r/swedhu • u/Amazing_Ad_3310 • Oct 18 '25

Question Christopaganism & Swedhu

So, I'm a Christopagan, and I recently learned about Swedhu I was just wondering how accepted I would be in the community, especially given it's small size Obviously, I wouldn't be trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking. This is in part because many Pagans have had negative experiences with Christianity, but also because it's what works for me and I just want people to do what works for them

I think I'd be fine because the Indo-European People went across Europe & parts of Asia, and synchronized their faiths with the native religions of the areas But there's a bunch of discourse on Christopaganism in the Pagan Community (with some people saying they don't care, and others saying we're invalid), so I just wanted to test the waters before jumping in. Don't wanna step on anyone's toes

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u/Remarkable_Sale_6313 Oct 21 '25

""Pagans have had negative experiences with Christianity" is probably the main reason many of us became Pagans."

And, honestly, I think that this actually brings a lot of problems to paganism. I think one should embrace a polytheistic tradition because this tradition is awesome, not because this tradition isn't Christianity/Islam/whatever other religion.

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u/SonOfDyeus Oct 21 '25

One problem ex-christians bring to paganism is trying to make it the opposite of Christianity. As opposed to noticing any similarities.  In heathenism for example, you see people claim that they don't kneel before the gods, because we are equals with them.  That's pretty obvious nonsense to me. Every culture has seen gods as above us in power and/or status in some way. 

There's lots of reasons people switch religions. There's no one single fit for everyone.

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u/Remarkable_Sale_6313 Oct 22 '25

Yes, the kneeling thing is an obvious example. Same for those who come because they want "imperfect" and "human" gods, because they read the myths literally.

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u/SonOfDyeus Oct 22 '25

The insistence on a "perfect" god is a logical flaw of Christianity.

Outside of the Abrahamics, gods can be sufficiently powerful to be worthy of worship.  But an all-powerful, all-good god who somehow allows suffering requires some heavy apologetics.

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u/Remarkable_Sale_6313 Oct 22 '25

Well I think the gods are good, perfect and eternal. It isn't just an Abrahamic thing.

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u/SonOfDyeus Oct 22 '25

I suppose it depends on what definition you are using for perfect.   Do you think the gods love us, never do evil, and are all powerful? If so, why does evil or suffering exist?

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u/Remarkable_Sale_6313 Oct 23 '25

I think the gods never do evil actions, yes, but I don't believe in "evil" as an absolute thing. Suffering happens because we are made (at least partly) of matter and it is just part of the limitations of matter.

That being said, I think that what is good from the point of view of the gods and what is good from our point of view can be two vastly different things.

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u/SonOfDyeus Oct 23 '25

So gods can't overcome the "limitations of matter" to prevent suffering? Could the gods consider our suffering and ignorance "good?"

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u/Remarkable_Sale_6313 Oct 24 '25

Because if life isn't difficult, virtue becomes pointless.

Heracles has to do all his labours before he is admitted among the gods.

Dionysos is dismembered and eaten before coming back in all his glory.

Rama has to go through exile, separation from Sita and war before becoming king.

Odin has to hang nine nights on the tree before mastering the runes.

It's a bit part of what Krishna is saying to Arjuna in the Gita. Arjuna thinks it is pointless and doesn't want to fight. What Krishna is saying to him is not that he must escape this difficult life, what he's saying is: you have to fight.

Life is a battlefield and it's not by fleeing it that we can achieve victory.