I'm not a Henotheist

[Medusa]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

I'm an atheist. I have no belief in any deity and/or supernatural shenanigans.

[pillar]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

Yet despite this, you call yourself "Pagan"?

The closest thing I come to worshiping is nature, therefore I celebrate the pagan holidays that go along with the changes of the seasons and the ones roughly at the midpoints between these changes. They are something I can observe and feel a connection to. One of the common threads to paganism is an attachment to and respect for nature. Paganism speaks to me more than other religions do. Pagans are generally accepting of other peoples viewpoints, even though we may disagree with each other we don't look down on others for their views. That is another reason why I am pagan.

Now I believe the universe was created by the gods, not one god but many. I just don't think they interfere in our lives doing so, to me, would take something away from us. For instance doing a spell to make wealth come to you, or to have people better understand you. First off this is kinda shirking some of your personal responsibility, but secondly the wealth would have to be transfered from somewhere or someone else. either way someone else is losing out because your god played favorites. And asking to be understood means the gods have to be somehow playing mind games with other people for your benefit.

I just don't see any responsible being doing such things. These are just two examples but just about anything you ask for from a god would have repercussions for other people as well. That being said I do believe in an afterlife as well, so I'm not atheist. I am studying Hellenic polytheism and the tales of the Greek gods. Not that I believe they are real but think they have interesting lessons to be learned contained within them, and they are just plain cool.

[thalassa]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

perhaps you should look at polydeism

[pillar]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

perhaps you should look at polydeism

From what I read on wikipedia that is what I am.

[Louisvillian]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

Anyone else have this problem?

I've had similar issues come up. Christians have tried to press at my underlying panentheism as indicating that I'm "really" a monotheist. Atheists tried to push at my subjectivism and scepticism as indicating that I don't "really" believe in the gods. People with a very ingrained mindset try to see their way of thinking in everyone else, projecting it onto others.

[anunitu]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

I would ask a Christian,do you really believe in a devil,and hell. And if so,are you not afraid that if you deviate even a little from your Dogma,down you go to the fiery pit?

They then would begin to "Explain" their beliefs in detail as I wander away...

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: I'm not a Henotheist

You can celebrate something in a cultural sense without believing in the religion behind the celebration. Like going to a St. Patrick's Day beerfest, or trick-or-treating for Halloween, etc. You can buy your kid a Christmas present and be an atheist!