I donāt think people realize just how many USChristian attitudes get passed around in Heathenry, so I compiled different statements and behaviors Iāve seen over the years that reflect Christian notions not original to Heathenry. These examples are illustrative rather than definitive, since Iām only somewhat familiar with different Christian frameworks, but it should be enough to give you the picture:
āThe first and most important thing you need to do to practice Heathenry is read the Eddas.ā
āYou must worship Odin even if you donāt want to, because heās the head god.ā
āThe point of being Heathen is to live life in a way that grants you entry to Valhalla.ā
āValhalla is the good/awesome afterlife and Helheim is the bad/boring afterlife.ā
āThe Ćsir are good and the jƶtnar are evil.ā
āOdin is like God, Loki is like the Devil, and Baldr is like Jesus.ā
āOdin is more powerful than the rest of the gods.ā
āRagnarok is the End Times.ā
(āUs vs. themā attitudes.)
(Not knowing what to do with the the goddesses in general, regardless of oneās gender.)
āTo be Heathen, you must serve the gods.ā
āWe canāt truly know the gods, only attempt to understand them through the Eddas.ā
āThe gods are distant and donāt care about our personal needs or lives.ā
āWe must act as the godsā ambassadors on Earth.ā
āMaking sacrifices should be painful. Thatās why itās called a sacrifice.ā
āRagnarƶk is the End Times and thereās nothing we can do about it.ā
(Treating the HƔvamƔl as scripture.)
(Using medieval Icelandic law-tracts as a stand-in for Heathen religious orthodoxy.)
(Observing strict worship and insisting others do the same.)
(Adopting a very feudalistic relationship with the gods; lord/servant dynamics.)
āShowing devotion to the gods is done by acting as their hands and feet on earth.ā
āYou must think about the gods all the time and involve them in everything you do.ā
āWhy should we merely āwork withā the gods when we can worship them?ā
āRagnarƶk is the End Times and we must prepare to fight on the side of the gods.ā OR...
āRagnarƶk is the End Times and we must help fulfill it.ā
(Behaving as marginalized on the basis of their faith.)
(Reacting badly when confronted with new information about Heathenry.)
(Making bold or even standoffish declarations of faith.)
If you come from a Christian background and hear someone make statements like this, youāre probably going to feel pressured to come up with a counterargument for why itās okay for you to disagree. What you actually need to do is dismiss the premise entirely. These arguments arenāt reflective of Heathen truths and you donāt have to argue with them as though they are.
This is also not a dig at those whoāve made these statements / done these behaviors before. Itās not exactly second-nature for us to break out of the habit of believing in a specific idea or behaving in a specific way when we believed / behaved that way for most of our lives. However, itās still worth understanding how specific to Christianity these things are and trying to move away from them.
Itās up to you if you want to point out the nature of these arguments to the people making them. But if you do, I recommend doing so tactfully, with a clear head, and with a very clear understanding about what makes the premise Christian in nature.
Let me know if you want clarification on any of these points and why they arenāt reflective of Heathenry. Iām happy to go into it.