Renewed Interest in Greek Gods

The Greek gods are back.

A small yet determined group of Greeks has returned to worshiping Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and the other gods and goddesses of old, finding more solace in their reverence than in the religions of today. They have come out into the open as their numbers have grown, and a recent celebration in the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens counted attendees in the hundreds. Wearing garlands and traditional clothes, the worshipers professed their belief in the ancient gods and goddesses, much to the chagrin of local Orthodox authorities, who have been outspoken in recent days about the need to suppress such religious efforts.

For their part, the worshipers say they have Christianity and other more modern religions lacking in direction and inspiration. They want to have more ceremonies like the recent one in the Zeus temple, which was the first religious ceremony in an official temple in many, many years. Whether their movement continues to grow in membership and notoriety remains to be seen. They insist that they are not looking for publicity and are sincere in their efforts to pursue the religion of their choice. Orthodox authorities insist that they have the right to keep such gatherings from taking place at official temples, even though they are shrines to the very figures that this group says they are worshiping.