And now for a news story that is warming my heart: the Greeks have re-legalized the ancient Greek Olympic pantheistic religion headed by Zeus. And not before time. The ancient religion was made illegal by the Christians in the Roman Empire, then in its last throes in the West.I have always been a bit sceptical by the Christian claim that they "preserved civilisation" through the Dark Ages. Light at the end of the Dark Age tunnel was not provided by the Church but by the Renaissance, which specifically harked back to the pre-Christian era, and by the revolutionary Enlightenment, which brought us modern science and a relief from superstition.
So now in this new era of desert religion upsurge and fundamentalism it is good to see the old crew back. And what a jolly inspiring bunch they are!
The old Greek religion brought us fun and games that are still with us and cherished by millions around the world: the Olympics, soap operas, democracy, a healthy sense of self, gymnasiums and butt-fucking. The Orthodox Church simply can't compete with that.
I'm off re-reading all those wonderful myths and legends - so much more fulfilling, interesting, inspiring and a bloody good read than those interminably moralistic dirges of the Bible or Koran.
And while they're at it, bring back the Norse gods, myths and sagas back too. Nothing like a viking sailing up my fjord!
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