Worshiping Thor?

[AnAtheist]

Or even better why anyone thinks the current christian “God” is any more real than the norse gods. I don’t see anything that makes the christian god any more real than the norse gods.

In fact there’s a lot that makes the Christian god less real. Pagan gods do not suffer from intrinsic logical contradictions which make them impossible in the first place. And they are not creators but parts of this world. If you treat them as personalised forces of nature they do exist in a way even by hardcore naturalistic atheist standards.

 

[AnAtheist]

They just forget that their ancestors have recanted paganism and have embraced Christianity voluntarily.

That is simply not true. Christianity was spread by force, the worshipping of the old gods was forbidden by penalty of death. Look at the lex saxonum for example.
Even the “voluntary” decision of the Icelandic Althing in the year 1000 to make Christianity their state religion was a reaction to the threat of the king of Norway to stop commerce with Iceland otherwise.

 

[Spirithound]

Interesting to see how Christians, who get normally nuts when someone ridicules their beliefs, their religion, or their god, have no problems to ridicule other beliefs, religions, and gods. Must have something to do with specks and beams.

I defend the rights of non-Christians to go nuts upon our ridicule of their beliefs, religion, or god(s). This is how dialogue starts.

 

[AnAtheist]

I defend the rights of non-Christians to go nuts upon our ridicule of their beliefs, religion, or god(s). This is how dialogue starts.

Actually this is how holy wars start. If people stopped going nuts upon other views the world would be a better place.

 

[Hesychios]

Look at the lex saxonum for example.

I would see that as more of an exception.

 

[Hesychios]

If people stopped going nuts upon other views the world would be a better place.

I agree.

In an ideal world we would all be more tolerant.

On the other hand, there is nothing organic about these Teutonic, Helenic, Celtic etc. religious movements. They are the fruit of academic research into a past belief and practice that can only be guessed at, then they fill in the blanks with their own imaginative creations. These people are “playing church” so to say, I doubt that they really believe in anything deep down. It’s just fun, like joining the Lodge.

I would not level this criticism at Buddhism or Islam, which are living traditions one can connect with and learn from living adherents. One cannot learn these things from a book or books, one needs to become part of the community and be taught.

 

[AnAtheist]

On the other hand, there is nothing organic about these Teutonic, Helenic, Celtic etc. religious movements. …] These people are “playing church” so to say, I doubt that they really believe in anything deep down. It’s just fun, like joining the Lodge.

That is not true. A (neo-)pagan belief is quite different from a monotheistic belief - that fact may lead to all sorts of misunderstandings. So from your point of view it may not look “deep down”. The same probably applies the other way round.

They are the fruit of academic research into a past belief and practice that can only be guessed at, then they fill in the blanks with their own imaginative creations.

Yes that is correct, but where is the problem? Someone comes up with prayers, liturgy, rituals, credos at some stage, especially when a religion is young. Christianity was and is not different in that manner. The Feast of Corpus Christi e.g., its liturgy a creation by the Aquinate somewhere in the 13th century. Does this in any way lessen the feast?

One cannot learn these things from a book or books, one needs to become part of the community and be taught.

I agree that the community is important, even necessary, but in Asatru (which this thread is about) there are no teachings.There is no credo for example, what you can learn are rituals (the imaginative creations). There is no truth to believe or accept or whatever. It is more about a personal endeavour, how to live your life, how to relate to the world and the gods. It is not important what you belief but what you honour, or in other words, what gods you worship.

 

[cyberwolf001]

I didn’t realize Thor was still actively worshipped… I myself have some experience with the Eddas and Norse myths, but I had no idea that anyone still took them seriously. Makes me wonder if anyone still worships Zeus…

Yeap. One day some hope to see a shrine to Zeus/Jupiter placed in the Vatican itself.

I agree.

In an ideal world we would all be more tolerant.

On the other hand, there is nothing organic about these Teutonic, Helenic, Celtic etc. religious movements. They are the fruit of academic research into a past belief and practice that can only be guessed at, then they fill in the blanks with their own imaginative creations. These people are “playing church” so to say, I doubt that they really believe in anything deep down. It’s just fun, like joining the Lodge.

I would not level this criticism at Buddhism or Islam, which are living traditions one can connect with and learn from living adherents. One cannot learn these things from a book or books, one needs to become part of the community and be taught.

Not so. The revival is young(ish) but living traditions are starting and being restarted. Especally as contact is established with people in remote parts of Europe that never stopped worshipping the Old Gods.

Acedemic studies lead to Liturgical worship, which leads to the founding of new traditions and new findings in academic studies. The process keeps repeating itself.

Also, at least to me, it’s interesting how Pagan Liturgical worship has an impact on the enivroment around it. Making it more liberal, more Pagan friendly. Spirits seem to move in those areas more easily and the presence of the Gods is more easily felt.

People become more open minded and the entire area takes on a feeling of peace and safety.

My :twocents:

 

[Spirithound]

Actually this is how holy wars start. If people stopped going nuts upon other views the world would be a better place.

You’re right. Just a sec, I need to go disarm my nukes…
Pardon? Oh, you were just exaggerating in saying we’re going nuts and equating that with starting holy wars? Oops…my bad.

 

[system]

I didn’t realize Thor was still actively worshipped… I myself have some experience with the Eddas and Norse myths, but I had no idea that anyone still took them seriously. Makes me wonder if anyone still worships Zeus…

You say that you didn’t realize Thor was still actively worshiped like he shouldn’t be worshiped, at least not in front of people like Christians. You must not know much about the Eddas because they are not just myths you have to actually interpret them. You would know that if the Crusaders didn’t go throughout Europe forcing the Northerners to convert. (You don’t need to ‘lie’, we all know that part of history). Why would it matter if someone still worshiped Zeus? I can find contradictions throughout the Bible but there is yet to be one to be found from the Northern Religion. Christians forced communities throughout the middle ages to pay the church and the Church never gave stuff back. Also i have a question, “Do you guys still allow people to pay the church leader money to have your sins forgiven?” Probably not…Just to let you guys know Christianity is going down hill and there is no way you can stop it. Of course I have sources just in case you think I might be a poor soul who is going to the Christian hell for lying. I’m not mad or anything, i just don’t like it when lies are spread especially when they are discouraged.