God Vs Athena Essay Research Paper God

When Odysseus refers to himself as a friend of Athena s he is showing his personal relationship he has with her. He also uses we to include himself with Athena, showing he sees himself as an equal to a god. Despite what people believe Abraham, much like Odysseus also has a very personal relationship with God. Abraham is one of the few characters that has the courage to talk back to God:

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah who is ninety years old bear a child? (Genesis 18.17)

Abraham laughs and even questions Gods authority and power. Abraham s comfort and ability to question God shows the true closeness and understanding of their relationship. Like Odysseus, in this passage, Abraham does not seem to see God as a higher being then him. When Abraham talks back to God and convinces him not to destroy Sodom, it further becomes evident that Abraham indeed has a more personal relationship with God then what most people think. It is evident that both Abraham and Odysseus have a very close and personal relationship to their respective gods, thus making the two relationships similar.

The protection both God and Athena provides through Abraham s and Odysseus many journeys shows how they both act as benefactors. Athena and God are always there to watch over Abraham and Odysseus and to ensure that no harm befalls upon them. God aids Abraham through wars and to conquer lands for his descendants. While Athena aids Odysseus through the Trojan War and eventually helps him defeat the suitors as he ends his long journey home. God and Athena are always looking out for their loyal followers and are always there to protect them when they are in need. God speaks to Abraham: Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great (Genesis 15.1). God is protecting Abraham here. He almost looks out for him like how a father would look out for his son. Athena also protects Odysseus similarly to how God protects Abraham: and yet you never recognized Pallas Athene, daughter of Zeus, the one who is always standing beside you and guarding you in every endeavor (Book 8, 300). Like God, Athena is Odysseus shield . She has always been there for Odysseus, even when he does not know it. Both God and Athena ensure that no harm will come to Abraham and Odysseus. In this manner we can see how these two relationships are very similar, in which both gods act as guardian angels over Abraham and Odysseus.

On the surface it may appear God s relationship to Abraham is very different then Athena s relationship to Odysseus, but underneath it all the two relationships show some striking similarities. It seems like God and Abraham have a very distant relationship, with God being well above Abraham. However, this is not true, Abraham in fact has a very personal relationship with God, similarly to Odysseus close relationship with Athena. God and Athena s main mission is to aid and protect Abraham and Odysseus. This is what makes this father-son like relationship so similar. In most religions there is usually a human character that god or some deity has a direct personal relationship with. This god to human interaction is an essential part of a developing religion. The human and god interaction provides a way for god to deliver his message to the rest mankind. For example, the god-human relationship is also seen in the Islam religion between God and Muhammad. God chooses Muhammad as his prophet to deliver his message to the Muslims through their personal relationship. Thus it is evident that, that despite all the different religions around the world, we can still find many similarities underneath the surface

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