bookofmirrors | From a Discussion at tc

Been meaning to do this for a while now. There was a discussion at

tc_borderpagans a few weeks back about creating your own religion, and it included the various aspects one would consider when doing so. I've been meaning to match this set with my own beliefs. This will probably only be a brief overview, since I'm supposed to be cleaning the house. ;)

Properties of Deity
Null – there is no deity
Location
Imminent (inside each adherent)
Transcendent (outside each adherent)
Nature of Godhood
Ascendant (rose to godhood)
Eternal (always has been always will be)
Power
Direct ("I will smite you on your nose")
Indirect (god tells me through my intuition)
Hidden ("we see the power in the wind")
Attitude
Ambivalent ("I don't care if you are here or not")
Caring
Vengeful ("Do as I say or else…")
Pluralism
Singular
Dualistic
Polytheistic
Form
Humanoform
Animalistic
Nature–form
Indistinct
Requirements
Sacrifice
Offerings
Proselytizing
Adherents
Belief – (how does belief come)
Revealed
Experiential
Indoctrination
Tradition
Pay-off
Power
Rewards
Afterlife?
Present?
Leadership
Taboos
Involvement
Tools
Methods of worship
Communion – (with deity)
Direct (god talks to me)
Divination
Inspiration
Chemicals
Ritual
Teaching
Ethics
Written/Recorded
Dynamic
Variable
Goal
Domination
Replication
Co-existence
Null
Transcendence
Knowledge
Ascension

Properties of Deity
Actually, on this one, I vote iminent AND transcendent. Both at once. This doesn't create any type of paradox in my head, strangely enough. To me, it seems self-evident that it just has to be both. Iminent, in my head, includes (and perhaps also supercedes) transcendant.

Nature of Godhood
Eternal

Power
Again, all of the above. Direct, indirect, and hidden. Why should God be limited to one method of communication?

Attitude
Ambivalent, leaning towards caring.

Pluralism
All of the above. Singular, dualistic, and plural, simultaneously, if you like. Again, why should (and how *could*) God be limited to just one?

Form
Indistinct, but can take any of the other forms (including those not listed, such as something alien) at will.

Requirements
Hmmmmm... this is a tough one. For now, I'm going to say there aren't any, but that's only because this is a short post. I might think on that further and clarify/correct.

Adherents
No requirements or restrictions.

Belief
Any of the above, I suppose, but leaning VERY STRONGLY towards revealed and experiential, with roughly equal weight.

Pay-off
In the present and in the afterlife. Very strongly associated with goals, below. Overall payoff, as listed here, might be considered power, but more in the personal type of power - grounded, centered, in yourself, serene and joyful - that sort of thing. Not the I-can-physically-and/or-metaphysically-kick-your-ass kinda way.

Leadership
Self-leadership only. Encourages each to lead self. Encouragement to lead others only as life-path directs.

Taboos
No taboos, really.

Involvement
As much or as little as you like. You choose your own payoff/rewards based on your own involvement. Since deity is iminent, involvement is with your Self, and "positive" involvement will result in health, wealth (however you define it), wisdom, serenity, and joy. "Negative" involvement results in misery.

Tools
Whatever speaks to you

Methods of worship
All of the above - communion, direct, divination.

Inspiration
All of the above - chemicals, ritual, teaching. And then some - whatever brings you awe, joy, happiness, beauty, an aha moment, wisdom, etc..

Ethics
Dynamic and variable. There is no point in writing down these types of ethics. Follow your heart. And make sure it's your heart you're listening to.

Goal
Maybe transcendence. That's not quite it, though. More like... not to be more than you ARE, but to be ALL that you ALREADY ARE. And to figure out what that is.