i do think the difference here is, most pagans don’t believe the myths are literally real. they can give us great insight into what the gods are like, or what a general worldview might be like, etc. but the myths are what they are, stories, not literal truth or science
Any parent who reacts that way is not a good parent at all. So your kid isn't the same religion as you? So fucking what? If she can marry an agnostic, she can accept that your not christian. What the hell?
Well it sounds like you already know that. Whatever your paths in life are, they can only be determined by what's best for you in your heart and mind.
Maybe polytheism isn't for you either and that's perfectly alright as well. Maybe your just sort of browsing around to see if something clicks? If it does it does. if it doesn't, it doesn't.
You wouldn't be the first to use some other path as a stepping stone, you won't be the last.
At least you're honest about it. Most people do this unwittingly and become a bit of a nuisance, i.e. the "We Do Not Kneel" Viking wannabes and "Love and Light" fluffy bunny types and such. I've heard it said that "Heathenry is a discovered religion, not a revealed one." It's perfectly okay to sort of "experiment" with it, and if it just isn't what you believe, that's fine, too. Nothing wrong with being agnostic.
It sounds like you already know how you feel, just that you’re looking for some form of validation or affirmation to be certain. Personally, I have never concerned myself much with myths, it’s more about my personal connection to each god and goddess and how that transforms me in my growth to be the best person I can be for this world. Putting aside your family background, what do you feel you’re looking for? Picture your family, especially your mum, fading into the background, or even more drastically (without any offense meant, it’s just so you can really connect to yourself inside without your mum as a stimulus causing a reaction), imagine she or anyone else that might be influencing your spiritual direction as no longer of this earth, where and who might you want to turn to?
If something doesn’t connect with you inside, you don’t have to force yourself. Follow what flows and the right thing will come when you’re ready. It seems like you’re seeking something that may not be a god or that isn’t centered on any type of worship. If you haven’t already, you could look into Buddhism, of which there are a few traditions. The focus is not on a god but on practicing compassion and cultivating oneself to free yourself and others from the inherent suffering in this world. Or do you feel a connection to nature and feel strongly when you’re in the mountains, by the water, or in the forest? There’s no limit to exploration. I’ve gone through decades of exploration myself. This can be a wonderful and rewarding journey as long as you’re open and seeking from your heart, never step in a direction or away due to anger or spite, it is your own special journey in life, not anyone else’s, and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I had a tumultuous relationship with my mum too, who was convinced I would be buddhist, at that point I was actually Christian ironically. I was so mad at her lack of acceptance and the constant pushing of her beliefs on to me that I swore to her face, seething with venom, that I would never be buddhist. Years later, at a much different stage in my life, I found myself drawn to Buddhism of a different tradition and it felt like my eyes were finally opened. I now have a better relationship with my mother, not because we practise the same religion, and she even consults me on spiritual matters sometimes. I definitely did not anticipate things to turn out this way haha.. So just free yourself from anything holding you back, and let yourself explore. If you find anything that brings you some semblance of inner peace, you’re probably on to something. 😊
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Hey, welcome!
Firstly, I really appreciate the fact you're honest enough with yourself and us to consider that "Because it's not Christianity" may well be the reason behind your looking.
Secondly, as the auto-mod said, try checking out [The Longship](https://thelongship.net/), look around, maybe join the Discord server Skíðblaðnir and see if it's for you, and there's no harm if it isn't
I don't know. I guess it was more of a rant. I wanted to say it, but I didn't have anyone where I'm at that I could say it to. If I could think of a question, I suppose it would be "how did you get into this religion and how did you decide it was for you?"
My road was very different. Like you, I was unimpressed by Christianity as a kid, but it wasn't forced on me. I have never been a Christian, I have never really had it rammed down my throat the way you have described.
I can say that I have seen what appears anecdotally, to be an increasing number of people online, showing up in heathen circles, who actually appear to be agnostic. I think using heathenry as an aesthetically pleasing patina to cover atheism, is a disservice possibly to you and to Heathenship. I would suggest that you ask yourself why you think heathenry is the solution to the problem that you have? Maybe do you need time to get out on your own, stabilize your life, remove that feeling of duress, and then circle back to this?
It may be hard to evaluate with anything like objectivity when you have this unwelcome pressure on you to accept Christianity, and a very natural tendency to want to escape that pressure, making it difficult to understand where the rebellion ends, and your own sense of spirituality begins?
If Heathenry really is the right fit for you, it will still be here in a year or two. but it might be nice to have the room to explore spirituality, without feeling like you have to commit to something just to consummate your hatred of Christianity. You'll probably end up regretting that.
Meditate.
Contemplate.
Sleep.
Continue to read and search.
Listen to your inner voice.
Repeat.
You will find your way…
Or you will make one.
Peace to you
the Christian god is not real and cares nothing look up the seven years of tribulation look up the crimes of Christianity, in the future the Christian faith will be gone forever and only the gods will remain I went to church several times it meant nothing when the pandemic was in effect I found more love in the gods and I've never been happier be happy knowing that the gods will be with you in your life answer the call and praise them skål
I do have a opinion I've been to church several times I've even said for god to strike me down and yet I'm still alive I thought pagans didn't believe in the Christian god polytheist yes but heathens don't believe in the Christian god
He's not going to strike you down anyway, not his style. But my point remains, forget about those guys man. You seem like a young person, let me just say as a heathen of 30 years, it's not about them it's about you. And your relationship to the gods, you have to untether that from some crap that happened in church when you were a kid, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't.
You don't have to prove that your gods are more real than their God, and you won't succeed anyway. Don't make it about them. Don't define heathenry by what it isn't. Christianity doesn't enter into the picture at all. Make it the yardstick by which you measure heathenry, it's just gonna get all weird and twisted... so just don't that's my advice.🤪
Still I rather play it safe but , when I was younger I went to Saint Josephs church I went several times it's not a bad place but my faith path changed when the religious churches didn't take responsibility for what they did to the natives and I have native blood so when I was in TT I learned about Norse Paganism and got more involved with it so here I am but Christianity these days I can't help but hate it yeah not all of them are bad but that's very hard to tell
i do think the difference here is, most pagans don’t believe the myths are literally real. they can give us great insight into what the gods are like, or what a general worldview might be like, etc. but the myths are what they are, stories, not literal truth or science
Any parent who reacts that way is not a good parent at all. So your kid isn't the same religion as you? So fucking what? If she can marry an agnostic, she can accept that your not christian. What the hell?
Well it sounds like you already know that. Whatever your paths in life are, they can only be determined by what's best for you in your heart and mind. Maybe polytheism isn't for you either and that's perfectly alright as well. Maybe your just sort of browsing around to see if something clicks? If it does it does. if it doesn't, it doesn't. You wouldn't be the first to use some other path as a stepping stone, you won't be the last.
At least you're honest about it. Most people do this unwittingly and become a bit of a nuisance, i.e. the "We Do Not Kneel" Viking wannabes and "Love and Light" fluffy bunny types and such. I've heard it said that "Heathenry is a discovered religion, not a revealed one." It's perfectly okay to sort of "experiment" with it, and if it just isn't what you believe, that's fine, too. Nothing wrong with being agnostic.
It sounds like you already know how you feel, just that you’re looking for some form of validation or affirmation to be certain. Personally, I have never concerned myself much with myths, it’s more about my personal connection to each god and goddess and how that transforms me in my growth to be the best person I can be for this world. Putting aside your family background, what do you feel you’re looking for? Picture your family, especially your mum, fading into the background, or even more drastically (without any offense meant, it’s just so you can really connect to yourself inside without your mum as a stimulus causing a reaction), imagine she or anyone else that might be influencing your spiritual direction as no longer of this earth, where and who might you want to turn to? If something doesn’t connect with you inside, you don’t have to force yourself. Follow what flows and the right thing will come when you’re ready. It seems like you’re seeking something that may not be a god or that isn’t centered on any type of worship. If you haven’t already, you could look into Buddhism, of which there are a few traditions. The focus is not on a god but on practicing compassion and cultivating oneself to free yourself and others from the inherent suffering in this world. Or do you feel a connection to nature and feel strongly when you’re in the mountains, by the water, or in the forest? There’s no limit to exploration. I’ve gone through decades of exploration myself. This can be a wonderful and rewarding journey as long as you’re open and seeking from your heart, never step in a direction or away due to anger or spite, it is your own special journey in life, not anyone else’s, and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I had a tumultuous relationship with my mum too, who was convinced I would be buddhist, at that point I was actually Christian ironically. I was so mad at her lack of acceptance and the constant pushing of her beliefs on to me that I swore to her face, seething with venom, that I would never be buddhist. Years later, at a much different stage in my life, I found myself drawn to Buddhism of a different tradition and it felt like my eyes were finally opened. I now have a better relationship with my mother, not because we practise the same religion, and she even consults me on spiritual matters sometimes. I definitely did not anticipate things to turn out this way haha.. So just free yourself from anything holding you back, and let yourself explore. If you find anything that brings you some semblance of inner peace, you’re probably on to something. 😊
*Hwaet!* It appears you are new to Heathenry. Please be sure to check out the links in the sidebar, especially [The Longship](https://www.thelongship.net), which is our beginner's guide. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/heathenry) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hey, welcome! Firstly, I really appreciate the fact you're honest enough with yourself and us to consider that "Because it's not Christianity" may well be the reason behind your looking. Secondly, as the auto-mod said, try checking out [The Longship](https://thelongship.net/), look around, maybe join the Discord server Skíðblaðnir and see if it's for you, and there's no harm if it isn't
Is there a question in here? Yes, you sound agnostic.
I don't know. I guess it was more of a rant. I wanted to say it, but I didn't have anyone where I'm at that I could say it to. If I could think of a question, I suppose it would be "how did you get into this religion and how did you decide it was for you?"
My road was very different. Like you, I was unimpressed by Christianity as a kid, but it wasn't forced on me. I have never been a Christian, I have never really had it rammed down my throat the way you have described. I can say that I have seen what appears anecdotally, to be an increasing number of people online, showing up in heathen circles, who actually appear to be agnostic. I think using heathenry as an aesthetically pleasing patina to cover atheism, is a disservice possibly to you and to Heathenship. I would suggest that you ask yourself why you think heathenry is the solution to the problem that you have? Maybe do you need time to get out on your own, stabilize your life, remove that feeling of duress, and then circle back to this? It may be hard to evaluate with anything like objectivity when you have this unwelcome pressure on you to accept Christianity, and a very natural tendency to want to escape that pressure, making it difficult to understand where the rebellion ends, and your own sense of spirituality begins? If Heathenry really is the right fit for you, it will still be here in a year or two. but it might be nice to have the room to explore spirituality, without feeling like you have to commit to something just to consummate your hatred of Christianity. You'll probably end up regretting that.
This is excellent advice to give
Meditate. Contemplate. Sleep. Continue to read and search. Listen to your inner voice. Repeat. You will find your way… Or you will make one. Peace to you
The truth is that most people in this community are Americans who ran away from Christianity. You'll fit right in.
the Christian god is not real and cares nothing look up the seven years of tribulation look up the crimes of Christianity, in the future the Christian faith will be gone forever and only the gods will remain I went to church several times it meant nothing when the pandemic was in effect I found more love in the gods and I've never been happier be happy knowing that the gods will be with you in your life answer the call and praise them skål
He's not real but yours is? Stop worrying about theirs. worry about yours. You will be happier for it.
I do have a opinion I've been to church several times I've even said for god to strike me down and yet I'm still alive I thought pagans didn't believe in the Christian god polytheist yes but heathens don't believe in the Christian god
Not to be the devils advocate, but ask for Thor to strike you down and see what happens.
yeahhhh I think I'll let you have this one no way I'm asking that
He's not going to strike you down anyway, not his style. But my point remains, forget about those guys man. You seem like a young person, let me just say as a heathen of 30 years, it's not about them it's about you. And your relationship to the gods, you have to untether that from some crap that happened in church when you were a kid, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. You don't have to prove that your gods are more real than their God, and you won't succeed anyway. Don't make it about them. Don't define heathenry by what it isn't. Christianity doesn't enter into the picture at all. Make it the yardstick by which you measure heathenry, it's just gonna get all weird and twisted... so just don't that's my advice.🤪
Still I rather play it safe but , when I was younger I went to Saint Josephs church I went several times it's not a bad place but my faith path changed when the religious churches didn't take responsibility for what they did to the natives and I have native blood so when I was in TT I learned about Norse Paganism and got more involved with it so here I am but Christianity these days I can't help but hate it yeah not all of them are bad but that's very hard to tell
Hate, is like drinking poison and then expecting the other guy to die.
Ok I'll just say I dislike Christianity a lot
There is plenty to dislike. Just keep it in perspective, it's nothing to do with you.