A good listen, gods are a mixed bunch, there are bad boys out there that have been worshipped and honored in really horrible ways. I am sure you are aware of the dark side of pagan and polytheistic practices in history across the world. As a Christian I wonder if monotheism has been hijacked by bad boys at times, as Judaism, Islam and Christianity have a very mixed record of the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s difficult to discern between stand alone human folly and evil spiritual influences in that arena of history. Even no god atheism racked up a major kill and oppression record in Communism in the last century. Genghis Khan attributed his conquests to the sky god Tengri. https://www.discovermongolia.mn/blogs/the-ancient-religion-of-tengriism
A complicated ecosystem in the spirit world that isn’t all sweetness and circle dancing in the forest. In practice pluralism may not always be safely honored for every god. And , yes, my experience of the wonder and ultimacy of the Trinity set is not final evidence for that God’s supremacy. I have had at least two encounters with other deities, a god and goddess, and for me they just felt wrong, even though one of them came across as real nice and loving ( the goddess), she touched me in the place inside of my being that is reserved for God only, and I drew back in horror. So I guess I am at least a hardened henotheist and will see after death how truly mono my God is.
Thanks for sharing. Really interesting. I loved what you have to say about theophanic experience and how a God can present Themselves in all Their presence to one devotee and for that to be true and for completely different and even contrary experiences to be true too. It goes against a view I came against early in my polytheist journey that unverified personal gnosis can only be verified by known archaeology and lore or by shared gnosis with others.
A good listen, gods are a mixed bunch, there are bad boys out there that have been worshipped and honored in really horrible ways. I am sure you are aware of the dark side of pagan and polytheistic practices in history across the world. As a Christian I wonder if monotheism has been hijacked by bad boys at times, as Judaism, Islam and Christianity have a very mixed record of the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s difficult to discern between stand alone human folly and evil spiritual influences in that arena of history. Even no god atheism racked up a major kill and oppression record in Communism in the last century. Genghis Khan attributed his conquests to the sky god Tengri. https://www.discovermongolia.mn/blogs/the-ancient-religion-of-tengriism
A complicated ecosystem in the spirit world that isn’t all sweetness and circle dancing in the forest. In practice pluralism may not always be safely honored for every god. And , yes, my experience of the wonder and ultimacy of the Trinity set is not final evidence for that God’s supremacy. I have had at least two encounters with other deities, a god and goddess, and for me they just felt wrong, even though one of them came across as real nice and loving ( the goddess), she touched me in the place inside of my being that is reserved for God only, and I drew back in horror. So I guess I am at least a hardened henotheist and will see after death how truly mono my God is.
Thanks for sharing. Really interesting. I loved what you have to say about theophanic experience and how a God can present Themselves in all Their presence to one devotee and for that to be true and for completely different and even contrary experiences to be true too. It goes against a view I came against early in my polytheist journey that unverified personal gnosis can only be verified by known archaeology and lore or by shared gnosis with others.