Patheos is hosting a Blogger Challenge, asking writers to explain their religious choices in 200 words or less. Here's my contribution.

I am Heathen because there is honesty in it, and it lives honestly in me. My first response upon learning about the Heathen pantheon through the myths was "Wait . . . I know them." The more I heard of those old stories, the more I noticed that they were confirming what I already seemed to know. This is very different from any internal response I ever had to any other religion. I am no kind of supernaturalist, and still, when I think about the universe I live in, it seems to me that the Aesir/Vanir gods are a part of it. What shape they take and whether you know them also is not important to me. I see them, I see through them, and I am glad of their company. They do not ask me to get down on my knees. They exhort me to stand up and be something.

Hail Thor!

More responses from the Pagan Channel: Yvonne Aburrow, John Beckett, Aine Llewellyn, Angus McMahan, Jason Mankey, Jen McConnel, Sarah Twichell, Sam Webster, Gus diZerega.

["Why I am a..." Patheos blogging challenge page]