What is the difference btwenn wicca, pageanism?

Answer 1

Paganism is an umbrella term, it is any religion outside Christianity, Judaism and Islam, but when people say Paganism they tend to mean Neo-Pagan referring to modern religions that work from ancient Pagan religions – essentially Paganism covers anyone who follows a Pantheist or Polytheist belief system;

Pantheist – One divine prevent in all – e.g. Gaia worship.
Polytheist – Many divine beings – e.g. Asatru.

Wicca is a Pagan religion, they are 'hard polytheists'* meaning that they believe in many gods with very specific identities, Wicca is actually what is known as a henotheistic religion, which recognises its own specific gods, while not denying the existence of gods and goddesses from other pantheons**. Wicca is a priesthood, it is oath-bound and initiate-only as well as based on lineage – meaning that a person requires initiation into a Wicca coven with a direct line back to Gardner (founder) or New Forest Coven, they are then taught the oath-bound material, this insures the integrity of the information being passed on and so the religion itself.

* Hard polytheism – Many divine beings, all with their own identities, as apposed to 'soft polytheism' where followers believe different gods are different personalities of a single divine – e.g. Neo-wicca.

** Pantheons – Groups of gods – e.g. Celtic mythology.

Answer 2

Wicca is a newer Religion, founded in the 70's but based on old pagan practices.

Pagan is the Older Relgion, and has been around since before Christ's time.

Pagan originally was used to refer to those that lived outside of the towns, but came to be associated with witchcraft when Pope Gregory I was in power, and was enforeced by the Malleus Maleficarum.

Answer 3

Wicca is one of the pagan religions. Pagan is just a loose term for religions that believe in many gods.

Answer 4

Wicca is to pagan as, say, Methodist is to Christian. All Wiccans are pagans, as it's an organized religion, but not all pagans are Wiccans (could just be eclectic nature worshippers, Odinists, etc).

Answer 5

Wicca is a form of paganism.
Paganism is collection of many different religions, wicca is one of them, also including but not limited to: druidism, astaru, & shamanism.

Answer 6

All Wiccans are Pagan, not all Pagans are Wiccan
like....
All Baptists are Christian, not all Christians are Baptists

Thats the best way I can explain it

Answer 7

...modern pageanism is called neopaganism, and it aint quite as dodgy as the old fashioned version :)

Answer 8

I think that it has to do with the tradition they are following. Both are nature religions.

Answer 9

I can do better than that, I can math it!
Paganism>Wicca=Christianity>Catholic

Answer 10

All Wiccans are Neopagans, but all Neopagans are Wiccans. Just like all ducks are birds but not all birds are ducks.