Asatru temple opens in Iceland

[shenmue]

Story here

Followers of Asatru, a Norse pagan tradition, have a place in Reykjavik, Iceland to gather and worship. A hof or temple has opened there.

(Follow-up to story of a few weeks ago. Article and photos at link.)

[rug]

1. Thanks for the update!

Nice little summary of Asatru at the link.

[shenmue]

2. You're welcome

I must admit, the vestments in the pictures look rather nice.

[Cartoonist]

3. Aint that just like a Bishop?

The move was met with opposition, with Iceland's Lutheran bishop saying a constitutional ruling on religious freedoms should not apply to polytheistic religions.
-
Really, wtf is his problem? I know the answer, religious privilege.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. Of course the Lutheran Church tried to block it.

"Its principles are non-authoritarian and decentralized, with no sacred text or official founder. Its philosophy promotes tolerance and individual liberty. It costs nothing to join and is open to all irrespective of race, cultural background, gender or sexuality."

People are going to start leaving his church in search of greener pastures.
That hurts revenue.


Between Greek and Norse mythology, I credit Norse the most with inoculating me against later encountering Christian mythology and being confused about whether it's myth or true.

[struggle4progress]

4. Finally, Science Explains Why No One Can Lift Thor’s Hammer

Finally, Science Explains Why No One Can Lift Thor’s Hammer
BY JAMES KAKALIOS 11.12.14 | 6:30 AM
... Astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, has speculated that, if Mjolnir is composed of neutron star matter, the densest material in the universe outside of a black hole, then it would weigh as much as three hundred billion elephants. Water has a density of one gram per cubic centimeter, and lead has a density of eleven grams per cubic centimeter, but they pale compared to neutron star matter, which has a density of one hundred million million grams per cubic centimeter. In this case Mjolnir would weigh roughly twelve thousand trillion pounds ...

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Can't be. There isn't enough Uru ore to make any more weapons, which rules out Neutron Stars.

Plenty of those.

[edhopper]

7. But then

how does Thor lift it, and why does it return to his hand.

And how did the Mountain Trolls forge it in the first place.

Magic is a better explanation.