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The Great Theological Debate
Where does Theurgy come from?
Where does magic come from?
Are either, both, or neither of them devine?
Many people take Theurgy at face value and accept that each form comes from the divine source it is associated with. No one yet, however, has been able to prove or disprove this. In a world where magic can be seen every day, who can say whether Theurgy has a divine source or a magical one. Some say it is both. Here are some prevalent theories on Cidri (and there are more, not listed here):
- Theurgy is normal magic, it is just another way to access magical forces*
- Both Theurgy and Magic are divine, wizards just don’t know it**
- Theurgy is divine, even though some practitioners themselves deny it**
- Theurgy is both divine and magical: divine sources allow access to theurgical magic**
* The Wizard’s guild officially holds this position. Wizard culture favors atheism; many wizards are actually not atheists but keep their views private.
** Publicly espousing any theory that credits Theurgy with divine power will gain you disfavor with the Wizard’s guild
Theurges themselves differ greatly on these points, many of them within the same religions.
Those who say that Theurgy is divine hold different theories on divinity itself:
- There is only one God but many created spiritual beings who masquerade as gods
- Gods are real, there are many gods
- Gods are not “real” divinity is a byproduct of consciousness
- There is one God and also many gods; God manifests as many gods
- There is no “Reality”, everything is an illusion, as are gods, as is magic
- Reality is a game played by beings in yet another reality
Certain religions require priests to espouse certain of these beliefs and many priests sincerely do hold those beliefs. There are also many who hold beliefs that are different or even contrary to the official positions of their own faiths. Some theurges in theistic faiths are actually atheists.
If theurgy is truly divine in nature, how can theurges without faith continue to use theurgy to produce wonders? There are also theories on that (again, more than listed here):
- The Powers use these theurges as tools to accomplish their aims
- The Powers permit this out of mercy or patience, to allow the theurge a chance to return
- The Powers don’t really care about people, we are all just their pawns