Zeus worshippers demand access to temple

[Strengthandhonour]

Zeus worshippers demand access to temple

After all these centuries, Zeus may have a few thunderbolts left. A tiny group of worshippers plans a rare ceremony Sunday to honor the ancient Greek gods, at Athens' 1,800-year-old Temple of Olympian Zeus. Greece's Culture Ministry has declared the central Athens site off-limits, but worshippers say they will defy the decision.
"These are our temples and they should be used by followers of our religion," said Doreta Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, a group campaigning to revive the ancient religion.
"Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?"
Peppa said the ceremony will be held in honor of Zeus, king of the ancient gods, but did not give other details. The daily Ethnos newspaper, citing the group's application to the Culture Ministry to use the site, said the 90-minute event would include hymns, dancers, torchbearers, and worshippers in ancient costumes.
Greece's archaic religion is believed to have several hundred official followers, mainly middle-aged and elderly academics, lawyers and other professionals. They typically share a keen interest in ancient history and a dislike for the Greek Orthodox Church.
Ancient rituals are re-enacted every two years at Olympia, in southern Greece, where the flame lighting ceremony is held for the summer and winter Olympic games. But the event is not regarded as a religious ceremony and actresses are used to pose as high priestesses.
Last year, the Culture Ministry, fearing damage to monuments, blocked an initiative to hold an international track meet at Olympia. A panel of ministry experts ruled against Sunday's ancient ceremony at the ruins of the Temple of Zeus on similar grounds.
"Ancient sites are not available for this kind of event," ministry official Eliza Kyrtsoglou said. It was not clear whether the government had plans to block the worshippers.
Peppa's group, dedicated to reviving worship of the 12 ancient gods, was founded last year and won a court battle for official state recognition of the ancient Greek religion.
Those who seek to revive the ancient Greek religion are split into rival organizations which trade insults over the Internet. Peppa's group is at odds with ultra-nationalists who view a revival as a way to protect Greek identity from foreign influences.
They can't even agree on a name for the religion: One camp calls it Ancient-Religion, another Hellenic Religion.
The worshippers also face another obstacle: Greece's powerful Orthodox Church.
About 97 percent of native born Greeks are baptized Orthodox Christian, and the church regards ancient religious practices as pagan. Representatives of the church in the past have not attended flame ceremonies at Olympia because reference is made to Apollo, the ancient god of music and light.
Christianity took hold in Greece in the 4th century after Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion. Emperor Theodosius wiped out the last vestige of the Olympian gods when he abolished the Olympic Games in 394 A.D. The modern revival of the Olympiad maintains a slender link to ancient ceremonies.
"Christianity did not prevail without bloodshed," said Peppa, a novelist and historical writer. "After 16 centuries of negativity toward us, we've gotten something in our favor."
Ellinais is demanding government approval for its downtown offices to be registered as a place of worship — a move that could allow the group to perform weddings and other ceremonies. They threaten further court action unless that permission is granted.
"There should be respect for people who want to express their religious feelings in a different way, that is not the typical Orthodox or Christian way," Peppa said. "We should not be stopped or denied our rights."

source: Zeus worshippers demand access to temple - Yahoo! News

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

It is their legitimate right to worship Zeus and follow the old Greek religion if they wish, but I am not sure how serious these people are...

[Strengthandhonour]

In Magna Graecia(Southern Italy) there has been a few groups that focused on worshipping Greco-Roman pantheons. They were often using their sacred grounds. It was pretty interesting. I never saw a whole ritual but saw limited amounts. They do make a point though, it would be interesting to see if they get their way.

[Kernunnos]

As far as I know only indirect referenecs do exist to odl theology and rituals, as it is for odinism and gallic religions.

I read a lot of time ago that religious texts dating back to the beginning f the roman civilization are still extant, but their primitive latin is obscure, it seems it was even in classic roman times.

Christianism willingly destroyed any sign of the old religions.

So modern revivals arenot based on solid ground, whatever the purpose of the new followers might be.

[Milesian]

Poor Zeus, even after all these millenia some people still won't let him enjoy his retirement!

[Ricardo Reis]

Originally Posted by Milesian

Poor Zeus, even after all these millenia some people still won't let him enjoy his retirement!

Do you prefer the majority of Greek-Orthodox Christians instead?

You should visit one of their forums and ask them how they feel about their catholic "brothers".

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by FlorentinoAriza

Do you prefer the majority of Greek-Orthodox Christians instead?

Frankly, I do.

You should visit one of their forums and ask them how they feel about their catholic "brothers".

I couldn't care less to be honest.
I'd take either the Orthodox schismatics or the Zeus lovers over the Odin-worshipping Germanic wannabee "Greeks", any day

[Erasmus]

Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes

Snob people indeed

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

I guess they are just having fun...

[Susi]

*yawns* I recall making a post to this but maybe I just forgot to hit "post" or I think that was when the power went out. Anyways.

Originally Posted by FlorentinoAriza

You should visit one of their forums and ask them how they feel about their catholic "brothers".

They'll probably be insulting and disrespectful. :\

Originally Posted by prometheus

It is their legitimate right to worship Zeus and follow the old Greek religion if they wish, but I am not sure how serious these people are...

Usually most people are not very serious as I have met a lot of supposed "Greek" (they don't even know what "Hellenic" means) "pagans"... Maybe this is a phenomenon restricted to Canada and the USA but really I assume it is a problem worldwide with idiots like this. I think people need to do more and more research before starting out on "a pagan path" or whatever bullshit it is called. This woman who had maybe 10-20 religions before settling on Asatru decided 3 months in to swear herself to Odin. Now usually this is not a problem I guess... Except it is one of these things one does never or after a long time not changing religions every 3 minutes...

I'm being really bitchy today. Sorry about that!

Originally Posted by Breha

As far as I know only indirect referenecs do exist to odl theology and rituals, as it is for odinism and gallic religions.

Indirect-ish

So the modern revivals arenot based on solid ground, whatever the purpose of the new followers might be.

Pfff.

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Milesian

Poor Zeus, even after all these millenia some people still won't let him enjoy his retirement!

You must bear in mind that Zeus had great many affairs, both with women, nymphas and goddesses.

These people may be some of his descendants....

[Ricardo Reis]

Originally Posted by Milesian

Poor Zeus, even after all these millenia some people still won't let him enjoy his retirement!

Greeks try to revive the dead Hellenic religion and Irish the dead Celtic culture. What wrong with these?

Originally Posted by Milesian

I'd take either the Orthodox schismatics or the Zeus lovers over the Odin-worshipping Germanic wannabee "Greeks", any day

There are no "Odin-worshipping Germanic wannabee Greek" unless they are half Germanic.

[Strengthandhonour]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, I believe Milesian was probably just being playful and joking.
Oh and if you thnik there is no Nordic pantheon worshiping Greeks, they I recommend you start searching around this forum and other boards on the internet..I was just as surprised

[Caesar Princeps]

In my opinion all that was good in Paganism was absorbed by Catholicism. What a pity that people (both Christians and Pagans) tend to forget it.

Anyway, I imagine all of you will agree that these Zeus worshippers are clearly far less dangerous than Mohammad followers!

[Erasmus]

Originally Posted by Behe