But it interests me. Many people who have an animistic perspective describe a polytheistic world-view. I’ve never been able to do that, probably for a number of epidemiological nit picky reasons and for some person history ones.

Theism refers to belief in deity, which I understand to [...]]]> As if anyone is really going to care

But it interests me. Many people who have an animistic perspective describe a polytheistic world-view. I’ve never been able to do that, probably for a number of epidemiological nit picky reasons and for some person history ones.

Theism refers to belief in deity, which I understand to be supernatural. I have no need for a supernatural element in my world view. That which exists, that which I can stand in relation to, is natural.

Theism and deity also relate in my understanding to a “creator from nothing” God. To me the existence of “creation from nothing” is a divine mystery but does not require me to invoke a supernatural (which a “creator from nothing” God would necessarily be) being in explanation. This may indeed be a hang over from a High Anglican upbringing (not heavy but always present).

The beings referred to by some as Gods or Goddesses I regard as people who contribute to how I am defined and I contribute to how they are defined by the nature of my relationship with them (I don’t have a relationship with many, and that a distant kinship through my Ancestors at best), just as with any other persons, human or otherwise.

While I do distinguish between categories of people (bird, animal, tree, story, poem, thought), the category of God has too much baggage for me, and describes a relationship I do not find myself wishing to be defined by, nor would I wish to define others in that way. I prefer to think that there are people with different realms of experiences, who stand in relationship to me as having different powers, different responsibilities, different authority.

I guess if I was going to describe my self as anything, it would have to be a polypersonist

And please please please do not take this as an attempt in any way to denigrate the beliefs and experiences of polytheists. It isn’t. It is an attempt to iron out for myself why I have always had real difficulty with words like theism, theology, deity