Pagans, Recons and LHPers - comparisons?

[Mike182]

what are the similarities and differences between Pagan, recon, and LHP beliefs?

[Zephyr]

Well lots of us are polytheists. I don't know much about LHP, but I often find it easier to find differences between neopagans and recons than similarities.

[revtroy]

Maybe we should take a moment and clear up what we mean by the terms. "Pagan" is a very broad term that spans history. I am assuming that you are referring to the neopagan movement broadly considered. I see the "neo" in this context in a similar way to neopythagorean or neoplatonist. A continuance in a new understanding or framework for meaning. I see this as the difference between reconstructionist and neopagan movements. The neopagan approach brings the historical into a modern context for understanding. The reconstructionist approach seeks to (re)create a context informed by the historical.

LHP is actually something that I discovered on this forum. I don't even know what the H and the P stand for.

[WickedWit]

Maybe we should take a moment and clear up what we mean by the terms. "Pagan" is a very broad term that spans history. I am assuming that you are referring to the neopagan movement broadly considered. I see the "neo" in this context in a similar way to neopythagorean or neoplatonist. A continuance in a new understanding or framework for meaning. I see this as the difference between reconstructionist and neopagan movements. The neopagan approach brings the historical into a modern context for understanding. The reconstructionist approach seeks to (re)create a context informed by the historical.

LHP is actually something that I discovered on this forum. I don't even know what the H and the P stand for.

I disagree. To me, the recon approach is bringing the historical into a modern comtext and the neopagan approach is not concerned with historical context at all.

[revtroy]

Maybe we should take a moment and clear up what we mean by the terms. "Pagan" is a very broad term that spans history. I am assuming that you are referring to the neopagan movement broadly considered. I see the "neo" in this context in a similar way to neopythagorean or neoplatonist. A continuance in a new understanding or framework for meaning. I see this as the difference between reconstructionist and neopagan movements. The neopagan approach brings the historical into a modern context for understanding. The reconstructionist approach seeks to (re)create a context informed by the historical.

LHP is actually something that I discovered on this forum. I don't even know what the H and the P stand for.

I disagree. To me, the recon approach is bringing the historical into a modern comtext and the neopagan approach is not concerned with historical context at all.
I don't think that is so much a disagreement as a difference in phrasing/terminology. The historical elements that the neopagan approach incorporates are ancient deities, myths, symbols, and associations. To state it another way, these are not brought in with an attempt to understand them in their historical cultural context. The phrase, "informed by the historical context" for the recon approach was intended to convey that it is a modern context for understanding, but one that is engaged in some way with the historical one. If that makes sense.

[Azakel]

LHP is actually something that I discovered on this forum. I don't even know what the H and the P stand for.

The H is for Hand and the P is Path.

[Ayodhya]

LHP is actually something that I discovered on this forum. I don't even know what the H and the P stand for.

The H is for Hand and the P is Path.

LHP does not stand for Luciferian Hand Path - it stands for "Left Hand Path". Technically, it is a term to differentiate religious practices distinct from the traditional, orthodox, Right hand paths i.e. mainstream religion.

While a LHP would refer to Luciferianism, Tantric Hinduism/Buddhism, etc.

[Ðanisty]

Define LHP? That's nearly impossible to do even within the LHP community. It's hard to say whether or not a religion is specifically LHP. There are LHPers out there who feel that only atheists are LHP. I think that's nonsense. I might be a theist, but I do not worship. It's just not as simple as obeying Lucifer and getting a reward. I look to Lucifer as an example, but I really have to obey myself and earn my own reward. Afterall, Lucifer didn't obey anyone else. If I were to obey him, I wouldn't be following his example. A RHP theist will strive to follow their god and in the process hopefully find that they've pleased themselves. A LHP theist will strive follow no one and their god will be pleased by it. Wow, I hope some of that made sense. I'm kind of just rambling.

[revtroy]

Ah. I guess I wasn't ignorant after all, I just didn't recognize the abbreviation. Luciferianism is new to me and I did think the L had something to do with that. Though I would have gotten it from "hand" and "path" clues.

I always considered LHP to be more power or will oriented to a degree that excludes the developmental and transcendent dimensions. I've seen that used as a distinction between religion and magic, for example. (I don't personally find that argument all that compelling, but it is useful to a point.)