Old World Religions.

[DragonSpirit]

Does anyone here have a belief in the old world Religions for example Old Nordic/Norse Religions?

[SoulsInMotion]

Are those called religions really? When I think "old world religions" I think Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. And of course there are subforums for those. So what counts here?

[DragonSpirit]

Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam are the result of culling out religions that only have a small group of believers left. Paganism whether it be Greek, Germanic, European (just to sum it up) are older than current religions. Scandinavia and other Nordic like countries are bringing back their belief in their Norse Gods due to prophesies coming true that were once told as tales.

[Jenny Crow]

I take it you're talking about Asatru and Odinism and probably Celtic Paganism, and many others also.

By "believe in them" do you mean believe in their deities or believe that there are actually old religions?

For me - my answer would be "Yes" to both of those questions. The Gods are real.

[DaiBach]

Christianity didn't 'cull out' paganism. Their aren't any early Celtic Christian martyrs, because the British adopted and adapted Christianity eagerly. The Celtic saints where often described as 'Druids'. They were native Britons Who wore the Druid tonsure and set up their communities in llans, enclosures that had probably been sacred sites for thousands of years. The early Christians also has a deep reverence for the land and for nature, and they had no problem in mixing old beliefs with new.

[DragonSpirit]

I wasn't attacking Christianity, Buddhism, or Islam I was stating that these three religions are Mainstream today due to the conversion from smaller religions. And yes Jenny I was referring to that as well, thank you for answering my question.

[DaiBach]

Things have changed in Britain. The 'mainstream' religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and New Age.

[DavidMcCann]

The British didn't adopt Christianity "eagerly". I've just been reading an archeological study of Roman Britain in the 4th century (Watt's Religion in Roman Britain} which shows that there was conversion in the early part of the century when the emperor Constantine became a Christian, but it peaked in mid century, followed by a pagan revival. By the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasions, pagan burial customs were increasing and churches were sometimes abandoned or turned into temples.

As for Christianity being "mainstream", look at the falling numbers, even in the USA. It's true we Euro-pagans (to coin a word) are still few in numbers, but it's quality that counts!

[DaiBach]

The British were Christian when they fought the Saxons. Y Gododdin mentions the Britons riding to war behind the banner of The Virgin Mary. You can't get much more Catholic than that.

[Caitlyn Laufey]

Certainly, old Norse here.