In many ways, I am not certain exactly how you would define my mode of theism. I suppose I would have to say my conception of deity lies in the contention that gods like butterflies, lemon-trees and humans are the product of natural forces. They are not “supernatural”, since I believe there is nothing outside nature, nor are they symbols, archetypes or indeed manifestation of some divine oneness. Rather they are beings in their own right with their own personalities and attributes. While the gods are more "powerful" than us by our standards, they are not infallible, nor have they always existed in some kind of celestial eternity. They have evolved and thus have sprung from nature and are limited by a definite regime of physical laws that govern other creatures also. For in Greek mythology, it is said that even King of the Gods must bow to the forces of fate. For example, while the gods can prolong life, they cannot abolish death. Even for the gods some things exist as priori that cannot be abrogated. While I am of the opinion that the gods, for the most part will continue to exist as long as the universe subsists, they may eventually die.
I also believe that gods, while they probably operate according to a moral system of some kind, they work with a different moral ethical than we would like to imagine. They can be moved to help and enraged by injustice but like most people they are susceptible to rage and temper. Furthermore, while I believe that the gods can, like a moth around a flame, be drawn into the lives of humans through ritual, I think such interactions tend to come at a price. A god/goddess who attaches itself to a particular group of humans will enviably ask for favors and will grant favors in return. By saying this I am not denying or denigrating the possibility that the gods can love us, but I don't think they have any special concern for us beyond what we might call basic consideration that they have for other creatures also. Some deities may be more receptive to us than others but we must realize that any love which may develop between ourselves and deity might be quite fleeting, since deities have no obligation to love us, as of course we have no obligation to love them. In this sense, the gods are neither our natural friend nor our enemies; they are simply like any other creature, working according to particular instincts. I believe we can co-operate with deities but only with the acknowledgement that they are beings to be respected just, as any natural phenomena is to be respected, like the sea or fire. Gods can be beautiful and inspiring but we must be under no illusions that like the torrents of the sea or a ravaging blaze they can kill, thus we disrespect them at our peril.
