Ancient Greek gods' new believers

[muriel_volestrangler]

Followers of the 12 Greek Gods, who, according to mythology, ruled the Ancient World from Mount Olympus, have cast a thunderbolt at their Orthodox opponents.

After successfully staging a landmark ceremony at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, their leader pledged to fight for the right to conduct baptisms, marriages, and funerals according to the rites of the ancient religion.
...
"They are a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past," said Father Efstathios Kollas, the President of Greek Clergymen.

Hundreds of followers of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Artemis, Aphrodite and Hermes stood in a circle, a mile from the Acropolis, in what was the first official religious service allowed in the grounds of an Ancient Greek temple.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6285397.stm

According to another BBC article:

Ms Peppa and her followers aspire to have the rights afforded to Britain's druids who worship at Stonehenge, and Danish believers in Thor and the Nordic gods who are allowed to perform marriages, baptisms and funerals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6283907.stm

Looks like Dawkins needs to update his argument of "no-one believes in Zeus and Thor anymore". I wonder if all religions will get resurrected if there's some description of it left behind.

[The Magistrate]

1. One Clergyman Accusing Another, Sir

Of promoting "dark delusions" is always rum fun to watch....

[demnan]

3. Ha-ha

you answered that one very well! :rofl:

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. I can't work out if Father Kollas

has no sense of humour at all, or an absolutely superb one. Given the resistance the Greek Orthodox church has put up to this in the past, I fear it's the former.

[Gatchaman]

2. Just what the world needs...

...another religion.

[varun]

10. Diversity of religions can be a good thing

one way I see it : everyone in this world has his or her religion. It is good to have different viewpoints. US is severely lacking in this area with 90% Christian population.

[jeff30997]

4. "monstrous dark delusions of the past"

You mean,just like Christianity,for example ?

[Bolo Boffin]

5. If smallpox was released from whatever vault it's in...

...it would be just as deadly.

[Odin2005]

6. "monstrous dark delusions of the past" LOL, projection alert!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Athena was the goddess of wisdom ... if you HAVE to worship a god/dess ...

please start with her.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. Sufis consider all paths as leading to God

and, in the past, were instrumental in translating and studying ancient religious texts of other faiths. Murshida Vera Corda gave workshops on the Mystery Schools of Ancient Greece, showing how the story of Persephone (I think I've got it right, took the class about 10 years ago)was relevant to us today in that it gave insight into the nature of God.

[bleedingheart]

9. the Lithuanians have a pagan religion...referred to as Romuva

[Book Lover]

11. There are also modern followers of the roman civic religion

http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Main_Page

Atheist as I am, I still cheer these people on. Resurrecting anything from the European ancients is OK by me (well, except the sacrificing puppies to Hector thing. That we can leave behind...)

[nemo137]

14. That always made good sense to me

not necessarily the sacrificing puppies thing (although I do hate me some dogs), but the Religio Romano. You deal with the gods; you follow the ritual and live by the Via Romana, you should be ok. Seems like it made alot of sense.

[tbyg52]

12. As long as it doesn't get into human or animal sacrifice,

I kinda like Greek mythology. And I'm an atheist.