Can someone please intelligently explain to me what a pagan is?

Question

I think I am familiar with everything but paganism (did I just make that word up LOL). I know what I assume and what I have heard from Christian extremists but I'm really curious. Personally, I'm atheist.

Answer 1

Pagan is not, and i repeat, IS NOT, satanism. satanism is a completely different religion than pagan. anyway, pagan is basically a branch of wicca just as catholicism is a branch of christianity. being pagan, ultimately, means you worship mother earth and all the things she has to offer. i am half wiccan, and half christian. i believe both religions can exist. many christians assume that paganism is a religion that worships satan. as i said before, not true. in fact, many pagan symbols, such as the triquetra, are similar to those used by christians. if youre a teen, when you go to college, take symbology, and you'll learn more about it.

so in other words, all the ******* douches above me are morons. i can gurantee you theyre all christian or islamic or jewish. in other words, theyre all ignorant minded assholes who dont bother to learn what something is before they open their mouth. i am pagan, therefore, i think i would know what it is better than they would.

oh, and p.s. dont use the wikipedia link. wikipedia is random crap posted by any old person who is arrogant enough to think they know everything about something.

Answer 2

The term Pagan usually means those who worship the Goddess or Mother Earth. Wiccan would fall under this category.

You might be asking about Neo Paganism which is more the New Age religion. Most people today don't follow the old Pagan celebrations and rituals. Samhain is all but forgotten :p

The neopagans hold to as much of the old religion as possible. Bring it back from the dead, per say. The main idea of it is the reverance of the femine woman and rejection of traditional gender roles.

Answer 3

Paganism is a broad, somewhat "fuzzy" term. By dictionary usage, it's any non-Abrahamic religion, which is a pretty wide and diverse group. By common usage, it's typically referring to neo-Paganism - modern Pagan religions. Some of these are revivals/recreations of pre-Christian (typically Indo-European) religions; some of these are inspired by the old religions; and some are new, "post-Christian" religions.

There's no single set of defining characteristics, except perhaps a willingness to self-identify as a Pagan religion. Wicca is a Pagan religion (perhaps the most popular/most written about), but not the only one (as there are dozens and dozens of other ones.) Non-monotheism (polytheism, pantheism, etc) is common, but not a requirement. And, while many Pagans would consider their religion to be "earth-based", not all Pagans do - and, in fact, that can be a pretty vehement discussion, once it gets going.

So, in all, it's a somewhat confusing mix of relatively small religions whose greatest defining characteristic (as a group) seems to be that we're not Christians. ::apologetic shrug::

Answer 4

Pagan is an umbrella term that includes many different religions. It usually refers to polytheistic religions wherein the natural world is respected through the worship of various deities. Some people call pagan religions "earth religions".

Answer 5

To me the American Indians before the whiteman arrived.............were true pagans because pagans worship natural forces and mother earth, father sky etc. Christians in their ignorance painted them as savages yet pagans have more respect for the earth than any religions. (except Buddism etc) Most if not all indigenous races are pagans (or their ancestors were)....., although Christian s call them heathens??? Earth, fire, water and air were the pagans gods also the birds, animals, rocks and trees. Pagans tune into nature, thats about all there is too it.

Answer 6

Paganism is a blanket term; not a specific religion. It's generally used in several contexts, but usually to describe polytheists and sometimes animists, or people who believe in many spirits and supernatural powers. In western culture, a "pagan" is often used to describe a Wiccan; Wiccans are pagans (by that definition I used), but not all pagans are Wiccans.

Answer 7

Pagans worship the earth/nature. They have been demonized by the church into making them out to be in league with the devil. Nothing could be further from the truth. A very tollerant, peacefull religion along the lines of budhism.

Answer 8

Paganism, in modern terms, is anyone who does NOT follow one of the Abrahamic religions(Christianity, Judaism, Islam).
My personal Belief system is mostly Wiccan/Buddhist.

(Ya got that from reading my profile didn'tcha?)

Answer 9

One who believes in and worships idols (eg:Something pysical), Check what you find yourself doing most of the time, in your lesure time. What are your motives for living and gain? What ever it may be, computer internet, money, video games, or maybe an obsession with a singer, group or movie star. This is what you are worshiping. If you find you are doing this you could be a Pagan.........A Pagan does not believe in or worship God or His Son Jesus Christ. Now there are some who call themselves Pagans who actually perform Witchcraft and Satanic rituals. So I supose it depends on who you are asking.

Answer 10

'Pagan' has a couple of different meanings. Some people use it to refer to anyone not of one of the big 3 monotheistic religion. Ancient Romans used it to refer to people in the countryside who had nature-based spirituality, like saying 'hicks'.

But as a religious category, pagans are, in general, people who are interested in ancient, nature-based religions (as much as we can know about them today). Pagans tend to be peaceful, value community, family, and harmony, and doing good to others, or least refraining from causing harm.

There are many, many pagan traditions, from Egyptian to Celtic to Nordic to Chinese. Wicca, Asatru, and Druidism are some more specific traditions. They all have different aspects to their philosophies so there are too many to list.