I am a devoted Heathen who reveres Thor more than any other God. I still give the other Gods their due respect and have learned to develop certain relationships with them, but Thor is always the one who is there for me and that is why this site is for Him.

I do not, however, believe Thor is literally growing a big, red beard and being in the form of a brawny human being. Nor do I believe Odin is literally a tall, one-eyed, long gray-haired figure who uses a giant spear as a walking stick. And the same goes for Freyja as being literally a beautiful woman with the Bringasmen and a voice like music. I believe these as being anthropomorphic archetypes that we as humans use to "see" Them, because our minds do not possess nearly the level of understanding that it would take to truly see the Gods. I believe that the Gods are GODS and not humans. The archetypes are just for us to see them in a manner that is easier for us to understand. 

I know that there are a lot of people who are hard-pressed against this theory, primarily the lore-thumpers who basically believe that the lore is the Divine Word sent by the Gods themselves. This kind of belief can lead to fanaticism and closed-mindedness. I believe that the lore does hold clues as to what the Gods are supposed to be and what they represent, but I view the lore as being unreliable at best. A lot of heathens seem inclined to say "Well, Snorri doesn't mention it, so it must not be true". FYI, Snorri Sturluson was a DEVOUT Christian who saw the Christianization of Iceland as the greatest thing to ever happen. He was also known for being a bit of a drunkard.

Therefore, placing all of my faith on the lore seems to be the quickest way to developing a stagnant religion. The basic theory of natural selection is that if something is to survive, it must adapt to the environment. Since society has changed much and much information on the Gods themselves has been either lost or misinterpreted, we must remain open-minded and continue to procure research and consider certain theories that may or may not pertain to the lore as being the final word on the Gods. Remember, a theory is only something researched and considered until it can be disproved.

I also am a polytheist. I do not believe that the Gods are different aspects of the same God(or Goddess) and I do not believe that they are purely based in the worshipper's mind. I believe that the Gods are indeed separate entities that are the driving forces behind nature, emotion, and the laws of existence itself. I believe that they function on a, shall I say, separation of powers basis. Each is a specific counter-balance to the other. I also do not see things in simple "black and white". Loki is not the "Satan" of Asatru and no one is truly the "good guy" or the "bad guy". We are all human beings whose lives develop through our interactions with one another, how we are raised, what action(or inaction) we choose to take and what we choose to believe is right. Simply put, we are our deeds.

I am also NOT a racially biased Heathen. Many people who now wear Thor's hammers around their necks are either supporters of the National Socialist dogma or claim that they aren't "racist", but that they just believe that everybody has a duty to their race and that our ancestors held the same belief. I even read something from a heathen who claims that being focused entirely on race isn't "racist". ???? Wow! That's surprises me quite a bit, because according to the Oxford English dictionary, that's EXACTLY what it means! Did the dictionary and the whole of the English language do a revision, I wonder? And for those of you who believe Hitler was a heathen because he once cited the Gods in a speech, you should probably read "Mein Kampfe" because he clearly declares himself to be a CATHOLIC and not in any way affiliated with Reconstructionist Heathenry. He even persecuted many Reconstructionist Heathens of the day, as well. Do some research!

I, simply put, cannot be a racially biased Heathen because I am of mixed percentage myself, and I can bet you anything that YOU probably are, too. Even if you look like you are "pure" and think that you have a pedigree that is 100%, I can guarantee that if you look far enough back in your ancestry, sooner or later you will find something that isn't 100% pure.

I also do not see Asatru as the only "correct" religion for Europeans. Many race-based Asatruar believe that the religion is only for Europeans, just as Judaism is only for Jews, Buddhism is only for Asians, etc. Many see the religion as the only right one for all European descended peoples, in spite of the fact that it was originally the faith of tribal Germans and not other European peoples. Though, many race-based groups claim that the Celtic peoples should be allowed in the religion too because "Germans and Celts are of the same Indo-European stock".

So, just Germans and Celts, eh? According to studies on anthropology, "Indo-European" or "Caucasian" technically includes: Germanic, Celtic, Hellenic, Italic, Hispanic, Slavic, Turkic, Semitic, Arabic, Ugric, East Indian, and North African peoples. That's a pretty broad spectrum of the "separate" races, especially since they are all coming from the same stock.

So, for all the aforementioned reasons, I am not actually affiliated with any group. My faith is something that I find in myself through years of study, contemplation, and wonder. I believe that all groups have a right to exist, even though I may not agree with them, and I expect them to respect my right to exist. After all, America has one clear amendment to the Constitution: Freedom of Worship.

Khasmoda