and hangers-on win – monotheism comes to the fore.
Discussion: Well there’s no disputing that once upon a time, polytheism ruled the world; today monotheism tends to hold sway. Translated, in those ancient polytheistic times the ‘gods’ ruled, but in later times, our beloved monotheistic ‘God’ ruled heaven and Earth. If ‘God’ were once just one of the boys, just one of the ‘gods’ then there must have been some sort of falling out, even if there’s no documentation to that effect (that I’m aware of). Of course a non-existent ‘God’ might have won the hearts and minds of humanity by default. The supporters of monotheism had a good PR operation going!
9) However, ‘God’ (assuming His reality) and His minions have a falling out in turn – a house divided against itself. This is where ‘Satan’ and followers tell ‘God’ and followers to take a long walk off a short pier. Ultimately, ‘God’ proves to have ‘the force’ be with Him.
Discussion: Well there’s no disputing the Biblical (tall) tales that ‘document’ some sort of domestic disagreement between ‘God’ and some sort of entity we call today ‘Satan’. If you believe those Biblical tall tales, the end result of that domestic dispute, Armageddon, isn’t in fact in dispute. There’s a decided element here of “This ain’t over till it’s over; this ain’t finished yet; I’ll be back”! However, if you believe the Bible and the Book of Revelation, then you realise that Armageddon should have taken place over 1900 plus years ago, at least according to J.C. He said that the final battle between good (‘God’) and evil (‘Satan’) – I bet he was biased in deciding who was what – would take place within a generation or two of his utterances. So, if it took place way back then it took place off planet and out of human sight – a real life ‘Star Wars’. But if it hasn’t happened yet, assuming ‘God’ and ‘Satan’ are really real ET’s, then it probably isn’t every likely to. I mean you can only hold off a grudge match so long. Maybe they’ve kissed and made up, or…
10) But, a now much weakened ‘God’ and company are ripe for getting their comeuppance and it was so. They then get overturned and banished by the ‘gods’, which is why there’s no evidence for any Godly presence over the past several millenniums. ‘God’ has left the building! ‘God’ has been tarred and feathered and exiled from Dodge City
Discussion: There have been no ‘acts of God’ documented over the past several thousand years – no burning bushes, no universal floods, no pillars of salt. So either there is no ‘God’, or ‘God’ is afraid to show His face or His presence, or ‘God’ has tucked tail between legs and sought fame and fortune elsewhere - if the latter, who else had the power to exile ‘God’ but the ‘gods’?
11) But are the ‘gods’ still around? There’s been equally and relatively little evidence for them too over the past several millenniums. Still, I propose they’re out there at a distance, patiently observing, ever observing.
Discussion: It’s unlikely that if the ‘gods’ are really boldly going extraterrestrials, and since they have expended so much time, effort and energy in exploring this strange new world and new civilization (Earth and Earthlings) they would totally abandon their investment, their vacation R&R spot, their paradise, their home away from home. On the other hand, it’s one thing to hold sway over relative primitives, quite another to try to hold sway over a rapidly advancing civilization, one which by leaps and bounds begins to achieve their level of thunderbolt and related technologies.
12) But what happens when humans get advanced enough technologically to begin to, at least in principle, have the potential to challenge the ‘gods’ on their own turf? That is, we humans can begin to toss around a thunderbolt or two of our own.
Discussion: There’s no doubt that we’ve come a technological long way baby over the past 6000 or so years; even in the past 600 years, far less the past 60 years which has seen humans go from a relative state of being at the mercy of Planet Earth, to Planet Earth being at the mercy of humans. Even if the ‘gods’ decide to concede their dominion over Planet Earth to the natives, they can not be confident that the tide won’t turn and that we humans, we natives, might ultimately seek dominion over the ‘gods’. So, if we’re becoming an increasing potential threat to the ‘gods’, why don’t they just wipe us out while the wiping out is good. Well, firstly, we’re just ‘potential’, not actual. Secondly, they may have some sort of Prime Directive against genocide. The ‘gods’ aren’t totally amoral beings. Thirdly, they could just leave, leaving no trace as to where they went. Sure, thousands of years hence, when we boldly go, then it might be the case that they can’t hide from us, but by then perhaps we too will have a Prime Directive in place. But in the meantime…
13) Enter the modern UFO era, with the ‘gods’ moving in to keep far closer tabs on us and their dominion, which they’ve probably never relinquished but are worried that it will be taken away from them, even by force. Our thunderbolts are now, or soon will be, bigger and better that their thunderbolts.
Discussion: Well, there’s no denying that the modern UFO era dawned at the very time our nuclear thunderbolts came to the fore of our offensive capabilities. We’ve only increased the technological sophistication of our thunderbolts since.
The question is, will we all live happy ever after?
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