Conference hydra::dejavu

    What ever happened to the old one God theory?
    
    One of the problems that I see is that church dogma does not want
    to change to keep in tune with changes in the worlds societies.
    
    In this respect people tend to select the God-image that best suits
    their particular needs. This has caused a proliferation of new
    churches,if not new Gods.  The true God, however is as modern as
    the times. I will not say who the True God is because this is a
    matter of personal preference. But do keep in mind that any God
    that created this earth will be well aware of what we are doing
    to it and to ourselves. He/She may not be entirely happy!

One thing that sometimes irks, sometimes amuses me is the way many neo-pagans
 seem to be working with a one-size-fits-all pantheon.  When the goddess is
  mentioned, for example, the mention is accompanied with a couple dozen names
   from various pagan religions who happened to have similar goddesses.
    <_Jym_>

    That is a religious/philosophical belief, and as such belief goes,
    not wholly irrational.  The deities (including the goddess) are
    seen as personfications of universal forces/principles (which doesn't
    make them, according to neo-pagans, any less real than you or me).
    As such they are not fully comprehensible to any human being.  The
    result is that different cultural/psychological viewpoints will
    produce different "realizations" of the given deity, called "aspects",
    upon their interactions with their worshipers and with the world.
    Even within a particular cultural matrix a single deity may not
    be encompased by a single viewpoint and may therefore have more
    than one aspect, hence, e.g., the triune nature of the goddess.
    This principle may be extended further in a belief that the *entire*
    pantheon are different aspects of a single unapproachable,
    incomprehensible, godhead (in Hinduism this ineffible, non-personified,
    godhead, is called, if I remember correctly, Trimurti.  Trimurti,
    has three major aspects: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, each of which
    have a corresponding female aspect -- their "wives".  All six of
    these have children, alternate aspects, and incarnations, which
    together forms the complete Hindu pantheon).  Anyway it is felt
    that a broader understanding can come about by recognizing the alien
    cultures views of what is felt to be the same essential deity.
    
    This viewpoint was quite common in the ancient world and many of
    the ancient "civilized" pagan religions (Greece, Rome, Egypt) were
    formed by a process of a merging of diverse religious traditions.
    Some neo-pagans believe that this is a characteristic of all pagan
    religions, but (though I could be mistaken) I do not believe that
    this is historically supportable.
    
    I am not a neo-pagan, so if I have misrepresented the beliefs of
    any readers who are (or who simply know more about it than I do)
    I appologize and sincerely invite correction.
    
    			Topher

    I think Topher said it pretty well.  Some Neo-pagans are pureist
    and other are eclectic.  Pantheons are purely subjective too.  My
    pantheon could and probably is different from everyone elses.
    
    With my limited experience of Wicca it seems that the Goddess is
    never really named but is refered to as "that one which is called..."
    and a series of names follows.  In fact after the Goddess is called
    upon and departs, everyone gets to take guesses as to which Goddess
    showed up. B^).  Drawing down the moon is akin to prophecy (well
    maybe...) and is written about in many books and articles that are
    publicly published.
    
    Anyway, my personal pantheon (are they _legal_ in this state?? B^)
    changes from time to time.  Sometimes I zero in on Dyonisus, laterly
    its been Pan though.  
    
    In light of this topic I seem to be toying with the idea of what
    I will become in the far distant future.  A god??  A demon??  I
    wish you could see me snicker at the thought.  I'll never tell!
    
      Mikie?

.4>  In light of this topic I seem to be toying with the idea of what
>    I will become in the far distant future.  A god??  A demon??  I
>    wish you could see me snicker at the thought.  I'll never tell!
     
    	I think, if all goes well ultimately (and ultimately, where
    else can it go??? ;-) we'll be all of that...but most of all, NOTHING.
    But then, I tend to take the Buddhist perspective.
    
    	I find this "New Gods" question rather interesting. I know I
    have a personal diety of sorts...named Tem Noon. He's not a god,
    but somewhere between a character in some stories I'll write someday
    and my pseudonym when I play music on stage. He tends to like facepaint
    and from time to time, wigs. I also call him the "Bodissatva of
    South Zaxor" (Tem's home planet).
    
    	On a personal level, the longer I interact with the idea in
    my mind of who and what Tem Noon is, the more power I feel from
    the relationship. In the beginning, it wasn't a relationship at
    all, just a story, and a name to use besides my own when I did radio.
    Now, Tem Noon is like my idea of my ideal. Infinitely patient, always
    precise and tactful, always compassionate and kind. He also likes
    to make believe he doesn't know ANYTHING about Earth history, and
    is not so interested in "historical facts", but is rather fascinated
    by life and interrelations of processes. Oh, and Tem does NOT eat
    animal products. 
    
    	He also has his own (unannounced) conference, which has been
    pretty quiet lately, in case anyone feels like dropping by. Other
    dieties (new, old, real, or imagined) are certainly welcome, as
    are us meer mortals. (Hit KP7 / SELECT to add Tem Noon's Cabin to
    your Notebook)
    
    	Ed
    
    	

    
    .4 
    
    as usual you got me thinking again. I hate it when that happens!!!
    
    RE: A god?? A demon??
    
    	how about part of a/the (G/g)od?
    
    My personal pantheon seems to be a little of everything I have
    experianced through life. Khemite,Seax Wiccan,Magick, with a "fundie"
    christian upbringing, a brief spat of Satanic rebellion ect...
    	I guess the only way to throw all of this into one bag is that
    to my knowledge none of these belief structures deny the possibility
    of one BIG_GUY/GAL/IT above all. (Perhaps this allowes for too much
    tollerance?)
    	I guess religions are/have been massing into a cluster of 
    confusion (10) caused by individual ideas of what "true" happiness
    is (7), individual ideas of what "true" knowledge is (8), and
    individual ideas of where everybody else should be (9).
    	If we follow that path it looks to me like it could be time
    to goto zero again and start over with "new-gods" or perhaps
    re-clarification of what the gods/God is to us??
    	This brings on another question...
    If today we could make a new/real "GOD" what aspects/abilities would
    we want it to have? Strength? patience? wisdom? patience? never
    ending love? patience? an active participation in the world? patience?
    power to destroy "evil-doers"? patience? mobility? I will hold
    back what quality I would most likely want to have in the "God"
    but what do you folks think this "God" should have? ;-) Multiple
    personalities? or perhaps maybe patience? What would we want him/her/it
    to look like? what sex would it be? 
                                                           
    	Well when morning comes i'm off to go Bast in the sun on a
    hopefully purrfect sunny day on the Atlantic coast which is turning
    into a litter-box.
    
    hope for some interesting answers!
    
    Craig (servant-to-the-metal-gods)