2006-09-26 09:07:05 · 23 answers · asked by Gail 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I once had a teacher who said "There are no stupid questions..."
If people don't ask questions, how else will they learn? ;)
2006-09-26 09:11:45 · answer #1 · answered by Kevin 3 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Christians usually call "pagan" those religions they replaced, such as the Roman, Greek and Celtic pantheon of gods, like Odin, Zeus, Jupiter, Cernunnos. Pagans may believe in various gods, nature sprits, etc.
Atheists do not believe in the supernatural at all. Most would say they do not believe in what cannot be confirmed using scientific method. This is not worshipping science as one person above posted. This is simply not being gullible enough to believe every unproven assertion and claim. I usually say that people apply more critical thinking to selecting their toilet paper than they do to the religious propositions they uncritically and unquestioningly accept on someone else's mere say so.
2006-09-26 16:12:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
the word Pagan comes from the word Pagani or "of the heath" referring to their place of worship in the local rural communities, which more directly inspired the word heathen which later on dropped it's religious meanings to mean one opposing Christian doctrine. A Pagan is a practitioner that beleives in a number of gods and goddesses, typically referred to a pantheon or in two deities informally the Goddess and the Horned God. Today it maintains ties to celtic druidry, Wicca/witchcraft and ancient polytheist religions such as Egypt Greece and Rome that predate Christianity.
Atheism is not a religious belief but rather a philisophical and social stnadpoint of not beleiving in God or a divine/spiritual energy that cannot be explained by science.
2006-09-26 16:12:47 · answer #3 · answered by jleslie4585 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You've already gotten good definitions of paganism...
But nothing but incorrect definitions of atheism.
Atheists are NOT people who don't believe in god -- an atheist DENIES the existence of any god.
While I don't think there is a god (as there's no evidence of any kind that there is one), I cannot PROVE that there's no god, and neither can anybody else. That makes pure atheism as wrong as christians, muslims, etc. that claim there IS a god.
The only intellectually defensible position is agnosticism -- someone who states that they don't know if god exists or not, but whether he does or not makes no difference whatsoever in human existence.
2006-09-26 16:17:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
An atheist does not believe in a higher power. A pagan believes in a higher power like goddess worship or more natural, shaminstic beliefs.
http://www.pagans.org/
http://www.atheistalliance.org/
2006-09-26 16:09:43 · answer #5 · answered by LunaLou 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
There's a big difference. Pagans--and there are many different types of them--tend to be polytheistic, with a pantheon of different gods and goddesses. Atheists do not believe in a supreme being (or gods and goddesses) of any sort. So the difference boils down to belief versus non-belief.
2006-09-26 16:09:33 · answer #6 · answered by solarius 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Atheists flat-out deny the existence of God(s).
"Pagan" is essentially an umbrella term for all religions that are non-Abrahamic...they usually do not worship the Hebrew war god, Yahweh.
2006-09-26 16:15:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pagans are a diverse religious group. Most of us respect more than 1 God and/or Goddess...a far cry from an Atheist who doesn't believe in any kind of God/diety.
For example, I describe my Path as Shamanic Wicca...I give reverence to the Elements: Water, Air, Earth, Fire and Spirit as well as God and Goddess....several of each. I honor the Earth as my Mother and feel we are all a part of Her. I celebrate the seasons and make great attempts to live in peace, love and harmony...much more...but that's a capsule. ...this is a far cry from an aethiest.
2006-09-26 16:12:33 · answer #8 · answered by Greanwitch 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Paganism is properly understood as a Gentile belief system or religion with god exists precepts...whereas the Atheist, speculates his rejection of the existance of gods or GOD based on personal preferance, rejecting all evidence to the contrary, having nothing to guide the matter of spiritual matters other than ones own mind.
2006-09-26 16:14:24 · answer #9 · answered by Laughingwalt 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Pagans have their own gods and worship them in their own way.
Atheist do not believe in any gods.
Christianity has adopted many pagan rituals and beliefs,
http://webbpage.bravehost.com/beliefsandtruth.html
2006-09-26 16:20:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Athiests don't believe in any god.
Pagans don't believe in the Christian God.
(Jews and Muslims are generally not considered Pagan by most Christians because both believe in the Christian God, but with major variations. These variations lead other Christians to regard Jews and Muslims as Pagan.)
2006-09-26 16:08:34 · answer #11 · answered by Ignoramus 3 · 8⤊ 1⤋