Are there any groups/people who still follow Greek Mythology as a religion?

Question

Where they still believe in Zeus being real, and all the stories fact?

Answer 1

Many. They are even persecuted in thier home countries.

"Many followers of Ancient Greek religion have experienced persecution, mainly from Christians. Persecution may refer to unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, beating, torture, or execution. It also may refer to the confiscation or destruction of property, or incitement to hate those who practice Ancient Greek religion...According to Greek Law No 1363/38, with amendment Law No. 1672/39: "Anyone engaging in proselytism shall be liable to imprisonment and a fine between 1,000 and 50,000 drachmas; he shall, moreover be subject to police supervision for a period of between six months and one year to be fixed by the court when convicting the offender." The second law requires anybody that is not an Orthodox Christian to obtain a "church license" from both the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and the local Orthodox bishops, but only the Orthodox Church, Judaism and Islam are recognized as "legal persons of public law". According to a press release from The Supreme Council of Gentile Hellenes there have been threats against the life of its members and a bookstore burning [2].

The Greek Society of Attic Friends, who claim 40,000 members, have been unsuccessful when they asked for recognition as a legal religion and were denied the right to build a temple in Athens. [3]

In 2006 an Athens court ordered the worship of the old Greek gods to be unbanned. Father Eustathios Kollas, head of the community of Greek priests, said: "They are a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past." The followers of Ancient Greek religion now prepares to push for full recognition.[4]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_ancient_Greek_religion

"Ellinais (Greek: Ελληναίς or ΕΛΛΗΝ.Α.Ι.Σ.), also known as The Holy Association of Greek Ancient Religion Believers, is an Athens-based religious organization intended to revive the worship of ancient Greek gods. Ellinais was founded in 2005 and has 34 official members, mainly academics, lawyers and other professionals. The group has received state recognition of the ancient Greek religion. It is demanding that its offices be registered as places of worship, which could allow the group to perform weddings and other rites. The group believes in world peace, ecological awareness, and the right to education. The group has three high priests, one of which is Kostas Stathopoulos." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellinais

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003535347_greece22.html
"A clutch of modern pagans honored Zeus outside an 1,800-year-old temple in the heart of Athens on Sunday — the first known ceremony of its kind held here since the ancient Greek religion was outlawed by the Roman empire in the late 4th century."

Answer 2

Many pagans honour the Greek pantheon and the natural forces they represent. As to whether they believe the actual mythology is fact, I sincerely doubt it. Most pagans see mythology exactly as it was meant to be seen - a metaphor for the mysteries of nature. We explain the end of summer as Persephone going into the Underworld but we also know about the axial orbit of the Earth around the Sun. Think of the gods and their stories as a way of accessing the Divine, like parables in Christianity. Many of the stories do not reflect the actual beliefs of ancient Greeks. As with all religious texts, they should be considered in historical context. The Greeks did not worship all the gods at the same time. Certain cults gained ascendancy over others. This explains why Hera, a mother goddess, is reduced to a jealous wife in many stories. To understand the beliefs of ancient Greeks, look at their festivals and religious practices as opposed to the mythology. That is more of an art form than a religious theory.

If you are interested in specific pagan groups, you should look into Hellenists and groups like Ellinais.

Answer 3

The difference between mythology and religion is thin and nearly non-existent. Mythology was religion but isn't considered true or isn't widely believed in. Religion depends on the worshipers, as does any god or goddess. And no, Hercules isn't the equivalent to Christ, he was a hero and are very common in Greek mythology, more so than prophets. There is no equivalent to Christ for Greeks, and there were many demigods who had an Olympian parent.

Answer 4

In addition to the link to Sannion's Sanctuary that someone posted earlier you can also look at:

http://www.winterscapes.com/
(the main site)

As well as

http://www.hellenion.org/index.html
http://www.neokoroi.org/index.htm
http://www.thorthebarbarian.com/neosolympos/
( in the United States)

and http://www.ysee.gr/index-eng.php (in Greece)

For an easy to read book on the subject try this link:
http://www.winterscapes.com/kharis/

Also the characterisation of these groups as "right-wing" is a comparison with some ultra-"right-wing" groups that call themselves "Odinist". It is a sadly mistaken view of most mainstrean Hellenismos groups.

Answer 5

Yes, it's called Hellênismos - or Hellenic Polytheism -it is a reconstructionist form of Paganism inspired by the ancient religions, culture, and philosophy of Greece.

Here's a great website with tons of interesting articles written by someone who does practice Hellênismos.

http://www.winterscapes.com/sannion/index.htm

Answer 6

No lol that sounds very strange and far-out, though if Satanists exist, then i'll believe that anything does!!

So no i haven't, i'm a Christian but once when i was little i prayed to Aphrodite after i saw her birthplace cos i felt so overwhelmed!

And i have also been to the Parthenon.

Hope that helped

Xxx

Answer 7

Yes indeed. There is a group in Greece who recently held a ceremony at The Parthenon.

Answer 8

Being an atheist I'd preach it all just for the fun of it; it's more exciting than what we've been brought up with x

Answer 9

Sounds just as believable as the Bible or Quran

Answer 10

I'm sure there are some of these right wing groups are pretty out there