Ásatrú: really?-*Moved from General Apologetics*

InnocentOdion said:

I don't. Don't make assumptions. It just doesn't seem like a proper religion to me as far as I'm aware. I don't think Buddhism, Shinto, or Sikhism are jokes. So your statement is biased and incorrect.

Why would someone come on a Christian Forum if they want to "point out something absurd about Christianity"? I don't go around and want to do that on an atheist forum, or even another religious forum.

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It's just the idea of a Christian asking if someone else's religion is a joke. I don't know anything about the religion you are enquiring about but I know a lot about Christianity and some of the things that you folks believe seems downright insane. Regardless of whether the Christian religion is true or not, it is certainly bizarre enough that you folks don't have any room to be pointing anyone.

I find a Christian wondering about why a deity would reveal himself to one person and not to another pretty amusing, actually.

InnocentOdion said:

Thanks for the website, I'm not sure if I'll go there though. Reason being... I have a friend who's apparently had personal experiences with the gods and the spirits, now he thinks he's a wolf, wears a dog collar, thinks he can transform, thinks he must stop the world from progressing in its "cancer and destruction of the world", and is probably going to end up killing someone, which is why I only talk to him online now, or go with a group of my friends (which is rare now but that's another story. heh)

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I'd say he actually thinks he's a dog, as most wolves wouldn't be into collars. Must be a city boy, can't imagine an un-leashed canine. Given this glaring symbol of inherent domesticity (or kinkiness), I seriously doubt he's likely to kill anything bigger than a cockroach, but may at some point go so far as to star in a blurry Youtube video while wearing a furry loincloth and running through the nearest treed public park.

InnocentOdion said:

Sorry guys, but the threads I'm getting are pointless and not related to the subject at hand, and some of them are even coming across as rude. It's quite typical of an atheist on here to try and undermine a Christian's religion. I'm after questions on is Ásatrú real, and I'm not after "is Christianity real": if you guys want to debate that, start up a separate thread. I'm waiting to see something from the Ásatrú; I don't know if this area is the right place for it, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

So, let's keep this about Ásatrú, not my religion and why I chose it, unless it's why I chose it over the aforementioned religion.

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Alright, well then, unless the person expressing the religious belief has done something to otherwise indicate that they are joking, or making some kind of point, then you should probably just assume that they are for real.

We only mention your religion to just point out that people assume that you are for real and Christianity is no less out there any other religion I have ever heard of.

Just for the record, Asatru is a formally recognized religion in some Scandinavian countries.

Two, there are Asatruar that consider it a worldview, not a religion.

Try here for some reading. As a member from that site would say, it tries its best to stay away from "woo-woo" neo-paganism.

InnocentOdion said:

I'm waiting to see something from the Ásatrú; I don't know if this area is the right place for it, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

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Non-Christian Religion might be a better place. It's also in Discussion & Debate.

It's quite typical of an atheist on here to try and undermine a Christian's religion.

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Typical of a Christian on here to expect everyone to respond as they dictate

InnocentOdion said:

Sorry guys, but the threads I'm getting are pointless and not related to the subject at hand, and some of them are even coming across as rude. It's quite typical of an atheist on here to try and undermine a Christian's religion. I'm after questions on is Ásatrú real, and I'm not after "is Christianity real": if you guys want to debate that, start up a separate thread. I'm waiting to see something from the Ásatrú; I don't know if this area is the right place for it, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

So, let's keep this about Ásatrú, not my religion and why I chose it, unless it's why I chose it over the aforementioned religion.

IO

PS: Bombilla, no, he thinks he's a wolf, not a dog, even though everything hints at him being more of a dog than a wolf. Tame wolf, I guess?

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Relating your religion to the religion in question is staying on topic. I have a feeling you just “feel” uncomfortable with such relations. But the truth is assuming one religion is a joke one must have reasons for that someone’s religion being a joke. And those same reasons can be used to show that your religion is just as laughable.

This then concludes that no religion is any more of a joke, or as much of a joke as any other religion. This is because all religions have no evidence to support their claims. All any religion has is personal testimony (and there are no shortages of those). And if we are to use personal testimony then we must presume every religion, myth, superstition, alien abduction, chupacabra sighting, and invisible friend is reliable evidence.

Or we can throw out personal testimony as an over active imagination and wait for some kind of reliable evidence. And if we do this then your religion is just as much of a joke as the religion you wish to confirm to be a joke.

I find pastafarianism to be just as legitimate as Christianity. The Flying Spaghetti Monster makes about as much logically sense as any other god. And you definitly referred to it as a "joke" religion.

The real trouble your having here IO is that you are in the wrong forum. The Non-Christian religion form was setup exactly for these types of questions.

If you ask such a question in GA, you are going to get responses like those above, people trying to dissect your reasoning and tear apart your arguments. Its what this forum is for and its very hard to avoid it especially in a thread that refers to several religions as jokes.

InnocentOdion said:

GabrielWithoutWings: Thank you, GabrielWithoutWings, you've been the most helpful so far. However, Jedi might become an official religion of the UK, and we know that it's one that started out as a joke.

That's why I'm here - to hear from those whose religion it is.

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You're welcome.

Frankly, I think Jedi philosophy might have some merits. Of course, if the UK does formally recognize the Jedi, then I'll be forced to create a Sith path as well.

I could be Darth Something-or-other.

A Jedi gains power through understanding.
A Sith gains understanding through power.

- Darth Sidious

Moved from General Apologetics to Non-Christian Religions per OP request.

InnocentOdion said:

My question is, is Ásatrú a real religion, I mean, do you guys REALLY believe it, or is it a joke religion, or do you really believe in the Æsir?

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Can't speak for everyone, but yes, I accept the existence of the Aesir and Vanir as a given. I'm not a literalist about our sagas, but then I don't know anyone who is. After all, the sagas are just that... sagas. Not factual reports.

InnocentOdion said:

If some people of this religion can tell me this is what they really believe, and they really think this is what will happen when they die, and they didn't become one out of rebellion?

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Rebellion most definitely had nothing to do with my deconversion from German Lutheran christianity. I started to read the Poetic Edda out of curiosity and... connected. I felt "home at last". There was something "supernatural" happening, if you permit me to call it that way, that never happened in all my years as a christian.

InnocentOdion said:

Now I'm curious: why not reveal to everyone who wishes to see them?

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Being worshipped by everyone is not a mandatory #1 concern of a deity.

See IO, now that the thread's in the NCR forum, you get the replies you asked for

tocis said:

Being worshipped by everyone is not a mandatory #1 concern of a deity.

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That's an excellent observation! Why would a deity bother to gather worshippers to begin with? Self-confidence issues?

InnocentOdion said:

In Christianity, we believe God is all knowing. YHWH 1, Odin 0. J/K.

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Except the Bible contains numerous references to 'Him' being far less than omniscient.

peace

Freodin said:

So how would a human of our time come to believe in these gods? Why would he believe in them over the deities of Old Egypt, Rome, Babylon or, say, Carthago?

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Well, I came to believe in and worship the Deities of ancient Egypt due to personal experiance with them, and never having experiance or connection with any other Deity despite belonging to different religions before being Kemetic.


This seems to be the case for many pagans. They feel a connection, have an experiance, or they're just drawn to it.
Why does anyone choose the religion they do, they were raised as such by their parents does cover many.. but for those who weren't..? I'd bet the reasoning is often similiar.

So how come no neo-pagan claims allegiance to these gods?

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*cough* Actually... I've met at least one Pagan who followed each on that list. Many more when it comes to Roman religion. The list doesn't stop there, either.

Let's not forget those neo-pagans who believe that all gods that have ever been conceived by Man are but reflections of principles that transcend - and connect- them all. "All gods are but one God, and all goddesses are but one Goddess. And there is but one Initiator" or something to that effect.