Introducing Digital Gods
I’d like to introduce you all to Digital Gods, www.digital-gods.com, a platform for the study of polytheism in the digital age, where hope to stir up and encourage conversation and debate about the role of technology in modern Paganism.
In a lot of ways, Pagans are a backward-looking lot, and I speak from the perspective of one of the most backwards-looking Pagan groups there is, Heathenism (also known as Ásatrú), for whom ancestry and tradition are of the utmost importance. But Pagans – even the most backward-looking reconstructionists – are also web-users, boasting a lively blogosphere and many informative (and sometimes mis-informative) websites.
As one of the fastest growing “religions” (it’s actually many religions) on the planet, Pagans need to consider the role of technology in their religious landscape. Is science our friend, our enemy, or a mixed-bag? Is it something we can use, or something that, ultimately, will end up using us?
I’m not trying to convert anyone to anything. There is no digital gospel. What I am hoping to do is to make people think about the issues. Technology is “happening” whether we want it to or not.
Just one example: It’s difficult even to find a regular old cell phone anymore because of the advent of the “smart phone.” If you don’t eventually upgrade to a smart phone, what will you do? It becomes a matter of keeping up or dropping out, and each Pagan will have to decide how much or how little to incorporate these technological changes into their religious and personal lives.
So I hope you’ll join me there from time to time and join in the conversation and offer your thoughts and share your experiences, insights, and opinions.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson is the author of A Heathen’s Day, which since 2005 has addressed the life and thoughts of a modern day Heathen. He is also the founder of the Mos Maiorum Foundation (www.mosmaiorum.org) which is dedicated to the study and support of Paganism as ethnic religion and writes for PoliticusUSA (www.politicususa.com) 
As one who works in the tech arena, I deal with this daily. I want to live off-grid and completely disconnect when I get home in theory, but I do find it hard to in practice. I for one believe that the internet has been a great resource for allowing heathen/pagans to connect, but we need to realize that our ancestors dealt in person and we need to do the same.
In Frith,
Devin
I can understand that. I know others who feel the same way, and others who stay connected after work. As you say, it is difficult to disconnect, not only from computers but from other forms of technology like phones and cell-phones and so forth.
I absolutely agree that there is nothing like meeting in person, but for many people that is impossible. Our ancestors lived in a smaller world; a little village will find it easy to gather all its inhabitants. You can walk to meetings.
You’ve touched on one of my main reasons for going down this line of inquiry. The world today is much larger and face-to-face meetings aren’t always possible – or practical. On a very human level we may “need” to do the same as our ancestors, but we can’t always and that is why the Internet – and other forms of technology – is so useful.
One might like it or not but modern technology is for us a central way to communicate as otherwise one could not keep in touch with Asatru in different continents. It allows one to share experiences, rituals or poetry and it is the cheapest way. Online most often leads to meetings in person but nothing nicer then a fast mail. I as an Asatru saw the internet as a valuable way as many people thought they are the only ones unless they found others in the net. I want not to speak for others but even if one is aware of the roots one lives today with the gods.
I always picture a group of guys on a hill arguing over whether or not to replace smoke signals with a mirror to signal messages. Seems a silly argument and that’s essentially how I see arguments about using email instead of mail or the Internet instead of telephones.