Why use the term "God/god" to refer to Afrikan spiritual entities?

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Knowing that the word "God/god" is derived from Proto Indo-european and proto-germanic to describe their deities, why should we as Afrikan people use the term to refer to spiritual entities in our own Traditions? Is it beneficial to mix apples with oranges when their spiritual entities are and historically have been at war with ours?

"Old English god "supreme being, deity," from Proto Germanic. *guthan (cf. Dutch god, German Gott, Old Nordic guð, Goth. Guþ), from Proto Indo Europen *ghut- "that which is invoked" (cf. Sanskrit huta- "invoked," an epithet of Indra), from root *gheu(e)- "to call, invoke." But some trace it to Proto Indo-European *ghu-to- "poured," from root *gheu- "to pour, pour a libation" (source of Greek khein "to pour," khoane "funnel" and khymos "juice;" also in the phrase khute gaia "poured earth," referring to a burial mound). "Given the Greek facts, the Germanic form may have referred in the first instance to the spirit immanent in a burial mound" [Watkins]. Cf. Also Zeus. Not related to good. Originally neut. In Germanic., the gender shifted to masc. After the coming of Christianity. Old English god was probably closer in sense to L. Numen. A better word to translate deus might have been Proto Germanic. *ansuz, but this was only used of the highest deities in the Germanic. Religion, and not of foreign gods, and it was never used of the Christian God. It survives in Eng. Mainly in the personal names beginning in Os-.

"I want my lawyer, my tailor, my servants, even my wife to believe in God, because it means that I shall be cheated and robbed and cuckolded less often. ... If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." [Voltaire]

First record of Godawful "terrible" is from 1878; God speed as a parting is from c.1470. God-fearing is attested from 1835. God bless you after someone sneezes is credited to St. Gregory the Great, but the pagan Romans (Absit omen) and Greeks had similar customs."

Online Etymology Dictionary

[GoddessofLight]

We have names for our dieties...Orisha, Obosum, Loa, etc...what need do we have to use anything European???

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Originally Posted by GoddessofLight

We have names for our dieties...Orisha, Obosum, Loa, etc...what need do we have to use anything European???

Good point. I often hear Afrikans translate all of the above to "God/gods" using them like they are interchangeable. Why not stick with what's Afrikan instead of trying to fit the Orisa into a white concept like how the whites tried to stick Olorun into a church.

Obadele

[KhepraEvolutionary]

Many times the term is used to try and assist people with a transition as to what they are supposed to be doing.
Much like giving someone methadone to heroin addict to get them off heroin.
Not the most effective method.
It is best to go cold turkey from White/European terms regarding OUR spirituality just like going cold turkey from heroin.
Many times heroin addicts continue their addiction by being addicted to methadone like OUR people continue their addiction by Whitening/Europeanizing OUR spirituality by using the term "God/god".

[kofiasr]

This is one of the major examples of the fact that we need to reclaim our own languages and state of mind. Some yt once said language is the skin of life. It is apparent that they understood/stand this and "we" do not.

[Oju]

Greetings Everyone!

Without even knowing where the word "GOD" originated, once I began my Sankofa process to relearn the ways of my Ancestors and our very important traditions especially our sacred spiritual ways, there was no need to even continue using the word.

Now in all honesty there are times even I would still use the word out of old habit or unconsciously, but I try my best not too do it. Another thing that always remind me of the need to not use the word is when I ask myself this question. Did Our ancestors ever speak any of the languages associated with this word? The answer is no. So it would not have been a word they used until they were oppressed by yt.

Peace & Blessings!

[Amen_Seph]

The term God/god as defined is also interchangable with the term deity;

c.1300, from O.Fr. deite, from L.L. deitatem (nom. deitas) "divine nature," coined by Augustine from L. deus "god," from PIE *deiwos (see Zeus).

As well as the context and use of other terms ie: supreme being, higher power, divinities....

I feel that what is learned about the who God is (the Omnipotence, Omnisciense, Omnipresence, Preeminence...) The nature of God and the many atrributes. It then places our homage and worth-ship above that of the term 'God' and brings the authority and significance of who God is to us and our relation to, and place in God.
It is not enough though to just have a knowledge of who God is, by way of term, definition or cultural indentity. That, only embraces or signifies the practice of religion(s). It is ones relationship and connection with God that defines ones spirituality both inwardly (as within strength/solidification) and outwardly (as thru manifestations/revaltions).

Peace N Blessings

[soulosophy]

Greetings,

Is it acceptable to use the term God/Goddess to refer to ourselves but unacceptable when referring to the Creator and/or deities?

Peace n Blessings

[kweku,afro olmec]

Exactly my point brother kwame, actually,the term god as queen afua mentions comes from the term goth, hence the term gothic, we are actually calling those masonic energies and those kaukasian entities thats insane, to reffer to our entities or deities as gods, we can call dem NETERUS,thats for sure. That shows to tell how spiritually colonized some of our people are,enpowering the kaukasian entities,by mixing christianity and catholicism.