Sep 12 2008
By His Mighty Hand – II
You mould the earth to your wish, you and you alone. From Stephen Quirke’s, The Cult of Ra: Sun-Worship in Ancient Egypt (26)
God is mighty. Which god? The Egyptian Ra was mighty. The Greek Zeus was mighty. The Roman Vulcan was said to shake the heavens and create thunder when he swung his hammer. (27)
As for the Bible-based religions, they, too, reflect the idea that their god is mighty and does great deeds. Even the Christian New Testament echoes this theme time and time again.
The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:21)
But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. (John 10:38-39)
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. (Matthew 28:2)
Power. A personal god tends to be powerful. Otherwise, why bow down to him? What could you gain from a god without power?
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(26) Quirke, S. The Cult of Ra: Sun-Worship in Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, New York, 2001, p. 161
(27) Boyer, P. Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought, Basic Books, New York, 2001, p. 11
