thought it might be an idea to have a thread wherein all the arguments for the existence of the gods of Mount Olympus are together in one place. So, if you have a piece of 'brilliant' reasoning (and it has to be at least as 'brilliant' as that used by professional Yahwist theologians like William Lane Craig - we're aiming for a very high standard here) proving the existence of the Greek gods, post it here.
Here are a few arguments for the Olympian deities:
The Ontological Argument
Zeus is defined as a being for which no being more Zeus-like can be conceived. Among the traits that make a being Zeus-like are being powerful, having the ability to throw lightning bolts, sleeping with mortal women, and existing. Now, a maximally Zeus-like being may either exist only in our thoughts, or it may exist in reality. However, if such a being existed only in our thoughts, it would be possible to conceive of a being more Zeus-like; namely one which does exist in reality. Hence, Zeus must exist in reality.
Furthermore, a being which enjoys sleeping with mortal women is more Zeus-like than one which does not, hence Zeus must enjoy sleeping with mortal women.
The Moral Argument
P1 I cannot think of any way that moral absolutes could have arisen, apart from them being created by the collaboration of the Olympian gods.
P2 Therefore, if the Olympian gods do not exist, moral absolutes do not exist.
P3 But moral absolutes do exist.
C1 Therefore, the Olympian gods exist.
The Cosmological Argument
P1 Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
P2 The universe began to exist.
C1 Therefore, the universe has a cause.
P3 The only possible thing that could qualify as a first cause is the goddess Gaia being born out of Chaos.
C2 Therefore, the universe came to be as a result of Gaia being born out of Chaos.
The Wager
Zeus may either be real or not real. If he is not real, then it does not make any difference whether or not one believes. But if he is real, then because he can be a bit of a vindictive bastard, if one does not believe, then one would be in danger of ending up in Tartarus, and being subjected to some form of eternal torture such as being taunted with food and water while perpetually thirsty and hungry. In such a situation, one would lose everything. However, if instead one believed, and made the occasional animal sacrifice to the gods, then they may instead reward you, either by letting you spend eternity in the Elysian Fields, or, if you do something to really make them happy, turn you into a god. In both these cases, your gain is infinite. So, it is far better to believe in Zeus and the rest of the gods of Olympus just in case they're real, because while if Zeus isn't real, then one's belief or otherwise doesn't matter, if he is, then belief in him will mean the difference between eternal bliss and eternal suffering.
The Cosmological Argument from Contingency
1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.
2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is wine.
3. The universe exists.
4. Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence (from 1, 3).
5. Therefore, the explanation of the universe’s existence is wine (from 2, 4).
6. Wine was created by Dionysus.
7. Therefore, Dionysus exists.
Argument from Design
1 Gazelles are perfectly designed for running away from lions.
2 Lions are perfectly designed for chasing gazelles.
3 This design cannot happen by chance.
4 Therefore, the design of lions and gazelles must be the result of intervention by an intelligent agent.
5 Gazelles and lions are each designed to thwart the design of the other (from 1 and 2)
7 Therefore, gazelles and lions had seperate designers competing against one another.
8 Grapes are perfectly designedto be useful to make wine out of.
9 What has this to do with gazelles and lions?
10 Therefore, there was yet another designer who made grapes.
11 Therefore, Dionysus.
12 There are also lots of other designers (from 7)
13 Therefore, the rest of the Olympian gods exist.
Argument from History
1 The Roman Empire was pretty awesome.
2 Therefore, it could not have collapsed for no reason.
3 Hence, there must be a reason why the Roman Empire collapsed.
4 If the Roman Empire's survival was dependent upon the favour of the Olympian gods, then abandoning them would result in the collapse of the Empire.
5 The Roman Empire abandoned the Olympian gods shortly before it collapsed.
6 This seems too unlikely to be a coincidence, especially since I can't think of any other reason why it might have collapsed.
7 Therefore, either the Roman Empire collapsed as a result of abandoning the Olympian gods, or it collapsed for no reason.
8 The Roman Empire was too awesome to collapse for no reason (from 2 and 3).
9 Therefore, it must have collapsed because the Romans abandoned the Olympian gods.
10 Therefore, the Olympian gods exist.