Religion and purpose
I was thinking about the two main types of Christians I remember when I was going to church as a youngster. Most (including family members) would go for the show--mild sermon, mild music--and then spend lots of time afterward socializing over tea, with nary a comment about the faith. However, some Christians wouldn't really play the social game so much as become Bible nerds, often carrying around a portable version in a purse or other bag for reading throughout the day, and seriously thinking about its application to daily life. I gradually came to resent the former, and I respected the latter. Granted, I was a very nerdy kid that didn't fit in with large social events, and I was seriously asking questions about life and meaning. But at some point one needs to ask whether a religion is a genuine source of meaning and purpose, or whether it's simply a disposable excuse for socializing and partying.
Beyond the simple kind of rant about 'Study good! Vapid bad!', there's a deeper question. Is the purpose of religion (ultimately a life question) to commune with others, or is it to clarify and pursue one's own direction? In all faiths, we've seen how a focus on social contacts without guidance can lead to massive hypocrisy, as well as destructive movements. And we've also seen in many faiths the 'arrogant monk' type, whose focus on self can become sociopathic. We've also seen how good community relations within a faith can strengthen everyone involved, and how clarity and passion can lead one to impressive self-improvement.
Heathenry, of course, is not immune to these dynamics. The most extreme example of social involvement without depth are the Heathens who openly profess Atheism (yes, I've met some); they love the culture and history, but don't deal with the probing questions about purpose, and instead fill the void with excesses of partying and fighting. I suppose it's a shade better than being a generic biker at a rough bar, but the same basic problems still remain. And the most extreme example in the other direction is probably the loner with odd pet theories who tells everyone else that they're 'doing it wrong(TM)', with no practical result.
There was a time when I was a solitary Heathen looking for community, and hung on to community even when things there were getting a bit rough. Having experienced some group implosions over the years and seen some dysfunctional thinking, community involvement for me is no longer the high priority it once was. There's enough social 'monkey see, monkey do' without reflection to cause one to take a step back and reevaluate where one is at. This doesn't mean that others are automatically 'bad', but it does mean that I've been outgrowing some people who, quite frankly, don't take the lore seriously and substitute trendy politics and fashion statements.
People often forget that in days of yore before the printing press and modern typesetting, writing was a pain in the ass--enough of a pain that only things considered truly worthwhile were being committed to paper. We don't have to agree with everything that was written, but one should note that there was a good reason for the way things were done, and learn from it, even if only to provide perspective.
I've even been noticing this in my sword group. There was a time when we needed more people, and the events were more casual. Now it's getting to the point where I see a clear distinction between who is serious and who is not. It's not just in overall attitude, it's also in the consistency of showing up, practicing at home, participating in the online discussions between practices, and so on. And that distinction will be even stronger over time as the practice includes more 'brutal' wrestling, aggressive weapon tactics, and so on. I've made some cool discoveries, but they would not be as useful if I didn't share them with the group. And the group is improving in quality because we're going for better content rather than sheer numbers.
For religious purposes, two helpful questions could be 'What am I doing to improve my practice and understanding?' and 'How am I helping others with their practice and understanding?'. These would work as long as one is honest about the actual practice that's being done, and an understanding that's consistent with both lore and common sense.