Servitude To Deities
Have you ever watched religious gatherings and been fascinated by the way that people behave? I do. They are so willing to give themselves up completely to the experience. That can be a beautiful thing, yes, but then I see how they fall to their knees and grovel. Some pull themselves along the ground slowly on their knees, whilst others will kneel to a representitive of their religion and kiss that person’s fingers.
They are well and truly slaves.
I can’t help but wonder what makes a person give themselves up to such a degree. Where is their self-respect? Where is their sense of self? Where is their sense of strength? Also, how can this behavior represent a healthy relationship with any deity?
Does the deity themselves want their followers to grovel in such a way? If so, then what does that say about the deity in question? Would not a deity have more respect for their followers if their followers showed some respect for themselves and their own lives as well as for the deity?
What sort of personality and what sort of deity requires that their followers behave that way, and why would anyone follow such a deity?
These are questions that often flicker through my head as I watch footage of religious gatherings. I wonder about the people, about their daily lives, and if behaving that way truly makes them feel happy. Or are they groveling in such a way in the scant hope that they’ll be rewarded with a blessing from their god or goddess?
Which just brings us back to the question: What sort of deity would require their follower to grovel in such a way in order to receive a blessing? Is that caring about their followers? Certainly not! That’s caring about their own egos.
So, is it the god or goddess and their requirements, or have the people themselves lost their way?
My idea of serving and honoring m’lady is based on an idea of respect. I respect her by showing what may be considered to be “gentle strength”. I rarely ever kneel to her, but I’m happy to open my heart to her completely. I try to rarely ever ask anything of her as I do not wish to place my life’s responsibilities upon her: that would not be respecting myself, and how can someone respect another who has no respect for themselves? Besides, she surely has more important things to do.
That’s not to say that I wouldn’t enjoy setting aside time just for her. I would be more than happy to set aside a time when I could shut off the lights, burn some incense, and rest on my knees. It would be quiet time spent pondering m’lady, hoping that my heart speaks better than my stumbling words, and asking her if she would like for me to do something for her.
This is my idea of servitude to one’s deity. It’s an idea of respect, an idea of love, and an idea of being willing to open yourself. You can fling the doors of your heart wide open witout losing respect for yourself; neither in your own eyes, or in the eyes of your goddess or your god.
That’s not to say that the other behavior is necessarily wrong, I just don’t see how there can be any respect in a “relationship” like that.
This is a part of my own spiritual philosophy. I do not intend to speak for m’lady and say that this is also a part of her philosophy. Not unless she tells me one night, “Tell the world such-and-such!â€â€¦ Right… I think that she’s more than capable of getting across what she wants to whom she wants. 
Anyway, I’ve always been fascinated by the behavior of other people, and this subject has been rolling through my thoughts over the last few days.
~Steph
Topics: Spirituality |
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