One God; Many Gods

[Zephyr]

It is interesting how few heathens still seem to hold to this view. However, I'm interested in knowing whether or not you believe the gods of the people are personal gods, or do the ancestors simply fill that role?

Haha, just call me a Heathen Fundy.

I'm not sure I'd call them personal gods. They belong to no individual. They are for our people as a whole. Our ancestors are much more personal though.

because? and how do you define 'our people', exactly?

Why is it hard to understand that? Odin isn't Yahweh, who isn't Lug, who isn't Zeus. It just wouldn't make sense. He may have some similarities to them, but they aren't the same.

By "our people" I mean those who's ancestors followed the way. This would mean the people of ancient Scandanavia and Germany.

 

[Mathematician]

I voted, No. There are no gods. That said, what I mean is I don't believe in the common concept of a creator, especially one (or two, or three) who has known attributes.

 

[d.]

Why is it hard to understand that? Odin isn't Yahweh, who isn't Lug, who isn't Zeus. It just wouldn't make sense. He may have some similarities to them, but they aren't the same.

my question wasn't if the gods were the same, but why couldn't 'other people' worship or acknowledge the aesir'?

 

[Zephyr]

my question wasn't if the gods were the same, but why couldn't 'other people' worship or acknowledge the aesir'?

People can worship whatever the heck they want. Doesn't mean it's right.

However, when it comes down to it, Heathenry isn't about worshiping the Aesir.

 

[d.]

People can worship whatever the heck they want. Doesn't mean it's right.

and it's 'not right' because...

(you said : my gods could not be the gods of others.)

 

[Zephyr]

and it's 'not right' because...

(you said : my gods could not be the gods of others.)

When I said that, I was ruling out the possibilities of the aesir being the same as other gods. Did you read it otherwise?

I consider it not right for the same reason that I don't go around following Hopi beliefs. It's a tribal religion, not a crazy universalist lovefest. In this sense it has more in common with Orthodox Judaism than it does with other pagan faiths like Wicca.