>>17811336
Fair point. Catholic theology says they stem from the Fall: original sin warped creation itself (Romans 8:20-22, creation groans in bondage). God permits it to draw us to Him. Suffering purifies, as Job shows, or points to the need for redemption. Paganism offers no such framework; its gods are too weak to explain or redeem it.
>>17811351
>divinity is a state and not a role
That’s a romantic spin, but it falls apart under scrutiny. Germanic paganism’s “message” is vague, pieced together from fragmented sagas and Christian-filtered sources like Snorri. Your idea of humans becoming gods through deeds sounds badass, but it’s cherry-picked and inconsistent. Odin and Thor aren’t just “great deed” heroes; they’re cosmic archetypes tied to chaotic, cyclical myths with no moral anchor. Where’s the unified doctrine? It’s a patchwork of local cults, not a system.
>opposite of Christianity, where in Christianity you are nothing
Wrong. Catholicism holds man as 'imago Dei': created with inherent dignity, capable of reason and virtue, but fallen and in need of grace. Salvation isn’t “earned” through grit; it’s a cooperation with God’s grace, which demands active faith and works (James 2:17). Paganism’s “earn your godhood” shtick lacks grounding. By what standard? Who judges? It’s just self-aggrandizement with no objective measure. Christianity’s got a clear telos: union with God, backed by revelation and reason. Paganism’s just chasing glory for glory’s sake, which is why it collapsed under pressure from a more coherent faith.