Does Religion Make You More Moral? It Appears So

Lots of people think one does not need religion or spirituality to be moral, but in my own personal life, I can attest to the fact that I am indeed more moral than I would be without Hellenism.

Of course, morality is not always universal. Each person may have their own definition, but every human being has a certain set of values and ethics, no matter what their religious beliefs or lack thereof may be. Even the most faithless person on Earth has morals. They may say, "I think it's wrong to be prejudice" or, "I think it's a virtue to keep your word to people." Those are morals. However, being religious gives us the potential to have many more morals and ethics that we might otherwise not have without it.

Religion or spirituality sets us up to be conscious of the fact that everything we do, and sometimes everything we don't do, has consequences, whether for the good or bad. Whereas if you think there are no consequences, you're more likely to do whatever you think will have no matter on anything. Some people even think that it's only immoral if you get caught, otherwise no one will ever know and it will make no difference. But we, on the other hand, believe the Gods know, that the universe and our own energy knows, and will repay or respond accordingly. For example, when Justice Scalia died, even though I didn't like his politics, I did not speak ill of him. In Hellenism, it's frowned upon to talk bad about dead people or to challenge someone who is not present to defend themselves. This is immoral for good reason, because those who are not here cannot respond to the attacks or defamation. It's a cowardly act and simply low class to spit on someone's grave, even in a metaphorical sense. But there were people who said that it didn't matter because they weren't religious, and they could publicly call him whatever they wanted. I think most of us would consider respect for the dead to be a moral, or to at least not desecrate their grave. Therefore, I had more morality and perhaps honor than my non-religious counterparts.

There have been times in my life when I have had the opportunity and the ability to do something wrong, even to break the law, and get away with it. But I never did because of the Gods and the morals of my religion. I knew it would be an offense to Olympus or a dishonor upon me, and I could not face the Gods or myself that way. My religion has kept me on a path of goodness and virtue in every way.

I'd say that those of us who are religious and spiritual recognize that we have a grander purpose and place in life and the universe, and that the two have meaning far beyond mere flesh and bone. Therefore, we become more conscious of how we behave and the virtue we strive to achieve therein.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

If The Gods Care, Why Is My Life So Hard?

Why do bad things happen to me if there are Gods who care?

It's one of the oldest questions in the book, even asked by some Hellenists today who are having a difficult time with life. I by no means pretend to have the answers to life and the universe. Sometimes, the wisest thing you can say is, "I don't know." But in my own life, I have had no shortage of bad or seemingly bad experiences and tough times throughout all of my years on this Earth.

I was born into poverty, physically and mentally abused growing up, bullied in school, failed grades, lost several close relationships, lost jobs, worked ones I despised, lost my vehicles, had a son born severely premature, and ended up losing everything I had ever known living in North Carolina all together when my home was taken from my family and I left the state to pursue a better life. For years, I also suffered from severe depression and anxiety disorder. Only recently have I found medication and therapy that have quelled the issues. So do not take me for someone who has had a good life and is trying to tell others in bad situations that life's not so bad. I'm not the born-billionaire telling the trailer park that they can make it if they try. Believe me, I have had no easy life. Quite likely, I understand what you're going through. 

But I also still sincerely believe in and love the Gods. No matter how hard things have gotten, I have never cursed or turned on them. Ever. And what I've noticed is that things progressively improved for me because I am always inviting in the blessed presence of the Gods. We don't worship the Gods because they need or demand it. We don't do it to satisfy them. They can get along perfectly fine without us. We connect with the Gods to bring bliss into our lives. The more we do things to take ourselves out of the presence of the Gods, the worse things get. I know this also from personal experience. As I have said before, I used to be an extremely negative and angry person, and bad things kept happening to me left and right, because that negativity and hate was keeping me out of the presence of the Gods who are always positive and joyous.

When looking at our lives, I think the first question we have to ask ourselves is, What is bad? Often, what we may perceive as bad or a struggle is actually working out for a greater good. It can be impossible to see at times, but it may indeed be the case. When I left North Carolina, for years I thought I had made the worst mistake of my life. And indeed, I asked the Gods, Why did you let this happen to me? But now, the reality of my family's situation has been made clear. If we had remained where we were, my son and our family would have greatly suffered financially and in the educational system. North Carolina jobs don't pay as well, there's basically no protection for workers and minorities, and healthcare access can be a stand-up comedy. The educational system also wouldn't have worked as well with my son's special needs. Living in Illinois has brought us a great deal of help and opportunity that we would have otherwise probably not had. So while my situation for many years seemed like a terrible disaster, it was actually for the best that we went through that journey.

Speaking of journeys brings me to my next discussion on the matter, purpose. Aristotle said that nature does nothing without need, and the Gods control nature. Therefore, we can also say that the Gods do nothing without need. In giving us life, they gave it for a reason. In our struggles as well as our triumphs, we find meaning, purpose and wisdom in life. If the Gods just gave us every single thing and didn't allow us to actually strive and experience, there would be no purpose to human life, and thus, we ourselves would have no purpose. The things we experience in life are part of that journey and that purpose. It's like when we go through schooling. Some classes are easy, others are very hard, but they all teach us what we need to know, and we are the better for it. My experiences in life have helped me understand what it means to be poor, to feel empathy for people who are abused and mistreated, to seize opportunity, and to be grateful for the things I have instead of squandering them. Had I grown up rich and privileged, there's no way I could have possibly understood those struggles or the people who go through them. It has actually made me wiser and more humane.

As humans, we are very reactive creatures, and we're so quick to categorize things into joy and sorrow, success and failure, or good and bad. Because it's so easy for us to seek the extremes of something. And we are so quick to assume that the Gods don't care about us even at the slightest sign of trouble. I don't believe any evil comes from the Gods. Democritus said that the Gods give all good things. They are the ultimate good in the universe, the order against the chaos, and in some cases, that battle still rages today. That's why we invoke the Gods in our times of need, because we understand that any evil or harm that is happening to us, isn't coming from them. Deep down, we know that, and we know we have seen them answer us in the past. I certainly have. My son is alive today because the Gods cared. Otherwise, we wouldn't pray to them for rescue, and the more we bring that ultimate goodness into our lives, I can say from experience, the better chance we have of life getting better. 

Pray to them every day, and delight in all the beautiful things around you that they have given. When you learn to look, you will see the love of the Gods. You will see it in the bright sunshine on your face, the fresh breeze in the air, the soft grass beneath your feet, the beautiful smell of the flowers, the shimmering fields and towering forests, the peaceful flow of the passing streams and rivers, the children playing happily, and the friends and family who dearly love you. This part of life can be hard, but the Gods are not against you. If they were, you wouldn't be here. And if you choose to live a life where you hate the Gods, or where you serve them one day and spit on their statues the second something doesn't go your way, you're never going to experience their full goodness in your life. And if you choose to always look at the bad side of things instead of finding good and the inherent purpose of all that comes to you, you'll never be happy or successful.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

How Monotheists Created Make-Believe History

We all know the stories of the persecution of Polytheistic cultures at the hands of Monotheism, but what I want to talk about is something rarely noticed, and because it's so easily missed, the campaign against Polytheism continues to gain ground in the academics even of today.

As followers of ancient religions, one thing that puts us at a disadvantage today is the fact that our ancient literature is translated not by people like us, but by Christians or other forms of Abrahamic religion. Not only was there an attempt to wipe the old cultures from the Earth, there was and still is a revision of history by the conquerors.

Yesterday, I came across a copy of Plato's dialogues, a book of "complete works." This copy, however, was quite old, published in 1960. I picked the book up and started looking through the pages because I simply adore old literature, especially if it's from my religion and culture. I thought I would have a nice morning with some light reading of The Apology from this particular publication. For those of you who don't know, this dialogue is the defense of Socrates against the false charges levied against him by his prosecutors. It's certainly one of the most noted of Plato's writings. Any student of Socrates no doubt has this dialogue come to mind when his name is mentioned.

I didn't even get a few pages into it before I noticed clear religious errors in the translations. These were repeated, which means they were not mistakes. Of course, as per usual, it centered around the continued insistence that Socrates was a Monotheist and didn't believe in the Greek Gods, something we now know is a lie but that some continue to propagate even now. When Socrates talked about his mission from Apollo as given to him by the Delphic Oracle, the text kept omitting from Socrates' speech the word "the" before "God." So for example, the text quoted him as saying, "only God is wise." When in actuality, he said, "only the God is wise," meaning Apollo. That simple omission by modern writers and translations is something few people really notice, but it's one of the simple ways that modern mainstream theology sways history into its worldview, thus continuing to hold rule over the religious and theological minds of the people.

Monotheism counts on people being too simple to research what they see at face value. Socrates was a devout Hellenic Polytheist. He declared himself to be on a mission from Apollo to enlighten the Greeks, and that he would NOT give up this mission even at the cost of his own life. That doesn't sound like someone who doesn't believe in the Greek Gods. That sounds like someone who has the utmost devotion and dedication, as well as assurance in his belief. Just because he may have rebelled against some of the social norms of his time, doesn't mean he renounced the Gods of his people and culture. For example, the American colonists completely rebelled against England, but many of them were still Christians just like the British soldiers marching against them. The Americans didn't consider themselves to be fighting against Jesus even though they routinely shot at the flag that displayed his symbol. Theology and social ideal are not necessarily dependent on each other. Needless to say, I placed a post-a-note on the cover that said, "Inaccurate Translations."

History, it is often said, is a craft of the presenter. There's a lot of talk these days about "fake news." I don't know about all that, but I do know there is certainly "fake history."

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris.

Hidden Hellenic Secrets: The Mark of Poseidon's Trident

Like many other religions, Hellenism is filled with its mysteries, perhaps housing among the most of the world's religions. As a constant student of ancient Greece, and of course, a modern ancient Greek worshiper, I am always on the lookout for truths of our spirituality and people, things surfacing to show the powerful reality behind Hellenic Polytheism. Mostly all religions do this. Whether they have sacred artifacts, or like in this post, an actual imprint of a God's staff, the mysteries of the Divine are numerous, and I simply love exploring them. I am equally excited that you, the reader, have decided to join me on this particular exhibition.

We probably all know of the ancient Athenian myth concerning the contest between Athene and Poseidon, both Gods battling it out for control of the new city. Poseidon struck the earth with His trident to produce His gift to man (some say a horse, others a spring), and Athene then raised Her own (the olive tree). Athene's gift was determined to be the most useful and She was awarded the Patronage of Athens.

I've been reading a book recently called, The Parthenon Enigma, by Joan Breton Connelly. The Parthenon, as we all know, was the Temple of Athene that stood atop the Acropolis. I think it's important to remember, as well, that Connelly presents historical and unbiased research. She is a classical archaeologist, and gives very good information from what I can tell. On page 109 of her book, I found something extraordinary to say the least. Placing the contest between Athene and Poseidon on or near the Acropolis, she says that even now, an indention of a trident is visible in the bedrock below the Erechtheion temple (also on the Acropolis), marking the spot where the God hit the ground.

Since ancient times, this eternal scar upon the surface, left over from Poseidon's mighty staff, still speaks to us now of the wonder of the Gods. Certainly, it's no less than a holy place for Hellenists like myself. In school, many of us were taught a number of things about special places and objects concerning the world's religions, but how many of us were told where we could find the place where Poseidon struck the earth? The answer is, none of us. That is one of my main points in this post. Our modern society has only recently begun to treat Hellenism as a legitimate religion in the world. For years, we were blanketed with ignorance by the educational system, teaching us little to nothing about ancient Greek spirituality. Only when we reached adulthood and entered the religion, did we understand for ourselves the immense beauty, truth and magnificence of it. I'm not saying that the school system should teach a religion. I am saying that Hellenism should be included in teaching about the religions of the world. Teaching the facts of a religion is not the same as telling students what to believe or how to live. Furthermore, I want the educational system to treat Hellenic Polytheism as a legitimate religion the same as it would the mainstream belief systems.

As someone closely tied to the element of water, I am close to Poseidon, and consider Him one of my Patrons. But to read something this profound honestly gave me a new sense of holiness with my religion. In the past, I've even thought about writing a book concerning the truths and wisdom of Hellenism. I see such books on mainstream religions, but none on the ancient. That needs to change, and even if in a small sense, this publication in question concerning Poseidon has started to turn that tide. For us Hellenes, it speaks truth to the presence of our Gods, that they are here within the universe and the lives of mortals.

In closing, I hops this post gets people thinking and interested in studying the history of Hellenic religion and culture.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

Source

Connelly, Breton Joan, The Parthenon Enigma, New York, Vintage Books, 2014. Print. (pp.109)

Interpretations or Common Sense - Which Rules Morality?

Recently, I talked about how I have adopted the Tenets of Solon as my guiding values in life, and I said that I don't see how anyone (using common sense) could go wrong by following them. Now some might argue that some of the Tenets are unintentionally flawed, because, for example, to "Do Good" could mean a vast array of things to different people, as everyone has their own interpretation of what is good. After all, even Hitler thought he was "doing good works" and "what was right." No one ever sees themselves as the bad guy. That leaves an uncertainty, the question of whether or not someone can follow the Tenets and actually be doing evil or wrongful deeds.

But the great thing about the human mind and soul is that we know when something is right and when it's not. Chances are, if something is wrong, we will say and do all we can to justify it. We could actually end up spending more time trying to convince ourselves of our righteousness than actually doing the act itself. Either that, or we'll just ignore the question all together. In other words, all people know right from wrong, it's just that some people care more about their own ambitions and agendas. Someone who murders another, for example, knows it's wrong. They just care more about their own goals and their own means to an end. Deep down, we all know what is good and evil, ethical and unethical. We know the wicked from the wellness. The problem is that some people make the wrong choice by making friends with evil and immorality for whatever reason. Evil in the name of good is still evil, but sadly, that's not a universal agreement among humanity.

The only real reason we like to think that morality is universally relative is because we don't want to hold ourselves accountable for our wrongs. It's true that morality is indeed relative in certain cases. Some people might consider me to be immoral because of my lifestyle, but that's their own personal opinion and not a truth. However, when it comes to the broad range of things, morality is not relative. Unless they're severely mentally ill, everyone knows full well that it's wrong to kill, lie, steal, sleep with someone's spouse or significant other without the consent of their partner, and cheat and swindle others to name a few. So why do people still do these things in great number when they know it's wrong? Because, as I said, they care more about what they want to accomplish. It's all about their agenda, their wealth, their pleasure, and their success. 

If you look inside yourself, you'll see the light the Gods put there.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris. 

The Jews & Christians Forgot To Add Water

Many stories of creation fill the religious books of humanity, but none quite as well known as those of the Jewish and Christian religions. The Judeo-Christian story says that God created man from the dusts of the earth. Some may interpret this as saying that humans were created from the surface, and that is correct. Many things in our bodies can be found above the ground. However, the ancient Greek version of creation is more accurate, and so many people in our time don't even realize it.

According to at least one of the ancient Greek creation stories, Prometheus made man from mud. Now this is still the surface of the ground, but it adds a key element that the Jews and Christians forgot; water. Most of our body is composed of water. When you add water to dust or dirt, what do you get? You get mud. Therefore, the ancient Greek version of creation is the more accurate.

I really can't believe I lived this long as a Hellenist without realizing such a fact in the mythologies. I bet there are even others in my religion who have never come to it, but as a deep-thinking Mythologist, I suppose it was only inevitable that it eventually occurred to my mind. Ancient Greek religion, belief and myth is so elaborate that one could endlessly think of interpretations and rationalizations with them. I think it's time people started realizing that the ancient Greeks were brilliant in religion and theology as well as everything else. To conclude that they were advanced and intelligent geniuses in everything but religion, is just silly.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.

How Do I Love Myself?

Many people ask this question unsuccessfully, pondering to themselves how they can love who they are instead of living in a state of self-loathing. And I think a lot of people confuse an attempt to love themselves with an attempt to love everything around them, or everything that is part of their life.

I don't know if we're necessarily meant to love ourselves because everyone has things about them that they dislike. The idea that you should try to love something that you, in fact, don't love, is absurd. Besides, having an over abundance of self-love results in arrogance eventually. Having a head that's too big can and does bring out the worst in a person. What we're meant to do is a system of weights and measures.

From the years 2009 to 2012, my entire life completely changed. My grandmother lost her beautiful home in Thomasville, North Carolina, a house I had grown up in during my teenage and young adult years and come to love as my true place of belonging. I also ended up leaving my home state and immediate family entirely and moving half way across the country. The choice now is simply that I can either choose to dwell on something that will never be again, or I can look at what has happened in my life as a result of the tragedy or the change. In other words, can I place parts of my life on a scale and either balance them out or make good things outweigh the bad? And if so, can I love those things instead of hating the others? When it comes to my life personally, one thing I certainly dislike is the fact that I spent so many years wasting time instead of making a future for myself. A lot of pain and dead ends have resulted. But the choice is to either hate myself for all that, or focus on the life I have now and what I am doing in present time to indeed obtain a better life. And, most importantly, am I grateful that the opportunity still exists and will I now take it as far as I can?

The reason so many people have no sense of self-love or self-satisfaction, is because they base their self-worth on all the things they don't like about themselves, and/or on the opinions of others concerning them. We may not be meant to love ourselves as much as we're meant to love the lovable things about our lives. Many things can't be loved, but love can be found in many things.

In the Goodness of the Gods,
Chris.