Recent content by Therapon

I try to balance Absolute Idealism with Hard-Polytheism...it's not easy:eek: What led me to Hellenic Polytheism...would you believe Christianity and the quest for the perennial philosophy;) I started out as an Evangelical Protestant converted to Catholicism when I was in my twenties then...

Well I apologise for being confrontational but the way you're defining Monotheism would appear to have more philosophical input than religious? It may sem like a minor point but as a Hellenic polytheist who is also a Neoplatonist it's a point that needs stating and one which many Hellenic...

Yes 'The One' in Neoplatonism is a Unity rather than a Singularity. just as we humans share the same essential humanity, the Gods share the same divine essence...'The One' (Gk; To Hen).

That is absolute rubbish:mad: You need to go back to your primary sources and perhaps read a few dictionaries! One ultimate cause is 'Monism' many Gods is 'Polytheism' Neoplatonism is 'Monistic-Polytheism' For clarification: Monism = One Ultimate Reality Dualism = Two Ultimate...

...yes they have...and there are a few positions left open if anyones interested?:D http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/priests_and_priesthoods.html

There were celibates in ancient paganism such as the Vestal Virgins and theres no reason why the 'Religio Romana' couldn't reinstitute this, if they haven't already...I'll just nip off and check...hang on....:)

The Gods are emanations of 'The One' and yes if you are like you say, influenced by Neoplatonism, you should know that we (Neoplatonists) do think about it :confused:

I can't believe that there are many Gods with no first cause, I don't know any Polytheist that believes that? In the Classical Polytheistic Tradition (Hellenismos) this goes back to Socrates as elucidated by Plato. Also the poets Homer and Hesiod placed Phanes (Eros/Cupid) as the first God and...

'The truth is One and the paths are many', is a favorite saying of mine. This means that whereas there is One ultimate reality the paths to it, the religions, can be many. This dos'nt mean that everyone is right, paths that don't accept the above saying as a guide to their spiritual life, I...

My family are active Christians and our conversations about religion are usually quite amicable. I find that Christians are usually misinformed about Paganism and that this is due to a large helping of rhetoric. When I have the opportunity to set the record straight, I find that my explainations...

Then by the same token; is someone who denies that they are enlightened, really enlightened:confused:

I thought it was called Gnosticism:confused: (No disrespect to Gnostics intended) I'm sure that the idea of a spiritual hierarchy is quite acceptable provided that those at the top are not antagonostic, bullying or patronising but are concerned about and helpful to those on the lower steps of...

No I haven't, it would be interesting to find out about if you can remember where you read it. I know there are also Stoic groups around but I'm not sure if these are recent reconstructions, revivals or a survival of the philosophy? It's easier with Neoplatonism as there is much more written...

There is an infinite God and therefore an infinity of Gods IMHO ;)