I have a question! In Dragon Ball, why are the Gods so sinful? Since they are Gods, shouldn't they be able to tell from what is right and wrong? This question is coming from a Catholic's perspective by the way.
Well, one, Gods in Dragon Ball do not align with the Western Doctorines of Abrahamic Faith. They're written to more closely align with Eastern ideas and influences, like Buddhism and Daoism (from Journey to the West, specifically, as primary influences on Toriyama) alongside influences on Toriyama's life at that time (taking cues from Martial Arts films and Western Media he found entertaining). So they're not at all built from the same cloth.
Two, Gods in Dragon Ball are not "Gods" as you conceive them in Western Culture. "God" in the Catholic sense simply is, has always been, and always will be, as well as displays traits of omni-benevolence, omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. In Dragon Ball, this is not the case. Deities can be genuinely anyone so long as they are deemed worthy--Goku was propositioned to be God of Earth (That is, a Mortal Saiyan taking the role of Kami, it's guardian), Trunks was being trained to be the next Supreme Kai (or rather, a Mortal Hybrid-Saiyan becoming the uppermost God in the Creation-part of the celestial sphere), Toppo was under training to become the next Destroyer God of Universe 11, (a Mortal taking on the role of reality's ender of worlds so that Creator Deities like the Kai can create worlds.)
Gods in Dragon Ball are people who happen to be divine, not innately divine beings spawned into existence. Anyone and anything can take on the role of a deity so long as the prior one grants that permission. Even Mortals. You could even argue it's implied that taking on a given role grants you power. Zamasu (as Goku Black) becomes a Super Saiyan Rose because he's a "real God" going Super Saiyan Blue. Beerus repeatedly offers the possibility of becoming a Destroyer God and implies Goku can do it just like he can, (living eons ending worlds despite Goku's lifespan being finite), and so on.
Additionally, the factor of what a Kai even is, is also particularly relevant. The Shinjin are the chosen Deities of the Macrocosms, yes, and typically they keep to their own circle, (though as said before, anyone can be a deity in Dragon Ball), but the Shinjin themselves are Demons. Not Demon as in "inherently evil" like you would associate as a Catholic, (those are a separate set of beings known as the Demon-Folk or beings born out of raw evil like Janemba or Buu), but Demon as in "species." They come from a world beyond are our own, prior to our own. Again, a key separation of doctorine.
Lastly, Toriyama finds it really funny to imagine the Celestial Sphere as very, very angry managers. Because that's kind of what you would be if you did your job for eternity, and if there's at all a hierarchy. It's also debatably a critique of them (and general corporations), given the focus of Dragon Ball Super. Zeno is the God CEO--He's a manchild who can wipe out subcompanies on a whim people have to appease. The Angels are basically his investors who back his decisions no matter what and are virtually immune to harm. The Kai are managerial positions of various departments, overworked, underpaid, and represent different worker personality types (with Hakaishin being the enforcers of the "Company"). Shin is the untrained worker in a position he shouldn't be in, Beerus is a slacker, Elder Kai would be the lecherous upper management, and so on.
Too long, didn't read? Gods in Dragon Ball are written like mythological gods and like unpaid interns whereas a God as you imagine it would be closer to someone like Truth from FMA.
vsbattles.com
