The nature of man and of God

Another thought, (thanks Greeks!)
Originally though about at 2:34am Sunday, Aug 5, 2007

So I was thinking about God as I wrote to my nephew Troy recently, and I thought of a quote, but couldn't remember it correctly... I just looked it up and here is where my "if horses had hands" thought comes from, the Elegies of Xenophanes #57 chapter 2 his writings on Science and Religion written sometime between 600 BCE and 420 BCE we can't be sure when he lived...

(14) "But mortals deem that the gods are begotten as they are, and have clothes like theirs, and voice and form.
(15) Yes, and if oxen and horses or lions had hands, and could paint with their hands, and produce works of art as men do, horses would paint the forms of the gods like horses, and oxen like oxen, and make their bodies in the image of their several kinds.
(16) The Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed; the Thracians say theirs have blue eyes and red hair.
(18) The gods have not revealed all things to men from the beginning, but by seeking they find in time what is better.
(23) One god, the greatest among gods and men, neither in form like unto mortals nor in thought
(24) He sees all over, thinks all over, and hears all over.
(25) But without toil he swayeth all things by the thought of his mind.
(26) And he abideth ever in the selfsame place, moving not at all; nor doth it befit him to go about now hither now thither.
(27) All things come from the earth, and in earth all things end.

I love this concept (especially 14-16) and I love that a man thought of this over 2500 years ago…