The False “Lore-based vs. UPG-based Practice” Dichotomy

Lore versus UPG as unreconcilable opposites is a narrative that I have come across quite often during my years so far as a religious practitioner. It has become clear to me that this narrative governs how we refer to ourselves and to other practitioners like little else does.

Definitions

I’m choosing wide-sense definitions on both counts. UPG as an abbreviation stands for Unverified Personal Gnosis (sometimes I see Unsubstantiated, Unsubstantiatable, or Unverifiable as alternatives for “U”). I’m not going into the discussion whether Deities actually show Themselves in that sense; If you’re only halfway familiar with my blog, you know my stance on that matter. I am not going into the discussion whether a Deity expressing a preference about your clothes counts as UPG or not — in all honesty, that question is irrelevant to me, and I couldn’t care less. I will also only briefly mention that quite a…