Aidonian's blog

There is alot of talk about Christians , Muslims and perhaps even Jews facing discrimination for their beliefs, while its rarely so for Christians except perhaps in Muslim countries.

In strict Christian regions or countries like Greece, some parts of USA, polytheists face religious discrimination and backlash for their beliefs. Discrimination for any reason is bad, but religious discrimination is more troublesome than others because its creates a rift in society. After the events of 7th of oktober, Jews in western countries were afraid to wear their symbols out of fear of reprisals – which is bad for many reasons.

But polytheists. That’s a minority who stay under the radar of most mainstream media. It took years but the religion of the Hellenic polytheists was officially recognized by the state. That recognition does not mean that all is well. Some conservative Orthodox Christians still feel the need to attack the polytheists for their beliefs. Right new, Hellenic polytheists were able to build a temple in honour of Zeus and Pan in Arcadia but the department of education closed it because it did not forfill the requirements of a church building. Which is bullshit. This is the Orthodox Church using their influence in the goverment to close that temple. Conservative Orthodox Christians are celebrating it and calling it a demonic temple. Reason for this was the opening of the first polytheistic temple to Zeus, Dionysos and Pan in Arcadia, Hellas.

“This specific action, which attempts to restore practices and perceptions of a religiosity of bygone eras, causes us sadness and concern. It is not a return to a bright and glorious past, as its followers claim, but a regression to a dark world, dominated by human passions and demonic works,” the Metropolitan continued.

“It is not a Greek phenomenon, but a foreign one, which attempts to be forcibly transplanted into Greek reality. Our glorious ancestors had themselves realized the inadequacy of their religion and were searching for something better, which they discovered in Jesus Christ,”  This statement sums it up real good. What the man doesn’t want to mention is that most polytheists were forced to convert or were killed when the Roman emopire turned Christian. Ironically the Christians back than started persecuting, killing polytheists who refused to convert, temples were sacked, shrines destroyed. He was also wrong that this was not a Greek phenonmenon, but it was infact a Greek phenonomenon. The Hellenic polytheists in Hellas are Greeks who are reviving the ancient religion of their ancestors. There are several organisations within Hellas with one intent to bring back the religion of the ancient Greeks in one way or another.

The accusation of idolatry, that polytheists are idolators is ridiculous. Christians honour next to Christ also angels, saints, etc… and also used statues of Christ, angels and many saints. Still it seems that religious freedom, the ability to practide your own faith, your religion freely is not present in Greece. If some Christian evangelicans also get their way, USA is going to follow suit.

The Orthodox Church must stop with their hateful retoric against their fellow Greeks. It serves no purpose besides maintaining their power over the people. In these times where there is enough strife going around, we don’t need to add more to it. Than again, the Church is good for the capitalists to sow more division among the people so that they keep fighting amongst themselves instead of against the greedy capitalists who are going to destroy our world, our way of life through their greed. I know some polytheists in Hellas want to return to the time that polytheism was de facto the state religion, but i’m not in favour of that either. Religion is a private matter, not a state matter.

What happens in Greece highlights a problem many polytheists face when they come out to worship openly and want a public space where they can held group rituals. While in most countries, they will look at them funny, but won’t do anything, in countries where the majority if still Christian, this could be a diffirent matter. Greece is demonstrating this. I guess we need to make some noise baout this matter so that the goverment is forced to step back on this.