View Full Version : Are ancient religions still practiced at all?
whocares123
2006-07-25, 17:59
As in, are there small sects in Greece that still believe in the Greek gods? In Italy that still believe in the Roman gods? In Egypt that still believe in the Egyptian gods? Or in Scandinavian countries that still belive in the old Norse gods?
What happened to Native American religions?
This shit highly interests me. I wonder if one day Christianity, Judiasm, Islam, etc will be replaced. There is a clear pattern of everyone being so damn sure of themselves and their religion, and then...what happened to it? Gone. Regarded as myth only.
hespeaks
2006-07-25, 18:25
Yes, some pre-Christian religions are practiced in some circles. Its called Neopaganism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neopaganism
[This message has been edited by hespeaks (edited 07-25-2006).]
Charchars
2006-07-25, 18:31
i guess if you count wican
MasterPython
2006-07-25, 19:14
quote:Originally posted by Charchars:
i guess if you count wican
That was invented in 1953 when they legalised wichcraft in England. They only pretend it is ancient.
There are many people practicing Native American religion, not all of them Indians. Many of them had to learn it from white historians because the missionaries and residential schools where very sucsessful at stoping the traditions and language from being passed on.
postdiluvium
2006-07-25, 20:34
Ancient religions still exist today. They were just renamed as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Same old stuff, just new places and names.
Isn't Hinduism like the oldest, surviving religion?
Xerxes89
2006-07-26, 02:41
Athiesm?
[This message has been edited by Xerxes89 (edited 07-26-2006).]
Starsword
2006-07-26, 06:54
I'm pretty sure Wicca was invented in the 1940's by Gerald Gardner, or possibly by someone named Dorothy Clutterbuck (who Gardner claimed trained him). I myself am Wiccan by the way. Yeah, I don't think even Gardnerian Wiccans pretend it's ancient anymore.
There are worshippers of the ancient Greek gods in Greece. This religion is called Hellenic Reconstructionism, or Duodecatheism (which means "12 gods"). Due to pressure from the Greek Orthodox Church, worshipping the ancient gods was illegal until very recently. The policy was lifted after widespread outcry for religious freedom prompted the UN to do something about it.
There are also worshippers of the ancient Norse gods here and there, in fact I met such a worshipper not long ago. This religion is called Asatru, and its practicioners are called Asatruar.
Also, Hinduism is just an ancient religion that never died out.
Nihilist
2006-07-26, 10:31
theres a small amount of ppl that claim to still worship odin etc. zorostranism or however its spelled is still practiced by about 300 ppl in the middle east for example.