By the power of Zeus, ancient gods are back (Greeks allowed to worship pagan gods)

Kathimerini ^ | 03/24/2006 | kathimerini

[Feldkurat_Katz]

By the power of Zeus, ancient gods are back

Worship of the 12 gods of Mount Olympus associated with ancient Greece could, thanks to a decision by a first-instance court in Athens, become part of the country’s contemporary culture.

In a ruling made public yesterday, the court allowed the formation of an association whose members claim to worship Zeus and the other 11 gods.

“I support everybody’s right to practice their faith, whichever it may be, without hindrance,” said Apostolos Vrachiolidis, a journalist and one of the founding members of the association. Members of the group deny that they engage in idolatry. “We simply want to worship the gods of our ancestors freely,” a member who preferred to remain anonymous told Kathimerini.

The Church of Greece takes a dim view of this type of worship, linking it to New Age practices.

[Dutch Boy]

If it's invisible, how do you know it's a turtle. It could be a tortoise.

[MineralMan]

"If it's invisible, how do you know it's a turtle. It could be a tortoise."

Through faith. How else would one know of a huge, invisible turtle holding up the planet. No evidence is required in religious beliefs.

By the way, it's turtles all the way down.

[painter]

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.'" --Acts 17:22, NIV

They where. Before Jesus Christ these people didn't know who the real God was. They knew there was something out there Alot bigger than them and they created their version of God or gods in their case to worship.

When they were exposed to Christianity they changed.

[tet68]

Behold Demeter, whose golden plaits fall as only a goddess'
does.

Drink the Kykeon, become Epoptes.

Know the disparity between seeing and hearing.

[Dutch Boy]

"By the way, it's turtles all the way down."

To the tortoise?

[tet68]

At least the Greek gods are entertaining, with their petty jealousies and one-upsmanship behavior.

That was what destroyed the movie "Troy" for me, the interference of the Gods was what made the story .

[MineralMan]

"To the tortoise?"

Have it your way, then, you blasphemer! [grin]

[Dutch Boy]

LOL....

[Larry Lucido]

"They weren't saying 'Jesus,' they were saying 'Hey, Zeus!'"

[sine_nomine]

That is the story. No wonder Troy bombed.

[sine_nomine]

Aphrodite has always been popular.

Seriously folks, I have had self-described pagans in religion class. They are all women. Some call themselves witches (but good ones). They are unbalanced as a group and have a tendency to plagiarize. When caught in plagiarism, they have hissy fits. They get real witchy.

[JAWs]

This should only be allowed if they engage in animal sacrifices!

[Visalia]

Send these nitwits to Afghanistan.

[mkjessup]

[Larry Lucido]

Yea, but I hear pagan women can be pursuaded to put out. Gaia demands it, you know.

[Laz711]

Come on, haven't you heard that the world, which is flat, rests on the backs of four giant elephants, which ride on the back of a giant turtle?

[75thOVI]

Don't forget the 4 elephants holding up the world are standing on the back of the Great Sky Turtle, A'tuin. Some believe the Great Turtle is coming from nowhere in particular, and is traveling to nowhere in particular, (Somewhere in Wyoming for instance.) This is called the "Steady Gait Theory". Others believe that A'tuin is traveling to the "Great Celestial Spawning Grounds". This is referred to as the "Big Bang Theory". For this reason determining the sex of A'tuin is vital for us all, and all of NASA's resources should be directed to that end. I believe that in the interest of fairness, both theories should be taught in school. (Thank you Mr. Pratchett.)

[Slings and Arrows]

"Oh my G-d, he killed Helen Thomas!"

---

[Slings and Arrows]

You two are Terry-ble.

[sully777]

Jupiter Enthroned

Saint Peter Enthroned

Saint Longinus

Augustus Caesar in the Pantheon