Orthodoxy vs. Neo-Paganism

[Perun]

http://hellenicnationalist.blogspot....-paganism.html

Orthodoxy Versus Neo-Paganism

Came across an interesting letter from a Russian Orthodox perspective, that I got off an Orthodoxy in England, of all places, website. The cleric seems to be saying that neo-paganism is both a return to the materialism of the Jews as well as that of the humanism of the Greeks, which in biblical terms means pagans. This excerpt stuck out for me:


On the other hand, there are those who would make our Orthodox Christianity into a mere shell of a religion, just another form of secularist humanism. They would swim with the tide, merge with secular Western values, simply because that is the easy way out. This is the religion of the Greeks, who rejected the New Testament in favour of an easy way of life, refusing Christ, because He did not justify their world and instead preached the other world. And His Church followed Him, preaching in the language of Christ, not that of Neo-Puritan political correctness. Beware, their secular values are the values of apostasy, they are the values which give birth to Neo-Paganism, where anything goes.

Does this seem to have a cryptic meaning? There are many who want to discard the Orthodox Christian canons in order to accommodate the world and its ever persistent promotion of sexual "liberation" and idolatry of the material things of this world.

What this letter does not directly address, understandably because it comes from a Russian perspective, is the recent pseudo-intellectual Greek movement of neo-paganism, which also is one more backward trend of modern, secular and humanistic degeneracy.


posted by Hellenic Nationalist at 12:54 AM

[Rodozashtitnik]

In Bulgaria the nationalists are so diveded, because of that. In my country the "former" communists and the "Agency for State Security" made up a story about a "Bulgarian" God named Tangra. There's no evidence for that statement what so ever. The problem is, that young people start to believe in that nonsense and they abandoned their Orthodox Fate. The bulgarians were Christians from the first century until the jewish - communist slavery started in 1944. Perun is a Slavic mith. It is silly to abandon the Orthodox fate for mythology.

[svin]

It would not be silly if Pagan tradition survived. But once it is broken, all attempts to revive it give something with a prefix "neo".

[Rodozashtitnik]

That's a mythology. Every nation, or I should say every ethnic group has a cult of myths. It's interesting to read, but God is only One - our Lord and Saviour - Jesus Christ. I know that commies hate that fact, but it's a fact.

[svin]

That's a mythology.

Yes, NOW it's a mythology.

[Rodozashtitnik]

Originally Posted by svin

Yes, NOW it's a mythology.

And when it wasn't?

[svin]

Obviously, before accepting Christianity and some time after.

[Rodozashtitnik]

Yes. So what? We talk about many years ago, before Christ came down and saved us.

[svin]

That's what I'm trying to say too, actually. Long ago it was religion, now it became mythology because the Pagan tradition was broken.

[Rodozashtitnik]

And you are an atheist, right?

[svin]

This is hard question. My views on religion are still evolving. I can't say that I'm an atheist. Why?

[Rodozashtitnik]

Just asking.

[Marcus Marulus]

Neo-paganism is a joke. There is no way to revive such traditions, Christianity has marked our cultures too much. It would mean practically to invent new religion, relying on old sources. This religion would probably be under a heavy cultural influence of Christianity.

And besides: you say "Bulgarian God Tangra?" As far as I know, Tengri, Tangra or Tanri is an old Turko-Mongolic deity. It is the highest divinity in the Yasa of Genghiz Khan.

[Rodozashtitnik]

Originally Posted by prometheus

And besides: you say "Bulgarian God Tangra?" As far as I know, Tengri, Tangra or Tanri is an old Turko-Mongolic deity.

That's my point. Bulgarians are not turko-mongolic, so there was not such thing as Tangra within our culture. But try to explain that to some neo-paganic.

[Sergius]

Originally Posted by Rodozashtitnik

Bulgarians are not turko-mongolic

That depends on which school of thought you follow. The subject has been brought up here a couple of times (most recently What do you think of other Slavic nations?). Where you do stand on this, Rodozashtitnik?

[Rodozashtitnik]

It is simple, Bulgarians are Bulgarians. Recent researches show that there were Bulgarians on the Balkans 5000 years ago. There are many opinions about our origin, some think that we are huns, some think that we are heirs of Thracians. I'm sure about one thing though, we are not Slavs.

[Ricardo Reis]

Originally Posted by Rodozashtitnik

We talk about many years ago, before Christ came down and saved us.

What exactly he saved us from? Who asked him to?

Well, that's a mythology!

[Rodozashtitnik]

Originally Posted by FlorentinoAriza

What exactly he saved us from? Who asked him to?

Well, that's a mythology!

If you're an atheist, it will be a mythology. But if you're a believer it won't be. The world's zionism for centuries want us to believe that Christ is a myth, and that he is only a human. Do you believe them?

[Ricardo Reis]

Originally Posted by Rodozashtitnik

If you're an atheist, it will be a mythology. But if you're a believer it won't be.

This is true for all religions, that was exactly my point.