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A deity (from Latin, deus, "god"), or a god, is a postulated supernatural entity, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, held in high regard, or respected by humans. A self-proclaimed deity is, in this context, a human being that has proclaimed themselves to be of this godly status or repute.
The meaning and connotation of the word deity are culturally and historically ambiguous. In some movements of Hinduism, for example, claims of personal divinity are not perceived as bizarre nor implausible as in the Abrahamic religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. These movements believe that the divine permeates the universe and that it is the core of each person. Other Eastern religions, such as Sikhism and Buddhism, sustain a different understanding of the concept of God and divinity. For an indepth overview of these sometimes subtle distinctions, follow the relevant links provided throughout.
| Who | When | What |
| Alexander the Great | 356 BCE - 323 BCE | Used the title "Son of Ammon-Zeus," bestowed upon him by Egyptian priests of the god Ammon at the Oracle of the god at the Siwah oasis in the Libyan Desert |
| Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah | 985 - Unknown | Later mainstream Islamic doctrine alleges he encouraged his own deification as Allah |
| * Anton LaVey | April 11, 1930 - October 29, 1997 | Founded the Church of Satan, which believes each individual satanist can be his or her own god and is responsible for his or her own destiny. |
| † Aradia de Toscano | August 13, 1313 - Unknown | Foundress of Stregheria, believed due to a vision that she was the human incarnation of the goddess Aradia, and thus the (spiritual) daughter of Lucifer and Diana. |
| Beltway Snipers | Occurred October 2002 | Wrote on tarot cards, "Dear Policeman, I am God. Do not tell the media about this." Template:Fn |
| Caligula | August 31, 12 - January 24, 41 | Possibly due to encephalitis, claimed he was a "god". |
| * Charles Manson | November 12, 1934 - Present | Manson implied to his followers that he was Jesus. When asked directly in court he replied "I may be Jesus Christ. I have not yet decided who I am." |
| David Icke | April 29, 1952 - Present | On the Terry Wogan show, claimed to be "a son of the Godhead," along with predicting Britain would be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes. |
| * David Koresh | August 17, 1959 - April 19, 1993 | Taught his followers that he was "the Lamb" in the Book of Revelation. |
| † Egyptian Pharaohs | c. 3050 BCE - c. 30 BCE | Egyptian Pharaohs were kings with godly status. Their titles equated them with aspects of the likes of the Hawk-god, Horus, the vulture-goddess, Nekhbet and the cobra-goddess Wadjet. See also the List of Pharaohs. |
| Father Divine | c. 1880 - September 10, 1965 | Claimed to be the only true manifestation of God with such quotes as "I am the Eternal Father!" |
| Hong Xiuquan | January 10, 1812 - June 1, 1864 | Claimed to be the second son of God, brother to Jesus Christ. |
| Jehovah Wanyoni | ? - ? | Reports that his divinity and birth is, "as is explained in the Bible." Template:Fn |
| † Jesus | c. 6-4 BCE to c. 29-33 CE | The historicity of Jesus is at present an uncertainity. According to Christianity, a modern religion with over 2 billion followers, Jesus affirmed his status as the Son of God, God the Son, and other statuses with quotes such as those recorded in the Gospel of John. Further topical reading includes the article on Jesus as well as surviving textual evidence and the Hypostatic Union. Regardless of any material or textual evidence supporting the claim that he is a self-proclaimed deity, Jesus' existence is hotly debated. |
| * Jim Jones | May 13, 1931 - November 18, 1978 | Claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Akhenaten, Buddha, Lenin, and Father Divine. Template:Fn (see Jonestown). |
| L. Ron Hubbard | March 13, 1911 - January 24, 1986 | Claimed to be both God and Satan. Note that his followers generally do not believe him to be divine. |
| * Lu Sheng-yen | 1945 - Present | Claims to be a "Living Buddha". |
| * Sathya Sai Baba | 1926 or 1929 - Present | "I AM GOD, but I do not have to know I am God, for I have always been that." Template:Fn |
| * = Individuals who had significant numbers of followers believing them to be deities.
† = Individuals who became the focus of whole religions with many followers believing the individual to be divine or messianic. |
See also
- Apotheosis means glorification, usually to a divine level, coming from the Greek word apotheoun, "to deify."
- Arahitogami is a Japanese word, meaning a god who is a human being.
- List of deities
- List of messiah claimants
- Avatar
References
- Template:Fnb CNN (Oct. 10, 2002). "Man killed at suburban D.C. gas station. Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb BBC News (November 12, 2001). "Kenyan 'God' sent Aids as 'punishment'". Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb Hanish, Dennis J. (May 23, 2001). The Guru Who Claimed to be God. Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb Idara Dawat-o-Irshad, USA, Inc. (2003). "Attention Qadianis! (Ahmadiyya)". Retrieved December 29, 2004.
- Template:Fnb . ISBN 0195123700.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Title=ignored (|title=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|Year=ignored (|year=suggested) (help) (meta-citation) - Old Dotty Clutteredbucket (2001). Walking, Talking, Living Gods. Retrieved December 29, 2004.