We Asatru are a squabbling bunch. How many people have seen kindreds blow apart because of internal disagreements. In my 8 years of living in Maryland I've seen four of them blow apart
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Because of its nature Asatru can never be One religion. As a folkway it has no central authority that determines "correct" practice or lore. I see Asatru as similar to Hinduism. A collection of sects and sub-sects under the umbrella term "Germanic Heathenry". People will disagree naturally but we need to accept those differences and not fight with each other.
I read somewhere that the Indian government wrote up a list of things which all Hindu sects have in common to better define their religion. Maybe we heathens could to do something similar?
"I read somewhere that the Indian government wrote up a list of things which all Hindu sects have in common to better define their religion. Maybe we heathens could to do something similar?"
Now that is a sensible idea. Let us define who we are in a clear simple manner. If we do not define ourselves, then we will be defined by others. In Australia we are in the process of actually doing this. I am aware that some other groups are doing this also. But I would caution that we need to do this in a conscious and deliberate manner.
As for the various expressions of our faith? [Theodism, ASH, Irminists, Asatru] No problem, they could be seen as exactly that, variations of the common worship of the Northern Gods. Remember, we are all the children of Rigr/Heimdall.
Yes! I myself have been personally insulted very many times by other Asatru within my own kindred, and several have parted ways with the larger portion as a result... instead of agreeing to disagree and stay united on the same path. I'm not even aware of any other practicing groups in the vicinity...
Very well put. There should be room in a folk way for all the folk but we seem to be an intollerant lot these days. Too bad, because some day we may all sink seperately.
You assume there is but one religion under the general category of Heathenry. The Irminists and the Theodisc are not at all like what has become known as Asatru. Their only concern ought to be their own folk, not whether or not other different types of Heathens get along with them. We are not a single religion, and it's time Heathens learn this. If this means that we are going to have contention amongst ourselves over how things are done, then so be it. I'd rather see us fight out our differences than roll over like a bunch of weaklings who are afraid to express an opinion because someone might not like it. We come from peoples who speak their minds, not those that are cowed from fear of being politically incorrect
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". . .We are not a single religion, and it's time Heathens learn this. . ."
Not sure I can agree with that. When folk speak of their heathenry I 'assume' we all acknowledge the same gods therefore at the heart of the matter we *are* the same religion. It is the common factor of heathenry for without the gods there is no religion IMO. That being said, heathenry is a religion (as we moderns use the word) with many ways based off of approach, cultural nuance, etc. If we worshipped different gods then I would say yes, we are not the same religion. I of course place the gods at the centre of my way. . .the rest emanates from there. Other may not therefore their definition of religion may vary.
The Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same god, so does that mean they are the same religion? Of course not. There are commonalities, however, that make them all Abrahamic faiths. The same is true of Heathen religions. The Irminists, the Theodisc, Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, and general Asatru (not to mention those of us who don't use any name at all) all practice different religions in an anthropological sense. We are all of the same grouping, Heathenry, but we are not all the same faith. This is something that those in the general Asatru community need to learn.
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I read somewhere that the Indian government wrote up a list of things which all Hindu sects have in common to better define their religion. Maybe we heathens could to do something similar?
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Now that is a sensible idea. Let us define who we are in a clear simple manner. If we do not define ourselves, then we will be defined by others. In Australia we are in the process of actually doing this. I am aware that some other groups are doing this also. But I would caution that we need to do this in a conscious and deliberate manner.
As for the various expressions of our faith? [Theodism, ASH, Irminists, Asatru] No problem, they could be seen as exactly that, variations of the common worship of the Northern Gods. Remember, we are all the children of Rigr/Heimdall.
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Not sure I can agree with that. When folk speak of their heathenry I 'assume' we all acknowledge the same gods therefore at the heart of the matter we *are* the same religion. It is the common factor of heathenry for without the gods there is no religion IMO. That being said, heathenry is a religion (as we moderns use the word) with many ways based off of approach, cultural nuance, etc. If we worshipped different gods then I would say yes, we are not the same religion. I of course place the gods at the centre of my way. . .the rest emanates from there. Other may not therefore their definition of religion may vary.
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