If the neopagan are just environmentalists why don't they call themselves just that?

Question

The ancient pagan mindset was quite different from the modern neopagan one and they are do-it-yourself religions with no connection to the ancient ways.

Answer 1

I care about the environment but it is not my religion nor is it a part of my religion.

My comments only apply to the Celtic culture since that is the only one I am familiar with. Yes, the worldview of the ancient Celts was much different than our current worldview. It would be impossible to go back in time and see things just as they saw things. There are many things in the past that I would like to leave in the past---like slavery, headhunting, animal and human sacrifice, and seeing women as second-class citizens. We study these things to try to understand how the ancient Celts viewed the world, but we do not wish to bring them into our practices.

But there are many things that we incorporate into our way of life. We also study the mythology, archaeology, poetry, laws, history, and the linguistics of the Celts to try to understand their ways and views. We use academic sources for our studies instead of new age sources. Some of our members have advanced college degrees in Celtic studies. My religion is not an "anything goes" religion. It is culture-specific. Since there were different practices among the Celts in different areas, there is plenty of room for different practices among us---but, our practice is still culture-specific to the Celtic peoples. My deities were worshiped in Celtic-speaking areas in the Iron Age. I do not worship deities from the Egyptian, Aztec or Greek cultures (but I respect those who do).

I cannot speak for other neo-pagan faiths. I can only speak for my own because this is the path that I know. My path has a strong connection to the ancient Celtic cultures.
---Celtic Reconstructionist
For more info: http://paganachd.com/faq/index.html

Answer 2

The basis of the word neopagan means new pagan. The smart ones don't claim to practice the ancient religions accurately. As for them just being environmentalists, I don't think so. There is a religion there, and belief in gods, even if it does happen to be a confusing mess of differences.

Answer 3

Environmentalism to NeoPagans is often a spritual thing, but not always.
Most Ancient Pagans weren't environmentalists, the bogs in Ireland are a testament to that. But they didn't have to be then. Their way of life was not threatened by their propensity to chop down trees willy nilly. Nowadays, it's become an issue, so those who worship an Earthmother Goddess- and not all Pagans do- may (or may not) make environmentalism a religious issue.

And of course, not all environmentalists are Pagan.

Answer 4

Kind of an ignorant question but I'll do my best (I assume you would've at least tried to google an answer before posting here if you really cared to learn) I'm going to try to be brief because honestly, it isn't my job to educate you and I don't believe you care too much on learning about Paganism (I've read your other questions) I do hope I'm wrong though and maybe you do keep an open mind.

Paganism is an umbrella term much like Christianity. Please do not group them all into Wiccans or Druids or any other offshoot. I don't randomly call all Christians 'Catholics' or 'Baptists', and I don't appreciate being called Wiccan (I have nothing against Wiccans but I don't practice Wicca at all and it's a common mistake that people make about Pagans)

There is a belief in gods. You can get a whole room full of Pagans together and not get two matching answers on a main deity. Most people do the research and go with a god/goddess they're most comfortable with. It's not the same as the Christian God although some Pagans do believe in Him too.

What on earth makes you think we're enviromentalists? If I see a Christian person wearing a cross should I assume they all love to wear jewelry all the time? Most Pagans take care of the earth because it's our home. We don't believe some God gave it to us to trash and use up, we believe in tending to it so that it gives back to us. Do you like walking down the street seeing trash all over the ground? No? Does it make you an enviromentalist just because you pick up that trash? More importantly, what does it say about you if you don't pick it up? We all have to coexist on this planet, some of us just like it to be cleaner and well tended to.

Most Pagans believe in the energy of the earth. There is an energy in every living thing. I really don't feel like giving some lecture on this but I'll tell you that if you care to learn, the info is out there.

Yeah, I have no urge to convert anyone ever and I never will. I'd never wish for someone else to fall away from a faith they were comfortable with. I just want people to educate themselves before they post questions/answers revealing an incredible ignorance about someone elses religion.

I'll even link to Google directory>Paganism for people who want to learn. Educating oneself is never a bad thing :-)

http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Pagan/

Answer 5

You are correct. I suppose that's where the "Neo" part came in.

But I wouldn't say that Neo-Pagans are "just" environmentalists. There is far more to it than that. But I do agree that some people seem to have developed the notion that the two are inseparable. I'm just not sure how that came to be!

I am a Pagan. I am an environmentalist. While one may influence the other, neither is causative.

Answer 6

;A neopagan is some one who practices Neo-Paganim its a religion its witch craft Any of various religious movements arising chiefly in the United Kingdom and the United States in the late 20th century that combine worship of pagan nature deities, particularly of the earth, with benign witchcraft

Answer 7

C'mon. You know the answer. Foofies are foofies. Pagans are kids (or people who were kids) who read a bunch of Scott Cunningham books and decided the Goddess was cooler than what they knew. They then grew out of that and became adults with complex ideologies with no grounding--they came to believe in recycling, gays, the homeless, computer engineering, having kids, going organic, cooking new Thai recipes for dinner parties, blah blah blah. They're not religious folks. The original shamans were vastly different and most likely didn't believe in most of the hooey that the "wiccans" believe in today. It's just solace they want...solace and a comfortable belonging, something to share between their soul and the mystery of the understanding they seek. It's cheese, but hell, they're good people for the most part. Even though they eat lotsa cheese....

Answer 8

Because 'neopagan' sounds trendier than 'environmentalist'.

Answer 9

It is all about the polytheism isn't it.

I'll stick with montheism any day in the Lord Jesus Christ who is Jehovah God from eternity.

Answer 10

With their schizophrenic belief systems. If you can't snap out of it just get some medication. We'll all be better for it.