Menken's Dead Gods - Term Paper Example

?Do you agree with Menken that these are now dead gods? Yes, I absolutely agree with Menken that these are now dead gods. I consider these gods as dead because, as Menken pointed out, nobody worship or even remember them (Mencken 1). Just as the memory of a dead man is lost and forgotten except among his lovers, so also the memory of these gods is lost and forgotten. Take for instance, Huitzilopochtli, who was the national god of the Aztec of Tenochtitlan and the most celebrated and feared of all the gods of the ancient Aztec (Andrews 223). The Aztec built a great temple on the Pyramid in Tenochtitlan in his honor. At its completion ceremonies, it is reported that more than 20,000 human sacrifices were offered in a four day celebration (Andrews 224). This attests to position Huitzilopochtli occupied among the ancient Aztec. However, apart from a few savage in the Mexican forest, Huitzilopochtli is as dead as dead great men like General Coxey Richmond P. Hobson because he lives only in history (Mencken 1). No one worship or pay reverence to him in any form. He is a forgotten character even among the present day Aztec. Huitzilopochtli is not the only god that is a victim of death. Indeed, the numerous Roman gods and goddesses such as Jupiter and Venus (Platner and Ashby 25), the Egyptian gods and goddesses such as Isis and Osiris (British Broadcasting Corporation), have undergone similar fate. Jupiter is no longer worshiped by present day Romans nor is Osiris of any relevance to the 21st century Egyptian. The same applies to all the gods mentioned by Mencken. These gods live only in history like great man like Abraham Lincoln. Their temples and place of worship are historical monuments just like the home of Abraham Lincoln is a history monument. Thus I absolutely concur with Menken that these are now dead gods. What would a dead god be? From human perspective, to be dead means to be lifeless. Related to this is the fact that a dead person’s inability to procreate. In addition, a dead person does not response to external stimuli neither can he influence events. The dead person lives only in history and in the memory of those that love him. Thus a dead god would be lifeless, powerless, lacking influence and the ability to response to stress and procreate and following these characteristics, he lacks worshippers. In fact, the ability to procreate and response to external influences are the determining characteristics of the living. Indeed, the gods mentioned by Mencken exhibits these traits. Huitzilopochtli, for instance, cannot response if he is insulted or when his temple is abused. He cannot influence events happening around him. A dead god has no influence on present day events. He has lost its place. Like the dead man, he lives only in the mind of his lovers and in history. He does not create anything neither does he initiate ideas. Nobody attributes great inventions and ideas to the gods mentioned by Mencken, at least in our time. A living god is a source of inspiration to its followers. A dead god provides no inspiration. As a result of all the lacks of the dead god as mentioned above, he has no worshippers or followers. Indeed, the trademark of a dead god is his lack of followers and worshipper (Mencken 1). This follows from the dead god inability to influence events and to response to external events. Why are other gods still alive? To be alive means to respond to changes in the environment, to influences events, to initiate ideas, and to procreate. These are characteristics of the living. Gods are acclaimed to be alive if they are held responsible for events happening in the society. As a result, they attract followers, who flock to their temples to worship. Indeed, other gods are alive because they are still considered to be accountable for events happening in the society. At least their followers held them accountable! This attracts thousands, if not millions, of followers to their place of worship. Take for instance Jesus Christ, who the Christian believed to be God. To the Christians, he shaped their personal life and also history of humanity. As a result, he is considered to be alive. Following his influence on the events in the society, the Christian god has worshippers. Indeed, he is worshipped by millions. Thus a god is considered alive if he is considered to have influence in events in the society and therefore has followers who worship him (Mencken 1). If one says their god is real because they believe in that god, isn’t this just a version of Peter Pan’s request that we clap if we believe in fairies? (Can belief make anything real?) Certainly, belief cannot make anything real. For instance, a child or a mental patient has many beliefs, most of which are not real. For instance, a mental patient may believe that he is the president of the United States but that is not real. Likewise, in a child’s world, his parents are the most powerful people on earth but that is far from the reality. This suggests that belief in a god does not make them real. First, we define reality (to be real). Reality is the states of things as they actually exist and not as they may appear in the mind or how we feel about them (Kockelmans 311). Given this definition, our beliefs, definitely, does not create or alter reality. Most often, the gods are creation of the human imagination. They exist only in the human mind. In reality, they are nothing except what the believer thinks in his subjective mind. One may argue that if a person believes in a god, that god becomes real at least to that person. That is far from the truth. The analogy of the mental patient that believes and thinks he is the president of the United States or the child who believes that his/her parents are the strongest of all parents comes to mind. No matter how strong the patient or child belief, reality cannot be altered. The mental patient is not the president nor is the child’s parents the strongest. Thus for one to say that his/her god is real because he/she believes in that god, is, indeed, another version of Peter Pan’s request that we clap if we believe in fairies? Belief cannot make anything real. Reference Andrews, J. R. Introduction to Classical Nahuatl (revised ed.). Norman University of Oklahoma Press, 2003. Print British Broadcasting Corporation. “Ancient Egyptian Gods Gallery.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/gods_gallery.shtml 29/03/2011. Retrieved on 3 May 2011. Online Kockelmans, J. Edmund Husserl's phenomenology (2nd ed.). Purdue: Purdue University Press, 2001. Print Mencken, H. L. “Where is the graveyard of dead gods.” http://www.graveyardofthegods.org/deadgods/graveyard.html. 2011. Retrieved on 3 May 2011. Online Platner, S. B., & Ashby, T. A topographical dictionary of ancient Rome. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Print Read More