If you were a god, what would your powers be?

[Bastrophian]

If people had no desire for dominance, power, territory and resources, war would be impossible. Which it kind of was until economic surpluses came to being with agriculture.

However, lack of desire is apathy. In many ways, and for evil to prosper, all it takes is for good men to do nothing, as they say.

Than perhaps there is, or should be some kind of balance.

 

[hav1]

I think Buddhism did a good job in consolidating that, to be honest. I mean, I am not trying to convert anyone or anything, I just mean in this particular issue they have a good idea. Firstly, they define desire differently. Desire is greed to them. More or less. Desire is for things that are wasteful or pointless. Like sports cars or mansions or things that can't be justified by necessity. Because, in life, most people are not rich, yet everyone dreams of being rich. It's just a dream that represents their standard of happiness. As a result, most people live and die miserable, unable to enjoy the things around them. So there's wisdom in that. Not to mention the 23.000 men, women and children who, according to Unicef, die from starvation every day. Humanity could do with being a bit less possessive, to say the least.

I recently moved to a small rural town in Scandinavia. Very calm, quiet and peaceful. I was walking home, carrying this big luggage full of groceries. The wheel had broken so I was struggling to bring back what must've been 70 pounds of food. I was exhausted when I stopped to catch my breath. Suddenly, as I sat down, I began to hear the birds sing, and the wind in the trees, I felt the smell of soil and plantlife. It was incredibly tranquil. I took out my pipe and had a nice smoke.

That feeling of being tired from hard work, and relaxing in nature, would probably be lost on a lot of people. People in luxurious lives and mansions probably have no idea what it's like to actually relax after hard work. To actually enjoy that kind of calmness.

And so I think that it is not simply a matter of morality not to have greed, but I think it personally benefits people too not to rely on material gain to be happy. I've been far more happier poor than when I grew up as middle-class.

 

[captainproton]

Going by that particular definition of desire, yes, it definitely is a bad thing. However, wanting something is also what makes people get up off their asses and do something. Desire a sandwich? Make a sandwich. Desire a nice home? Work hard, save up and buy one. Desire world peace? Do your part to make it happen.

It's desiring the wrong thing or even too much of the right thing that gets people into trouble.

 

[nio kasgami]

I would probably be Nyarlathotep

so you are....a girl with full of tentacle xD?

 

[Ruby]

Much like what Matseb said, I would be the Goddess of Memory.

Any time I get a question such as this one, I have always answered in the same way; "I want to have the power to not only form memories in peoples' minds, but also take away memories." To me it is the ultimate for of punishment. To hold someone so dear, but to not have them know you is pretty harsh. 

 

[Amysaurus]

I would be the Goddess of Over-sized Reptiles, naturally!

Need a fire for roasting marshmallows? I'll send a dragon your way. Need a date to prom? How about a T-Rex? They're safe. Need some excitement at your birthday party? I'll send raptors. Everyone loves raptors.

 

[captainproton]

I think you'd be right about t-rexes being safe dates. With their short little arms, they can't get grabby.

 

[Tai_MT]

But if the T-rex gets hungry, that mouth will be all over you!

Ba-dum-tish!

 

[Julien Brightside]

I would be the Goddess of Over-sized Reptiles, naturally!

Need a fire for roasting marshmallows? I'll send a dragon your way. Need a date to prom? How about a T-Rex? They're safe. Need some excitement at your birthday party? I'll send raptors. Everyone loves raptors.

Dinosaurs are usually dangerous, but the way you say it combined with your avatar makes it sound adorable.

In many settings gods get their power from their followings.

Do you suppose you guys would get any cults?

 

[Warpmind]

I'd have Learning and Death, so cults and worshippers?
Indubitably - archaeologists and historians would be standing in line with prayers.

 

[Tai_MT]

@Julian

One need only look at all the worthless and damaging human beings throughout history that had followers to be able to emphatically say "yes!".  After all, if we can have people blindly follow politicians or religions that promote suicide, I don't think it'd be out of the realm of possibility for people to follow a God with omnipotence and apathy as his trademarks (yay me!).  That, and people might just follow me to see my wrath on people who genuinely deserve it.  Like say... people who create drama in their lives as a means of getting attention suddenly having a "boo!" track added to their lives as if they were on stage.

 

[captainproton]

As a patron god of creativity and ingenuity, my followers wouldn't really come together in formal congregations.  Every studio, lab and workshop would be a shrine to me.  Museums would be my temples and every time a kid lifted a rock and went "Wow!" at what she saw, it would be like a little hymn.

 

[Tai_MT]

@captainproton

Your followers would essentially be the same kind of followers in my made up religion that worship "Aethral" who is the wolf goddess of war, death, destruction, and fertility.  She has no shrines, but every act of these things is a personal prayer.  She holds congregations in war tents and busy brothels.  She holds masses on battlefields and in graveyards.  Her hymns are the battle cries of war and the pillow talk of couples in bedrooms.  She is universally reviled, but unwittingly worshipped by all.

Plus, I've always like that concept for a God.  You're not worshipped by temples...  You're worshipped by the very nature of whatever species worships you without them knowing it.  They cannot avoid it.

 

[captainproton]

Well, I think the point is to take the time to thank your god for your blessings, to acknowledge him/her/it/them. Kind of like taking the time to tell the people you care about that you love them. Many times, the things you do are expressions of your feelings, but taking the time to overtly express your love is something special.

As a god of creativity and ingenuity, the conscious act of creation and discovery would be a prayer unto me. However, should someone decide to take too much credit for themselves, i'd be happy to pull the plug on their imagination and scientific understanding.

 

[Luminous Warrior]

My divine name is Varidesh, the god of light, fire, colour, music, dance, heroism, safety, and the underworld. Most actual gods in historical religions actually had a lot of "powers" that most people in modern times don't know about. Take Thor for instance. He's not just the god of thunder that we see in Marvel comics and movies. He's the god of thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility. There's also Hermes, who is the god of "WAY too many things to list, but mostly associated with roads, travelers, and merchants.". And then there's Set, who was the god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion. He was actually considered a relatively good god until foreign invasion caused most people to associate him with the invaders, due to the fact that foreigners were part of his portfolio.

 

[SilverSlade]

I would want to have powers over Space-Time and Reality/Fantasy.

 

[Lars Ulrika]

Protect people from my own evil. 

 

[Eclipse Knight]

My divine name is Varidesh, the god of light, fire, colour, music, dance, heroism, safety, and the underworld.

One of these is not like the others.

 

[Mage Heart]

Mind control and ice. Why do stuff when I can get other people to do it for me.

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

God of the Damned.

The more people that die out there, the more slaves I have. >:3