Dīs Pater Dīs Pater Dīs Pater (pronounced ) was a Roman god of the underworld. Dis was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth, and since those minerals came from underground, he was later equated with the chthonic deities Pluto (Hades) and Orcus. "Dīs Pater" was commonly shortened to simply Dīs and this name has since become an alternative name for the underworld or a part of the underworld, such as the City of Dis of Dante's "The Divine Comedy", which comprises Lower Hell. It is often thought that Dīs Pater was also a Celtic god. This confusion arises from
Something to Believe In: Is Kurt Vonnegut the Exorcist of Jesus Christ Superstar? that, because of organized religion giving God very harsh attributes, most of which are not supported by scripture, organized religion ironically tends to drive people "away" from God, seeing Him perversely as a "Monster God" who is cruel, merciless and mean, instead of a God of Love, Mercy and Charity. Short argues that the typical portrayal of God - and the ideas of heaven and hell - by mainstream churches is incorrect and not in line with Biblical teachings, and the concept of a heaven that only some can enter, and the alternative of a burning eternity in Hell, presupposes