To be or not to be Pagan!?

Question

Do you think Pagans are good or evil? Honest answers!

Answer 1

As a Pagan myself, I try to be a good person. First, I try to take responsibility for my actions and am opposed to actions that harm others. I follow ethical statements such as "an it harm none do as thou wilt" (which means as long as it doesn't harm others, do what I was put on earth to do).

I believe that the Gods want us only to honor them in ethical ways that don't harm others, such as wine libations, and I only honor the Gods in peaceful ways. I'm firmly opposed to any form of worship that harms others. It saddens me that ancient people sometimes committed human sacrifice and, of course, I see that as murder and as one of the most unethical things someone can do. However, I also note that the Christian Church tortured many to death during the Witch Craze and the Inquisition, so all religions seem to have people in them who do terrible things.

I believe that all life is sacred. I also believe that all of the Gods are One Light and that it's altogether possible that both polytheists AND monotheists are equally right if the monotheistic God is that One Light and the polytheistic Deities are all aspects of the same One Light.

However, I see evil as being of human origin. Satan is a product of Christian mythology and Satanism was invented by the Church to rationalize them torturing people to death. They needed some crime to accuse them of, so they made up stories about Satanic black masses. I don't believe in any supernatural being that embodies evil and I believe that all the Gods are good.

That being said, I also believe that each of the Gods has something different to teach. For example, I see Apollon as the God of reason, planning things out and the like, while I see Dionysos as the God of the minor madness. If we only adhere to reason and try to plan everything out perfectly, something's bound to go wrong and we'll drive ourselves mad by trying to be too orderly. On the other hand, if we never use reason or order and never plan anything out, it's difficult to accomplish much in our lives. I believe we need a balance between Apollonic and Dionysian forces in our lives. That's just one example, there are many others.

Also, I'll note that I believe in a direct relationship with the Divine, rather than following a book. I believe that each one of us can commune with the Divine and that what each of us receives is for that person. None of us has the right to tell another what Divine Truth is. It is up to each one of us to get that from the Divine Itself. Also, there is a difference between gnosis and knowledge. Gnosis is what we experience. Knowledge entails such things as scientific and mathematical facts. I don't know what my experiences mean in terms of knowledge, but I DO know that my experiences of the Divine (whatever that means) has made me a better person.

So, in short, I consider myself a good person and most of the Pagans that I know are good people too. I also meet plenty of nasty Christians, but also some good ones. So, perhaps Jesus said it best, to judge people by their fruits. Look at each individual and see how they act rather than thinking that anybody of religion X is automatically good or that someone from religion Y is automatically bad.

Answer 2

Pagans aren't evil. Granted, we've had a few bad seeds, but that can be said of every religion in history. Pagans as a whole tend to live a life without harming others. Many (though by no means all) ascribe to the Wiccan Rede, which states, "An' it harm none, do what ye will." So in a nutshell, no, the vast majority of Pagans are not evil.

Answer 3

Personally I don't like the term Pagan. Pagan nowadays just means someone who isn't of a faith of Abraham. I prefer not to label myself by saying "I am not ......" but by saying "I am ...."

I am a follower of Wicca and my actions judge me for whom I am. I am a faithful husband and a devoted father. I take my daughters to Girl Scouts, Martial Arts class, and Gymnastics. I cook the majority of dinners for us (without using body parts or sacrificing anyone). I help around the house with chores instead of sitting around watching TV. I served my country in the armed forces to help protect our great land and the rights of my countrymen and women. And I try my best to live by the Wiccan Rede: "An in it harm none, Do as you will".

When all is said and done I do not feel I am evil and neither do the people who know me, both those that know my faith and those that don't for I do not flaunt or push my faith on others.

Blessed Be )O(

Answer 4

I am Christian but I think there are good and bad Pagans just like there are good and bad Christians because there are good and bad people so I don't think you can group all Pagans and say their either good or bad :)

Hope this helps :)

Answer 5

Pagans in general are peaceful and caring. Most Pagan religions are earth-centered. Most Pagans do not believe in the devil.

Answer 6

i think being a pagan is just passing the buckle and evading responsibility i mean they are no evil but unfortunately they have chosen the easiest (not the best) way of thinking about the univers

Answer 7

Well, I'm Wiccan and I'm one of the best people I know - and the majority of people I know are loving, caring, intelligent, open-minded, outstanding human beings. The other pagans I know - Wiccan or otherwise - are lovely, peaceful people, for the most part.

Answer 8

I think Paganism is one of the more normal religions.

Answer 9

Pagans are just like any other religion. Most are nice, normal people.

Answer 10

Ummm... We're not generally evil. I mean, evil is so subjective. I've been told I'm evil because I haven't accepted Jesus into my heart, so I'll surely burn for eternity. I've been told I'm wicked because I'm not ashamed of my body or sexuality. So to those people, I'm very evil, because I don't conform to their norms and see no reason to try.