Zeus devotees worship in Athens

[ramonmercado]

Zeus devotees worship in Athens
By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, Athens



The temple of Zeus has not been long unattended by priestesses
Worshippers who believe in the 12 gods of ancient Greece have held a ceremony at the Temple of Zeus in Athens.

This is a landmark event to celebrate official recognition of their religion by a court last year.

The Greek Orthodox Church has said they are miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion.

But the ceremony went ahead, with crowds watching priests and priestesses, who said the event was a symbol of their civic rights.

In 2003, white-clad worshippers performed an illicit ceremony at the Temple of Hephaestus, just below the Acropolis.

At that time they were chased off the site by ministry of culture staff.

Despite vigorous opposition from the highly conservative Greek Orthodox Church, a court last year officially recognised the revived ancient Greek religion.


The worshippers are loyal to Zeus and the other Olympians
One of its leaders, Doretta Peppa, a writer who calls herself a high priestess, told the BBC the temples were built to respect the gods and now they were going to be put to their proper use.

Ms Peppa said she had been given official permission to use the temple, but there were fears that the culture ministry, which administers the site, might give way to pressure from the church.

The president of the Association of Greek Clergymen, Father Efstathios Kollas, has described the followers of the Olympic gods as a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past.

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/2/hi/europe/6283907.stm

 

[Slejpner]

Well, if gods are as powerful as the extent of people's belief in them, then cue a new lot of earthly women, and the odd shepherd boy, being shagged by Zeus

 

[hokum6]

That is brilliant. The Greek gods are just as believable as any other, and they're a lot more fun too, what with all that backstabbing, betrayal and violence. Where do I sign?

 

[rjmrjmrjm]

Tee Hee... Golden Shower.

 

[Kondoru]

The Greeks didnt seem to take religion too seriously.

(nor did the norse)

Whats the betting this bunch will be like the odinists and be boring deadly serious?

what we need is more nude atheletes!

 

[GNC]

They're at it again! I've just heard Doretta Peppa on a news bulletin complaining about the Greek authorities moving relics. Can't find anything about it online, though.

 

[Twin_Star]

They're at it again! I've just heard Doretta Peppa on a news bulletin complaining about the Greek authorities moving relics. Can't find anything about it online, though.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/01/religion.uk

"To the astonishment of onlookers, Peppa also began babbling Orphic hymns, before thrusting her arms upwards into the Attic skies and proceeding, somewhat deliriously, to warble her love for the gods of Mount Olympus"



http://www.religionnewsblog.com/category/ellinais

this is the closest i got to anything recent, her site almost definately has lots of info on it, unfortunately with no english option http://www.ellinais.gr/

 

[escargot]

I've read on this very board that the Greek gods are still around but that as we don't believe in them any more, we don't recognise them. This applies particularly to Pan, who has apparently been spotted in British woodland in recent years.

Dunno what the thread's called though.

 

[Timble2]

It's more likely to be Puck/Robin Goodfellow, than Pan, if we're talking English Countryside, unless some of the Graeco Roman gods came across with the Romans and never went home...