Cammon wrote:

For one, I wouldn't call the Christian God "Yahweh". Just because that's an inherited name from history doesn't mean that's what Christian's call him. You should play on the same playing field.

I can't speak for Gilly but I call the Christian god, Yahweh. That's one of his names. I consider the word god to be a job description. I don't see your point about a level playing field. I know more than a few Christians who do call their god Yahweh. Do they have to get off their field and onto yours too?

If you had your name legally changed, would you want everybody calling you by the old one? That's kinda rude. Plus, in this case, it makes Christians not "want to play".

Since when has the Christian god legally changed his name? This analogy makes no sense. Yahweh, Jehovah and Elohim are all names Christians use to refer to their god. If Christians don't want to play then they don't.

As a hard polytheist I find it far ruder to keep referring to a god as God. I wouldn't want to be referred to by what I do rather than by my name. I wouldn't consider that rude. I'd call it insulting.

Christians are a very mixed bunch. Some are extremely active church goers and don't believe in anything. Many don't care. Most do, or did at some point, but never really try to foster a relationship to a fulfilling level.

I am inferring from the forgoing that you think Christians are just a bunch of apathetic posers. If that's the case why doYou think  they bother to continue to call themselves Christian? Habit?

Meeting your God is considered a gift... and sometimes a curse... so what makes you believe that everyone would "already be there"? That's a very "mature" relationship with your God. And sometimes people are just psychotic or liars. So it is not a "normal" discussion to have.

I would agree with you that it isn't a normal conversation to have if we weren't posting on a multifaith religious board. Many of the people here are not Christian. Many of us have had very meaningful and profound UPG with our Gods. I have, many times, in church ,or here ,heard or read Christians speaking of their god in very personal terms. It certainly sounded to me like those people did have personal relationships with Yahweh. I don't know that very many people do ever get to meet their gods. I hope they do. It is a profound and life changing experience.

Why not? That's a good question. I assume never talking about it weeds out all the liars and quacks. It keeps it personal, and suppressed. If you had a tail, would you want to tell everyone? It is hard to say. The conversation is probably pretty awkward for people without tails... and even for some with tails. But, some people are born with tails.

Why does the knowledge that some people have direct and personal contact with their gods need to be suppressed? I don't have a tail but I have a very nasty scar on the right side of my head. I have no hair growing over that scar. People look at me funny all the time because of it. I can either be embarrassed and wear a cap or I can just be me and let people give me funny looks. I choose to face the world sans cap. It isn't my problem that people who see my scar feel awkward. It's theirs. A little honesty can go a long way. I have people ask me about it and I tell them why I have it. That goes a very long way toward helping people get over that feeling. I expect if more people who did have very personal face to face relationships with their gods talked about that then it might be helpful to those who have not.

Maybe you are one of a select few that have had positive, non-psychotic, relaxed, and intimate contact with your God(s). If you knew that you were one of the only ones, does that make other people's beliefs and struggles less worthy? I don't believe so.

I am one of those people who has  a positive, non-psychotic, relaxed and intimate contact with my gods. It doesn't make people's beliefs worth less or not worth having. It makes their experience different from mine.

You could fall in love for the first time at 14 or 34. Why can't people find their God at different times? Until then, you just have to sit back and wait for somebody to talk to. I hope you enjoy twiddling your thumbs. It is great entertainment and exercise! :)

People do find their gods at different times in their lives. I was more toward middle age when I found mine. Or actually when They called me. I wasn't twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the experience to happen. I was busy living my life. I expect that is what most people who have had a life changing experience with their gods were and are  doing too.

You post is leading me to believe that you are somewhat affronted by this topic. Why is this such a touchy subject for you?

Itty said; I can't speak for Gilly but I call the Christian god, Yahweh. That's one of his names. I consider the word god to be a job description. I don't see your point about a level playing field. I know more than a few Christians who do call their god Yahweh.

During my 34 some-odd years as a Christian, I'd called God by the name Yahweh, too.

As a hard polytheist I find it far ruder to keep referring to a god as God. I wouldn't want to be referred to by what I do rather than by my name. I wouldn't consider that rude. I'd call it insulting.

Certainly, it's confusing to use the generic term "God" on a Multifaith Board. We have to keep asking; which God? :p

I would agree with you that it isn't a normal conversation to have if we weren't posting on a multifaith religious board. Many of the people here are not Christian. Many of us have had very meaningful and profound UPG with our Gods.

Normal conversations are boring.

Why does the knowledge that some people have direct and personal contact with their gods need to be suppressed?.

Good question!

I am one of those people who has a positive, non-psychotic, relaxed and intimate contact with my gods.

Me too... That is to say, I've met spirits or deities, from differing religions; Yahweh, Fro Ing and Padmasambhava. And I'm pleased to say, those experiences have all been rewarding.

People do find their gods at different times in their lives.

I was a Christian from birth to the age of 34.

When I was 35, I'd begun to explore the religion of my ancestors, Asatru and met Freyr. Also met Frau Holda.

When I was somewhere in the vicinity of 38, I'd made my final religious transition to Zen Buddhism. Strangely, shortly thereafter, a Tibetan Buddhist figure called Padmasambhava paid me a visit... A lot of people said that because I've had this visitation that I should convert from Zen to Tibetan, but I have resisted this because Tibetan Buddhism is very foreign and strange to me, it is complex and confusing to me - while I have immense respect for it, I do not understand it and I have to say that I do not at all feel called to it. Still, it was a wonderful experience and I'm grateful to Padmasambhava for having come into my life. :D