I'm not saying the Superman of comic books is real.

[Deep13]

He can't fly, bend steel, repel bullets or see through solid objects. He may be just a good and conscientious reporter. I just think there is some historical basis to think some kind of Superman is real.
---------


Then in what sense is he Superman?

[grantcart]

1. He sells tons of product

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. In what sense is who Superman? Do you mean, the comic Superman?

The Ubermensch of Nietszche? A lower-case "s" superman that might exist in real life?

Your post makes very little sense and is difficult to parse.

BTW, the Superman of comics CAN bend steel, repel bullets, and fly. Not sure why you think he can't.

[Deep13]

3. A hypothetical notion of Superman believers...

...who on some level know the comics can't be literally true.

I mean DC Comics Superman with a capital "S."

[moggie]

5. Perhaps the comics weren't meant to be taken literally?

When they said that Superman can fly, perhaps that was an allegory for his Superiority: in a sense, he soars over ordinary humans? And that whole Kryptonite thing is an obvious metaphor for how even the best of us have weaknesses.

[Deep13]

6. So, not really "super" then.

And there is nothing extraordinary about his comic books since other stories hit on the same points and do a better job of it.

[moggie]

8. I'm in the "Superman never existed" camp

I've never seen any convincing evidence for a historical Superman, and to be honest the stories never spoke to me. In fact, the Superman of the stories was kind of a dick. Galactus, on the other hand, is certainly real, and if you don't respect my beliefs on that I'll put you on ignore.

[moggie]

7. Self-delete

Wrong place!

[laconicsax]

4. You can't prove he isn't real!

[edhopper]

9. So,

what point about Jesus are you trying to make?

[Deep13]

10. I was thinking of gods generally, ...

...although the Christian gods are what I personally am most familiar with.

Liberal theologians say that while god may not be what their holy books describe literally as someone who directly intervenes in our lives through miracles or someone who created the universe from nothing, in a vague, nonspecific way god is still real.

If god did not create the universe as described in the Bible, does not curse people with disease and natural disasters, does not work miracles then in what sense is he god? These qualifications define him out of existence. If a miracle can mean anything including ordinary biological processes, in what sense are they miracles?

If Mohamed did not dictate the Koran from god's mouth to his ear and it is in fact shop-lifted from the Old Testament and the Talmud, then in what sense is it a holy book? If we know the lesson of the OT are barbaric, then in what sense is it the basis for morality? If I have to take it in historic perspective, then doesn't the Iliad have as much claim to holiness as the Bible? If Buddha was not godly in the literal sense of that term, in what way are his teachings any better than any other wandering guru of the period?

And since you brought up Jesus (believers always think everything is about them and their particular mythology), if god was not his Dad and he did not give up his life for our "sins" (whatever that might mean) and then come back to life after baptizing Moses and Aristotle in hell, then in what sense are his greeting card platitudes better than anyone else's. The NT is not either original or the best example of ethical teaching by a long shot? How is telling Pete to abandon his family moral if not rubber-stamped by god.

To put it directly, once any of these myths are watered-down to appear reasonable in light of what we know know, what's left?

[edhopper]

11. Thanks for the thoughtful response

For the record I am an atheist of Jewish background, so it's not my mythology.
My comment was that i thought you were referring to the threads about whether Jesus was a real person.
I thought you were being a bit obscure with whatever point you were making. Thanks for clearing it up.
BTW; I like the Superman mythos more than most religions, and he is more benign than most Gods.

[immoderate]

13. Supe does not get offended easily.

In fact, I would call him easy goin', unless one is a menace to the universe.

--imm

[ZombieHorde]

12. Great OP. I love it. nt

[onager]

14. "Great Caesar's ghost" is probably...

...ancient code referring to the Roman Empire persecuting Supermaniacs. Who will someday be able to fly like their deity, but only after the SupeRapture.