The Race Obsession

My Journey:

I have been learning or rather trying to learn all about Asatru, Heathery, Polytheism, etc. ever since I turned to the Gods around 2018-19. I have read and listened to everyone I can. I don’t feel like I’m confident enough to talk on much with folks that have been practicing for years and years, but, I know one thing I have grown extremely tired of: the race obsession.

AFA:

Disclaimer: I was in the AFA for two years but have left the group this year.

There are tons of different kinds of polytheist and many different practices and for the most part everyone seems to be live and let live. However, when it comes to groups like the Asatru Folk Assembly, they all lose their minds! They may not agree on worship. They may not agree that the Gods are only archetypes. They may not agree with atheist “heathens”. But, one thing they all agree on is they hate the AFA. They particularly hate the AFA’s stance on race and who they allow in their group.

The AFA believe that Asatru is in the blood. They believe that the Norse Gods are their (those of Northern European decent) kinfolk. They believe that you should worship the Gods that your ancestors worshiped. Yes, they have a very narrow worldview and only allow people with certain genetic traits to join their group. Indeed, I only know of one scholar that would agree with their stance, Paula Fredriksen. She is a professor at Hebrew University. She teaches that the Gods are in the blood. That the Gods form families. Throughout preChristian history, this is demonstrably true. The Greeks (kinsman) had their set of Gods. The Romans had theirs. The Hebrews had theirs. Each kin group worshiped their “family” of Gods. “You are my son. Today I have begotten you” says Yahweh-Psalm 2:7. The only way to be part of the Hebrew religion was to become part of the Hebrew family through ADOPTION. This is why Paul tells his Greek church that they are redeemed through Christ through adoption as sons,

Ephesians 1:5. They left their family and family of Gods and were adopted into a new family in order to participate in the religion of the Hebrews.

Today:

Today I read and listen to (mostly on YT) many different folks left, right and center politically. I don’t care. I’m trying to learn to worship the Gods. But, fuck, everyone of these videos have to talk about RACE! The title of the videos will something like, “How to pray as a polytheist” but my Gods! Thirty minutes of it will be taken up with the AFA is racist and racism is bad! One show has a scholar of Norse religion and you would think, “I can learn from this guy”, but, every video is about race. Did I say every video? I meant EVERY video! It just ruins the whole video for me like the ones that have ads every three minutes. I just can’t watch them. I found another fellow that I really liked and what do you know: AFA bad! Racism bad! It’s just an obsession!

Who cares:

I could not care less what the AFA does. I don’t care if they are “racist”. I don’t care if this group is this or that, left or right. Let them do them and you do you. Lets set about reconstructing an almost destroyed religion that matters way more than this or that group. Just stop with this obsession with race. Thank you.

Crusty Old Smoke – Bobby G