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Author Topic: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?  (Read 3752 times)

broomstick

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Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« on: January 20, 2014, 04:30:54 pm »
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

Sage

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2014, 04:41:00 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
If you don't believe in gods there's no reason for you to. *shrugs*
Maker, though the darkness comes upon me,
I shall embrace the light. I shall weather the storm.
I shall endure.
What you have created, no one can tear asunder.

-Canticle of Trials 1:10

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Darkhawk

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2014, 04:45:39 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
I don't know, why should you?
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

Jack

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2014, 04:47:21 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
You should probably believe in them if they tell you to. I hear that goes badly if you don't. But if the gods aren't sufficiently interested in you to give you evidence they exist, you're probably safe not believing in them.
Hail Mara, Lady of Good Things!
"The only way to cope with something deadly serious is to try to treat it a little lightly." -Madeleine L'Engle

Sage

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2014, 04:53:28 pm »
Quote from: Jack;137045
You should probably believe in them if they tell you to. I hear that goes badly if you don't. But if the gods aren't sufficiently interested in you to give you evidence they exist, you're probably safe not believing in them.

 
I dunno, I've always thought that if I had a literal burning bush situation that I'd flip God off and be on my merry way... but then again, "are the gods I'm talking to real?" is the least interesting question I could ask about my religion. I'm much more interested in results. And social justice. And self development. And bacon sacraments.
Maker, though the darkness comes upon me,
I shall embrace the light. I shall weather the storm.
I shall endure.
What you have created, no one can tear asunder.

-Canticle of Trials 1:10

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Sage

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2014, 05:02:49 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
To explain the responses you're getting:

Even in explicitly theistic, orthodoxic religions -- that is, religions where what you believe about Deity is very important -- there is more to being a religious person than belief in gods.

Not all religions focus on belief as their most important feature. Some religions are orthopraxic rather than orthodoxic. This means how you act and what you do is more important than what you believe and in Whom. Many religions that may fit under the Pagan umbrella are considered orthopraxic.

There are also atheist and agnostic Pagans. As "Paganism" has no set definition (other than... using the label "Paganism" as a feature of one's religion...) there is nothing inherently more "Pagan" about believing in many gods than believing in no gods at all. There is more to religion than this god thing.

So, when you ask "Why should I believe in the gods?" many of us on this forum are blinking a bit and going, "...you really don't have to?" Because unlike, say, the Abrahamic faiths where belief in Deity is really really super important, that's not where all Pagans start or end up or even bother with.

Do you wanna be a Pagan who doesn't deal with gods? That's cool! Others have forged that path before. But I, at least, would find it incredibly rude and presumptuous of any Pagan trying to convince you of the reality of gods in an attempt to change your beliefs. I believe in the gods, but it's my belief. Mine. Go find your own!
Maker, though the darkness comes upon me,
I shall embrace the light. I shall weather the storm.
I shall endure.
What you have created, no one can tear asunder.

-Canticle of Trials 1:10

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Friday Otherfaith Blogging: last updated 2/27
Join the Emboatening Crew over on Kiva! Emboatening the boatless since Opet 2013.

Jack

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2014, 05:37:38 pm »
Quote from: Sage;137048
I dunno, I've always thought that if I had a literal burning bush situation that I'd flip God off and be on my merry way... but then again, "are the gods I'm talking to real?" is the least interesting question I could ask about my religion. I'm much more interested in results. And social justice. And self development. And bacon sacraments.

 
Much like fairy tales, myths where people do what the gods explicitly tell them to do things turn out better when you follow the instructions the burning bush gives you. So for that reason I'm inclined to do them. If you aren't, that's up to you, IMO.
Hail Mara, Lady of Good Things!
"The only way to cope with something deadly serious is to try to treat it a little lightly." -Madeleine L'Engle

NanLT

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2014, 06:09:36 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?


I have enough personal experience with Deities to not need to believe in Them. But, I also know that my personal experiences are just that, personal.

If after careful examination of your personal "evidence" you come to a conclusion that the gods do not exist, or are nothing more than Jungian constructs of a collective conscious, or are something else entirely. Well, I'll be right there with the rest of the gang saying - yup, it's okay.

Now, if you were to come along and say - afer careful consideration of all the evidence I have come to the conclusion that the gods aren't real, and you can't believe in them either, well, we'd have to disagree on that regard.

RandallS

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2014, 06:50:32 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

There's absolutely no reason why you should have to. If you don't believe that they exist, why bother?
Randall
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DavidMcCann

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2014, 07:02:53 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

What do you mean by evidence? People, throughout time and all over the world, have religious experiences. Frankly, you'd have to be very arrogant to dismiss them as deluded. Such few studies as have been done suggest that people who claim such experiences are no more gullible or suggestible than a control group. The simplest explanation is that they had had religious experiences.

The best discussion of this is Caroline Davis's The Evidential Force of Religious Experience: aimed at academics but reasonably readable.
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LadyBug

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2014, 07:26:21 pm »
Quote from: Sage;137048
I'm much more interested in results. And social justice. And self development. And bacon sacraments.


Mmmm bacon sacraments :D:
 
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
General consensus of the Living Religions of the World class I am in is pretty much "Believing in a god/goddess is a personal choice made depending on spiritual needs (or lack thereof)."

I very much agree actually.. The discussion is on-going though :3 (The teacher caught me reading this thread and decided to make it into a discussion. Oopsie! My bad.)

Jack

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2014, 07:34:09 pm »
Quote from: LadyBug;137067
(The teacher caught me reading this thread and decided to make it into a discussion. Oopsie! My bad.)

 
You should probably just be thankful your teacher didn't catch you looking at porn on Tumblr or something. ;)
Hail Mara, Lady of Good Things!
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Freesia

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2014, 08:02:11 pm »
Quote from: broomstick;137042
Just like there is no evidence of the Christian god, why should I worship the gods and goddesses of a particular pagan path if there is no evidence to support their existence?

 
When it comes to spiritual experience it tends to be entirely personal. I've had encounters with a ghost that happened in a public place and I was the only one who saw him, spoke to him, heard him. I did not even know he wasn't a living person until I saw him bounce from one location to another. But I wont tell anyone to believe in ghosts, all I can say is if you have an experience that disrupts reality it will change your views on said reality.

baduhmtisss

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2014, 08:31:08 pm »
Quote from: Jack;137070
You should probably just be thankful your teacher didn't catch you looking at porn on Tumblr or something. ;)

 
Very much agree^ Porn would be bad for a student. :P
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LadyBug

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Re: Why should I believe in gods/goddesses?
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2014, 08:34:03 pm »
Quote from: Jack;137070
You should probably just be thankful your teacher didn't catch you looking at porn on Tumblr or something. ;)


As if innocent lil me could be capable of watching porn! *inconspicuous browser window closing*
 
Quote from: RainbowSnake;137081
Very much agree^ Porn would be bad for a student. :P

 
Pretty sure the lady in front of me is looking at a half naked Kat von D :P Just gotta be sneaky apparently ;)

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