Arrival of a Hellenic Pagan

[DavidMcCann]

Greeting to everyone from London! I was raised an Anglican Christian, but after years of dithering eventually converted to Hellenism: that makes me rather a rare beast on the internet. For those who want to know more, have a look at the website of labrys, especially their videos of public ceremonies in Greece.

[Spiritrebel]

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

Greeting to everyone from London! I was raised an Anglican Christian, but after years of dithering eventually converted to Hellenism: that makes me rather a rare beast on the internet. For those who want to know more, have a look at the website of labrys, especially their videos of public ceremonies in Greece.

Welcomed to SF! I'm definitely interested in discussing Hellenism with you. I was raised by traditional Western Spiritualists who felt that Greco-Roman Paganism, especially the Greek Mystery Cult, was the most sensible organized religion.

Here's link to a thread on Hellenism on the SF Paganism board:

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...t=85244&page=3

[knightofalbion]

A very warm welcome to the forum, dear David.

[dream jo]

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

Greeting to everyone from London! I was raised an Anglican Christian, but after years of dithering eventually converted to Hellenism: that makes me rather a rare beast on the internet. For those who want to know more, have a look at the website of labrys, especially their videos of public ceremonies in Greece.

hi

[bird*]

Nice to meet you!

[Frederick33]

hi a warm welcome here perhaps some day you will be just a human being

i find that this falls short of nothing what so ever

ok you where not raised as one and now are a Hellenistic uh what ever that is

ah yes just people , many appear to be human being when you meet them and act as them to

nice and caring and often with love or all other emotions and feelings

how can a human being not know how to be a human being it seems so easy , just be what you are :-)

take you clothes of stand in front of the mirror and take a good look thats all there is to it :-)

much love and light to you

[love9]

Hi DavidMcCann, a warm welcome to SF, I wish you a Wonderful Spiritual Journey here!

[Spiritrebel]

Originally Posted by Frederick33

hi a warm welcome here perhaps some day you will be just a human being

i find that this falls short of nothing what so ever

ok you where not raised as one and now are a Hellenistic uh what ever that is

ah yes just people , many appear to be human being when you meet them and act as them to

nice and caring and often with love or all other emotions and feelings

how can a human being not know how to be a human being it seems so easy , just be what you are :-)

take you clothes of stand in front of the mirror and take a good look thats all there is to it :-)

much love and light to you

From my readings about the evolution of Western Civilization, it looks to me like many of the humanistic elements in our culture were derived from Hellenism and its Roman derivative. This starts with the idea that "just being human" is a worthy goal, goes on to advocate all manner of laws and customs that enable people to achieve this goal. The slogan of the French Revolution sums up this philosophy as: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."

Of course, Greco-Roman Paganism was literally legislated out of existence by the late Roman Empire and replaced with a form of Christianity that quickly generated an extremely theocratic and totalitarian Catholic Church. However, the original humanistic philosophy of Hellenism has always been an important part of Western secular art, literature, and science, often expressing itself as a rejection of all belief in the supernatural. (A lot of the ancient Greek philosophers were actually atheists at heart and admitted it, but they still recognized the Hellenistic religion as an important part of their cultural legacy.)

So it doesn't surprise me at all to see a resurgence of Hellenism in Greece that's beginning to spread to the rest of Western World. I've been visiting the "Labrys" site, and am eagerly awaiting the completion of the English version that will contain translations of much of the material in the present Greek version.

[DavidMcCann]

Originally Posted by Spiritrebel

From my readings about the evolution of Western Civilization, it looks to me like many of the humanistic elements in our culture were derived from Hellenism and its Roman derivative.

However, the original humanistic philosophy of Hellenism has always been an important part of Western secular art, literature, and science, often expressing itself as a rejection of all belief in the supernatural. (A lot of the ancient Greek philosophers were actually atheists at heart and admitted it, but they still recognized the Hellenistic religion as an important part of their cultural legacy.)

NO. Do not try to hijack Hellenism to the support of atheism. Why do you think the Ancients called the Christians atheists? It was the worst insult they could come up with. Maximus of Tyre summed up the general opinion when he described atheists as "senseless men, whose eyes wander, whose ears are deceived, whose souls are mutilated ; irrational, barren, and useless people." Salustius tried to explain them as people who'd been so evil in their last incarnation, that the Gods had rejected them in this one!

As for the philosophers, there were a few atheists in the 5th and 4 centuries BC, most of whom are now forgotten names. The great philosophers - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus - were all theists.

Welcome to the forum