Here are some quotes from Celsus (ancient Pagan in later times once Christianity arrived on the scene):
"I mean, if it is accepted that all of nature--everything in the world--operates according to the will of God and that nothing works contrary to his purposes, then it must also be accepted that the angels, the demons[daimones?], heroes--everything in the universe--are subject to the will of the great God who rules over all. Over each sphere there is a being charged with the task of governance and worthy to have power, at least the power allotted it for carrying out its task. This being the case, it wouldbe appropriate for each man who worships God also to honor the being who exercises his allotted responsibilities at God's pleasure, since that being must have been licensed to do what he does by God."
"Thus it is not irrational to worship several gods; and the man who does so will naturally be worshiping some gods who derive from that greatest God, and will be loved for it. A man who honors what belongs to God does not offend God, since all belongs to him."
"The worship of God is only magnified in the worship of the gods."
Pure polytheism practiced *incorrectly* is offensive, favoring a few parts over the rest and overall, neglecting the rest. I've been guilty of it from time to time, but have worked on correcting that.
Every god that comes into my life, I do my best to acknowledge, even if they aren't my patron deity. Hermes is vying for a third slot, I think. :) You'd think a commitment to two wasn't enough....
"I mean, if it is accepted that all of
nature--everything in the world--operates according to
the will of God and that nothing works contrary to his
purposes, then it must also be accepted that the
angels, the demons[daimones?], heroes--everything in
the universe--are subject to the will of the great God
who rules over all. Over each sphere there is a being
charged with the task of governance and worthy to have
power, at least the power allotted it for carrying out
its task. This being the case, it wouldbe appropriate
for each man who worships God also to honor the being
who exercises his allotted responsibilities at God's
pleasure, since that being must have been licensed to
do what he does by God."
"Thus it is not irrational to worship several gods;
and the man who does so will naturally be worshiping
some gods who derive from that greatest God, and will
be loved for it. A man who honors what belongs to God
does not offend God, since all belongs to him."
"The worship of God is only magnified in the worship of the gods."
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It's not that I'm jealous, it's simply that the universe is both unity and parts. The entirety is greater than the parts.
In conclusion, it is not henotheism that I object to: I endorse that. It is pure polytheism that I find to be offensive and incorrect. And it is.
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Every god that comes into my life, I do my best to acknowledge, even if they aren't my patron deity. Hermes is vying for a third slot, I think. :) You'd think a commitment to two wasn't enough....
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