Does Q ever refer to himself as a god??

[at Quark's]

^^this

He even says he is God. Picard knows he isn't, Q knows he isn't, but Q is saying it so just to ruffle Picard's feathers - a trope that, somewhat surprisingly, never became a cliche...

This, very much. To me it's clear he only calls himself a god to provoke Picard.

Even so, the perception of Q by the Federation is interesting. On their first meeting, Janeway calls them 'The vaunted Q Continuum. Self-anointed guardians of the universe' - so it seems that at least Janeway believes they partly appropriated themselves that kind of role.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

Q does refer to himself as "omnipotent again" when his powers are restored in Deja Q. True omnipotence would fulfil the "God" criteria. But then, how omnipotent are you if it can be revoked?

Also, how does he have superiors? What are they, MORE omnipotent?

Though, knowing Q, the answer is yes...

 

[at Quark's]

^ Omnipotence, as we are capable of understanding the concept at least, is a paradoxical idea anyway, as per the famous 'can an omnipotent being create a stone that's so heavy he cannot lift it?' question.

 

[Timo]

...Beautifully demonstrated in practice in "Where No Man Has Gone Before"!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Captain Zog]

Only in a playful manner in "Tapestry".

He essentially is a god, but of the Roman/Greek pantheon kind rather than the One True creator-type God of the Bible.

 

[ThankQ]

If he doesn't, I will. I'll take Q over the J/C/M God any day. Shit, in-universe, for all we know Q WAS the J/C/M God. Qyahweh.

 

[johnnybear]

Any such superior being appearing to a less advanced people is always considered a deity in Star Trek and many other sci-fi shows!
JB

 

[SalyutBuran]

Two me he fits the trickster god motif perfectly, very much what a real world Loki would look like.

Alternatively if we're talking about a more christian viewpoint he is far more obviously an Archangel.

He fits the motif of a fallen angel in more ways than one.

 

[Orphalesion]

Alternatively if we're talking about a more christian viewpoint he is far more obviously an Archangel.

I disagree here. Archangels only interact with humanity when they relay a message from the Abrahamic god and that's usually the first thing they say, right after "Do not be afraid" The very name angelos means messenger.
Q never states that he serves under a Higher Power, nor does he claim to execute said higher powers will. At most he refers to the other Q or, later on, the Continuum, once the writers made it up.

He fits the motif of a fallen angel in more ways than one.

I disagree here too. While there is some inconsistency to the way he is written, Q isn't exactly evil, nor does he ever refer to any sin fall nor to any rebellion against...well, anything, let alone a Creator God.

 

[SalyutBuran]

I disagree here. Archangels only interact with humanity when they relay a message from the Abrahamic god and that's usually the first thing they say, right after "Do not be afraid"

But there's nothing in writing that would suggest there couldn't be a q like being.

The very name angelos means messenger.

If you get into angelology it's quite clear that there's real diversity in angels. More directly the book of the watchers, and the book of Enoch more or less describe angels as being more fluid.

And in this context that was more or less the motif I was running with.

Q never states that he serves under a Higher Power, nor does he claim to execute said higher powers will. At most he refers to the other Q or, later on, the Continuum, once the writers made it up.

The problem is the Q continuum is more or less described as a god like being.

It's a collection of individuals that are all knowing and all powerful.

The missing ingredient to be considered god is all good.

And we see some evidence that the continium as a whole is all good.

I disagree here too. While there is some inconsistency to the way he is written, Q isn't exactly evil, nor does he ever refer to any sin fall nor to any rebellion against...well, anything, let alone a Creator God.

And part of the issue is that it appears he's on a short leash and is told by the continuum what he can and cannot do. As if there's a moral principle that is guiding the continuum.

I'm not making the claim he's literally a christian angel. My point is specifically that as the writers put things into motion they create a path where the logical conclusion is god and angels.

There's never a moment where the Q couldn't be capable of creating the universe.

It's applied time and time again we can't even process their level of existence.

The continuum is very much described as these eternal heavens, and it is more or less implied that it is an all powerful boundless existence.

Keep in mind, in the book of the Enoch which was factually written preChristianity, along with some other evidence implies that Jewish angels were once in fact part of a polythiestic pantheon that transitioned from polytheism to henotheism to monotheism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henotheism

 

[NigellaDeanna20]

Just what the title says

Only if you take into consideration his claim of this to Picard in Tapestry.
"This is the afterlife. You're dead and I'm God."
Picard: "You are most certainly not God!"