In an unrelated post at Talk Islam, my friend (and staunch atheist) Razib of GNXP blog made an off-hand reference to “sky gods”. This is a term that atheists often use, in the context of dismissing belief in the divine. However, it’s a lazy terminology which applies more to polytheistic and pagan deities than monotheists, all of whom agree that God’s aspect transcends reality. 

The phrase “sky gods” is more useful to Abrahamic deists like myself to denigrate pagan beliefs; is sort of stupid to use it against an Abrahamic deist. I am reminded of this exchange from the movie Conan the Barbarian: 

Conan: Crom laughs at your four winds. Laughs from his mountain. 

Subotai: Ha, my god is stronger-he is the everlasting sky. Your god lives underneath it.

to which an Abrahamic deist might respond, “the One True God has no need of a home, nor is bound to sky or mud.” Of course, insulting Conan and Subotai on matters of theology might result in meeting God sooner than later.