Being one of those who did write an article over this resurgent discussion, it is always interesting how our creations do spawn off from us.

In Heathenism there isn’t much of a discussion in this area, nor really a change in the narrative, for a couple reasons. 1) Heathenism hasn’t always been the friendliest to “divine-devotee” relationships. It’s too…academic, I suppose is the right word, at least in the larger sense. “the religion of homework” doesn’t have much room for a religion of spirit work. But that’s a larger issue deserving of a post. 2) Norse Gods are different from Khemetic Gods. For the most part, they seem to behave differently towards those worshipers who do spirit work, and if they are Harsh, it is the harshness of Scandinavian Winters. Only hard people survive.

I don’t know how much of the “narrative” is really “Victim shaming.” I know that’s not a real popular view these days. We tend to treat anyone who complains as justified in their complains, as if the victim is always in the right, because they are the victim of some “negative” action. I myself have experienced being Dicked Over (by Freya), and I can’t say that I was in the wrong. That being said, even as I felt I was in the right, so too did Freya. Arguments could be made about which of us was correct.

It also isn’t true that the Gods have our best interests at heart. That’s a Christian idea, and a pretty wrong one at that as their God has proven time and again. The Gods have the best interests of the Pantheon and the People at heart, but like war being good for the State, sometimes the individual loses. So too is it with the Gods. Sometimes they will do something mean, or cruel, or bad to someone, because that something is needed for the good of the Gods or the Religion. The Gods govern domains, and they will abide by the rules and natures of those domains, but most of those domains are not kind, they are needed. Such is the nature of Life and Gods.