Re: Pointless pantheism

From: Morthander <morthander_at_...>
Date: Sat, 04 Mar 2000 11:40:01 -0800

theo posselt <tpossel-_at_...> wrote:
original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/hw-rules/?start=214
>
> > There is no tangible benefit of being a lay member except that
the
> > priests will leave you alone. I look at it as you get out of
the
> > god what you put into the god. Lay member give the god
lipservice
> > and the occassional goody; the god replies in kind.

Theo:

      


>      So it states in the rules, which to me is part of the problem. 

Again, 


>      my question is: for pantheistic societies, should the only

options be 


>      lay worshipper/initiate/devotee of a single god, or should there

be an 


>      option to be a follower of the entire pantheon, which would also

give 


>      some tangible benefits?

>      

>      Is anyone else troubled by this lack of an option?

When you are a lay member in Dara Happa frex you are a lay member in the ENTIRE pantheon, so you may venerate specific gods but you are really worshipping the pantheon as a whole and give your power to the pantheon as part of your worship. The difference between a lay member and an initiate is based on their level of support. So you would NOT be a lay member of ONE cult, you would be a lay member of the entire pantheon, perhaps with some favourite gods to be sure, but the pantheon is your source of worship. This is certainly Gregs concept. He said that most DHs are not initiates and that their worship goes to all in the pantheon. Even the deities that normally wouldn't be worshipped, like those guys with the measures behind Yelm, still get venerated as part of the pantheon.

So to me, lay membership fits this perfectly. Initiates are specialists and devotees are hugely impressive specialists. The Orlanthi are unusual in their number of initiates compared to most other cultures.

Martin Laurie