(no subject)

[belheir]

Sender: Anonymous
To: Everyone
Subject: Question

What do you think human nature is closer to? That of gods, angels, or demons?

[ It's been something that's been bothering him for some time. He knows the answer he had given, but it'd seemed like it was... incorrect, at the time. ]

Define "human" as whatever your worlds closest equivalent is, if you need to.

Comments

Sender: Erichthonios

[beshackled]

To best answer your question, I would first need to know how it is you define gods, angels, and demons... given that the definition of godhood may vary between cultures, or persons.

For example, your way of describing demons does not sound unlike how Nico described the gods with which he is familiar.

What, in the context of your question, differentiates a god from an angel? What differentiates a god from a demon? And how is an angel different from them both?

[belheir]

You're not wrong in that it can vary. For this, I would personally define them as the following:

God: A celestial being of immense divine power, capable of creation or destruction on a mass scale. A being who sets forth rules and laws for other creatures to follow, while not necessarily having to follow them itself.

Angels: Beings created by God to uphold the rules and laws made by any means they and God deem acceptable. They have no free will of their own, and exist simply as judge, jury, and executioner. There's no shades of grey with them. You either followed the rules set forth, or didn't.

Demons: Beings whos very nature is the opposite of angels and God. They revel in freedom and chaos, and are creatures who follow their whims and desires to the exclusion of all else. To demons, Might Makes Right. As long as they have the power to do something, they will. And if they don't have it, they'll seek it.

Does that work for you?

[beshackled]

Aye. That it does.

The mankind with which I am familiar has a nature, on the whole, that most closely resembles the nature of your gods, though we do not consider ourselves gods. We create life, engraining its nature as we engender it into existence. However, stray thoughts at times lead to unexpected outcomes.

We do have rules that we live by, though we were the ones to lay them. And there are more... free-spirited souls amongst us, mayhap myself among that number. And some of our creations more closely resemble your idea of demons.

Mayhap our familiars would serve a similar position to your angels, though they are not bereft of will.

[belheir]

I think your familiars may be close enough to count, judging by what you've said. So long as they obey your commands.

It's strange to me, to hear about such a world. You don't have any higher beings than yourselves?

[beshackled]

None exist upon the star in my time that I am aware of, though the idea of gods and godhood exist.

'Tis more... an existence proposed in theory, I think, based upon the premise of an entity whose capacity surpasses our own.

[belheir]

I used to think that too. That God was something more theoretical than real.

It turned out I was pretty wrong.

[beshackled]

Did you meet a god of your star?

What were they like?

[belheir]

He was a Tyrant, one who gave the gift of free will to humans, only to turn around and punish them every time they used it in a way He didn't like. Threatened to revoke this gift if humanity as a whole did not bow to His whims and fix a problem He was the cause of long, long ago. All while demanding absolute obedience.

[beshackled]

If whatever problem required a being more willing to follow commands, would not the angels have been a better choice to utilize in attempt to remedy it? Instead this god wishes for his creations to behave in a manner contradictory to the way in which he created them?

Is he a child?

[belheir]

You would think, with that attitude.

He'd even had the audacity to try and make me his pawn. To ensure control and that "mankind would not stray from the just and righteous path of light".

The most infuriating thing is that in another version of my world, I actually took that offer. I couldn't even guess as to why, considering all that Hes done has ruin my life.

[beshackled]

I can only suppose that circumstances were in some way different.

You are alright, I hope?

[belheir]

I'm doing alright, yeah. People keep asking me that question.

Does asking something like this really make people that worried?

[beshackled]

I know not what others would consider worrisome. As for myself, 'tis plain that you have made an enemy capable of wielding considerable power. One who I dare say is not inclined towards the most rational of decisions. How could I not be concerned for you?

[belheir]

It's fine. Eventually I'll kill him and take that power for myself.

I won't say I'll necessarily do the right thing with it, because I can't see into the future, but I definitely don't plan on judging humanity as a whole as harshly as he does. Or getting involved with those matters in the slightest.

Human problems should remain human problems, with no outside interference.

[beshackled]

If that is your chosen course, I pray that your absorbing of his essence will not make you more like him.

[belheir]

Oh, hardly. I'm not afraid of that at all. I'm me, and no one else. Not only that, I have other factors that would prevent such a thing from happening.

[beshackled]

Of that I am glad.