Whatever happened to old time religion, the kind our ancestors lived by?

[Binkie The Clown]

Where did all the old gods go? Zeus, Apollo, Janus, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen?

Why is it that old gods fall out of favor and new gods take their place?

Is it political? Is it a result of one culture conquering another?
How did the old "Pagan" Celtic gods lose out to the "new and improved" St. Patrick, when it was the Roman legions that conquered Briton, not the twelve tribes of the holy land?

[Girard442]

1. Donner and Blitzen are not, I think deities.

Although they are very deer to me.

[Binkie The Clown]

2. Yeah, I know. I was just on a roll, and one thing led to another. Mea Culpa. nt

[PJMcK]

3. Looking for a little roiling of the waters, eh?

(wink)

[world wide wally]

4. 'twas technology, son

[rsdsharp]

5. Donder, not Donner.

Sorry, that drives me nuts. It's like when someone calls Hermie from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer "Herbie."

Here's a copy of the poem in the author's own hand. It clearly says "Donder."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_Visit_From_St._Nicholas,_by_Clement_C_Moore.jpg

[trotsky]

6. Not so fast!

We dare not refer to any god by its real name! That's why people say "G-d" or YHWH.

So Donner it is!

[Binkie The Clown]

7. Donder is the reindeer, but Donner is the German god of thunder that I just now made up. nt

[Mariana]

11. So Donner is just as real as any other god.

Congratulations, you've founded a brand new religion!

[struggle4progress]

8. You'll see many of the old false gods around, if you just open your eyes and look

But they dress in more modern garb now and often use aliases

Here in the US, for example, "Moloch" sometimes travels under the name "Second Amendment" --- but still demands bloody child sacrifices

[Binkie The Clown]

9. Oh yeah. Moloch. I remember him from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. nt.

[Mariana]

10. What happened?

[Act_of_Reparation]

12. My ancestors stopped worshipping Wotan...

...because the alternative was "get stabbed to death by a bunch of angry Franks".

[AtheistCrusader]

13. I think people just get bored.