But that doesn\u2019t mean belief is unimportant. There\u2019s a place for belief in Paganism, even if it isn\u2019t at the center of our religion(s). In this post, I want to look at the matter of belief: what it is, how it arises, and how we can develop beliefs that are meaningful and helpful without falling into false and harmful certainty.<\/p>\n
Merriam-Webster<\/a> lists three definitions of the word \u201cbelief.\u201d All three are intertwined and all three are good, but it\u2019s the third that\u2019s most relevant here: \u201cconviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Too many people think that belief means accepting something uncritically and without evidence, that it\u2019s mindlessly repeating what you\u2019re told instead of thinking for yourself. There are other, better words for that: \u201cindoctrination\u201d \u201cmind control\u201d \u201cunresolved trauma\u201d and all too often \u201cintellectual laziness.\u201d<\/p>\n Done right, belief is an interpretation of our experiences and the experiences of others. All we know with certainty is that we saw, heard, and\/or felt something that defied conventional explanation. We use the process of discernment<\/a> to try to figure out what happened, and more importantly, what it means for us in our lives. That interpretation becomes a belief.<\/p>\n Over time, beliefs that are robust are affirmed by other experiences, whether our own or those of others. They grow stronger and deeper as we become convinced that they really are meaningful and helpful, even if we can never be sure they\u2019re true.<\/p>\n We can only believe what we think is possible. And what we think is possible is controlled by our foundational assumptions: our basic, gut-level ideas about the world and the way it works.<\/p>\n I think that some of our foundational assumptions are an orientation<\/a> we\u2019re born with. But many come from what we were taught as very small children: from what we picked up by observation as much as anything we learned in kindergarten or Sunday School.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re convinced that nothing exists except matter and the product of its interactions, you will find it difficult if not impossible to believe in the reality of spirits. If you are convinced there is only one God and that polytheism is a \u201cprimitive\u201d superstition, it will be very difficult for you to relate to one of the Many Gods.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re convinced people who aren\u2019t like you are always trying to \u201ctake what\u2019s yours\u201d it will be very difficult for you to practice good hospitality<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most people aren\u2019t even aware that they have foundation assumptions. They think that\u2019s just the way things are \u2013 it\u2019s \u201ccommon sense\u201d or \u201cwhat everybody knows.\u201d<\/p>\n Identifying and challenging your unstated assumptions is very, very hard. It\u2019s also very important, because our foundational assumptions control what we can believe.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve shown this diagram multiple times over the years \u2013 a version of it is in The Path of Paganism<\/a><\/em>. Practice, experience, and belief form a \u201cvirtuous circle.\u201d One leads to the others, and over time it leads to an ever-deepening cycle of meaning. When I first drew this diagram<\/a> I said you can enter at any point and travel in any direction. In general this is true.<\/p>\n But in an orthopraxic religion we begin with practice. When we do the practices (properly and consistently) we have experiences. When we interpret our experiences, we form beliefs. And those beliefs inspire us to keep practicing, which continues and deepens the virtuous circle.<\/p>\n An orthopraxic religion never asks its followers to believe mindlessly. Rather, it says to do these things because they\u2019ve proven helpful. The practices lead to experiences (which, to be clear, are often ordinary and not otherworldly), and the experiences lead to beliefs.<\/p>\n Belief comes third.<\/p>\n You can have your own individual beliefs and practices, but religion is what we do together<\/a>. It\u2019s how we form sacred relationships with our Gods and ancestors, with the natural world, and with each other.<\/p>\n We practice together. We observe the same cycles of the moon, we sing the same songs, we pour similar offerings to the same deities. These common practices naturally lead to shared experiences. And especially if they\u2019re grounded in a common culture and common foundational assumptions, we\u2019re likely to interpret them in very similar ways. Common practice leads to common beliefs.<\/p>\n Over time, this runs the risk of turning into orthodoxy \u2013 of shifting from \u201cthese are our most consistently helpful interpretations\u201d to \u201cthis is the only valid interpretation.\u201d But if we keep our primary emphasis on action rather than on interpretation, we can remain open to unorthodox interpretations that may be helpful for an individual, or for many individuals.<\/p>\n And more importantly, we can avoid becoming stagnated in beliefs that may have been helpful at one point but that are now outdated and harmful.<\/p>\n So why even bother with belief? Why not just practice, experience, and leave it at that?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but I can\u2019t just leave it at that. If I have a spiritual experience \u2013 from the very ordinary to the deeply mystical \u2013 I can\u2019t help but wonder what it means. In part, I wonder what it means for me. But I also wonder what it tells us about the nature of the universe.<\/p>\n I experience the presence of another person<\/em> who I cannot see or touch. I interpret that as the experience of a God. What does it mean that there are Gods? What does it mean that this God is called the Morrigan? What does it mean that She wants me to prepare for a time of upheaval<\/a>? What is changing? What is changing that I cannot see<\/a>? What does that tell us about the nature of the Otherworld?<\/p>\n All these questions demand answers. Maybe you can decline to answer them \u2013 I can\u2019t. And every answer leads to yet more questions.<\/p>\n Taken in total, these questions and their tentative answers form a model of the worlds (two? nine? many?) and how they work. They tell a story that provides context and meaning. They help us orient ourselves in the big picture.<\/p>\n Good beliefs don\u2019t shut down curiosity \u2013 they encourage it.<\/p>\n Whatever we learn through this process of exploration, it\u2019s important to remember that our conclusions are beliefs, not facts.<\/p>\n Science doesn\u2019t have all the answers, but the answers it has are generally reliable, and we ignore them at our peril. We make further mistakes when we assume science tells us something it doesn\u2019t \u2013 bad science makes for bad religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Multiple experiences over time lead to confidence in our interpretations, especially when they align with the experiences and interpretations of others, and with the stories from our pre-Christian ancestors. This is a good thing. When I say I know<\/em> there are many Gods and some of Them want certain things from me, I am expressing a confidence that comes from years of consistent practice and experience and from interpretations that have been affirmed over and over again.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/243\/2020\/12\/Oak-Point-12.03.20-01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat is belief?<\/h2>\n
Foundational assumptions provide context for beliefs<\/h2>\n
The order of belief<\/h2>\n
![\"experience](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/243\/2013\/06\/experience-belief-practice.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCommon practices lead to common beliefs<\/h2>\n
Beliefs are necessary to explore the world of spirit<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/243\/2020\/12\/Arbor-Hills-12.04.20-07.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGood beliefs require humility<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/243\/2020\/12\/Brighid-Imbolc-2016.jpg\")
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