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How do Pagans reconcile their deities with all of the alternatives? (static.wikia.nocookie.net)

submitted 2 days ago by AnarchoBolshevik@lemmygrad.ml to c/paganism@hexbear.net

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am new to Paganism, so maybe this a very common question with an incredibly simple answer, but from my brief research I found nothing.

The numerous branches of Paganism have different beings who serve identical or very similar functions. Take thunder, for example. Celtic Pagans say that thunder’s god is Taranis. Norse Pagans believe that it’s Thor. Greek Pagans have a hunch that it’s Zeus. Roman Pagans suspect that it’s Jupiter. Slavic Pagans suggest that it’s Perun. And so on.

I am presuming that the various alternatives are never sources for heated arguments (correct me if I am wrong). So my question is, how do you reconcile a multitude of beings who all share the same job?

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[–] xj9@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

idk makes sense to me that different people have different gods and have their own ways of living and seeing the world. i don't really try to create a unified concept beyond like mutual tolerance and co-existance. creating universal avatars is kinda fun from a magic the gathering-like perspective, but idk what kind of spiritual value it has.

[–] BeamBrain@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Not Pagan myself, but I have a Pagan friend, and his view is that all deities are aspects of a single greater deity, filtered through the limits of culture and human perception. In this framework, Thor, Zeus, &c. are all interpretations of different facets of a deeper, underlying "thunder god," which in itself is merely one manifestation of an even greater, all-encompassing god that no human being could ever come close to fully understanding.

[–] HiImThomasPynchon@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I'm mostly in agreement with BeamBrain, but I'm coming at it from a completely different angle.

Above all, one's beliefs ought be flexible. Why can't a multitude of beings all share the same job? Who says Thor is responsible for all lightning? Isn't it kind of weird not to make space for other people's beliefs among your own?

To make parallels, there are sections of the Torah that are pretty explicit about there being gods other than YHWH. It's just that YHWH is the god Abraham's people made a covenant with. Granted, it's absolutely not the best example of making space for other people's beliefs, considering what YHWH tells his followers to do to those who didn't make the covenant. The underlying point stands: Taranis, Thor, Zeus, and Raijin are equally real. It's up to you to find which one's right for you.

Or maybe none of the above. I chose a giant snake I saw in a dream once.

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

I can't look at that image without hearing "We surrender... move a little closer!" in my head.