But that's exactly the point people are making. Sure, they aren't required to follow a deity. But they have always had that option available to them. And in the vast majority of stories coming out of the Forgotten Realms setting at least (this is a setting-specific point), paladins have followed a deity and have been treated as holy warriors.
Yes, I'm in favour of it being an option, I'd like it if everyone could pick a deity, but at this point I've seen more than a couple people try to say that paladins require a patron deity and without one then they aren't paladins, and it's just starting to remind me of some bad ttrpg players I once knew.
