#since thats how ive best experienced my own religion
Can you make your theism work without:
1. Positing that there are a set of qualities that one person/a group of beings/ people can have that render them categorically entitled to another’s service (in other words, can you function as a theist with a reason to worship the gods other than that they inherently deserve it for belonging to ‘god’ category, IE, the circumstances of their birth)
2. The notion that “might makes right,”
3. Authoritarian structures in your thinking,
4. The idea of divine punishment, ie, ‘obey or else you’ll get it,’
4. Capitalist notions that put piety in easier reach of the rich than the poor,
at least in your personal practice?
Can you, in short, deconstruct your practice and find all of the things that resonate with our present authoritarian, omnicidal, capitalist hell scape and put your practice back together without them?
Can you remove ‘because they are gods and that’s that’ or ‘because the gods said so and we don’t question authority that big’ or ‘if you are too tired and poor to do a more elaborate and expensive rite, you can’t expect the gods to answer’ from your practice?
Why or why not?
What would it look like if you did?
What would the consequences be in terms of socializing with other religious people? Would there be other consequences?
RB with your answers.
Suffice it to say that, as a queer ex-Christian, I have a lot of thoughts on this topic. I don’t normally talk about my religious experiences on here, but these sorts of questions heavily inform how I write Heralds of Rhimn so I figure it’s relevant to discuss.
“Then you do it because I am a higher power,” the goddess stated simply. “You are the flesh of my soul. I gave you your second birth. I brought you back from death. Without me, you would not even be alive to slander my name. It is your duty to raise yourself up in my eyes. And currently, you are trying my patience.”
Navaeli shook her head. Her voice shook too. “No. Give me a real reason.”
So, why worship the gods if their authority isn’t a driving factor? If they aren’t deserving of it for being powerful, or more-than-mortal?
That’s a question any theist will have to answer for themself, but for me, a good answer to all of these questions ties in with the concept of praxis. Communing with the gods helps me get in touch with my desires and translate ideas into action.
I seek agency, so I travel with Hermes. I seek stability, so I shelter with Hestia. I seek creativity and bravery, so I write with the Muses and with Aries.
A lot of people think that a relationship with the divine involves some cowering, and frankly, that’s why I left Christianity; too much time spent making sure I wasn’t offensive to God just by existing the wrong way (coughcoughlesbiancoughcough).
It’s no way to live, and it’s a fear I’ve taken pains to strip from my current practices. Mostly with help from Hestia.
Honestly? If you know how to treat regular human beings with respect, you’re likely to treat the gods with a suitable amount of respect too. So many stories in Greek mythology center around gods punishing mortals for their hubris, but tell me, if some asshole went around bragging that they were much better and smarter than you, wouldn’t you have the impulse to give them a pratfall too? My general takeaway here is the ever-helpful “try not to be a dick.”
I’ve fucked up a few times, but I wasn’t smote or injured or otherwise harmed. The situation resolved itself the way most relationship hiccoughs do, with an apology and some reflection.
(I’m pretty socially awkward, honestly, and working things out with the gods has helped me work things out with people.)
As for offerings … I feel that what matters more than the quality or quantity of what you can offer is the intent behind it. I have thrifted candles for Hestia, and I treat my computer as a sort of hearth, and I devote the time I take to improve my living space to her. Hermes has a container of strange coins I’ve picked up off the ground, and my time spent traveling on the bus is a good time to pray if I want. Aries and the Muses have a cup of pens I use for personal projects. If you understand your reasoning, then whatever you have is good enough.
And these are all principles I put into practice when I write Heralds of Rhimn. I try to keep in mind what the people making the offerings have access to. A noble priest of Gardhe can afford to lay fine jewelry on their alter; a feyrie child might give the Romne part of their cookie.
The latter is not a lesser offering.
