I'm writing a paper on paganism...I've done much reading and would like to ask these questions,?

Question

1.What are the important holidays and traditions of this religion?
2.How has religion shaped your life?
3.What are the challenges, if any, to practicing this particular religion?

1. Can you tell me three things I might not expect from your religion?
2. How many forms or groups make up paganism?
3.How has this religion changed over the last 100 years?
4.How do you join or become a member of this religion, are there requirements?
5.What other religion is closest to paganism that can be compared?
6.If none then could you please explain more in depth?
7.If you were given a canvas and paint how would you paint to give a visual to the concept of your religion and please explain the colors or mixtures you would use?
8.What are some stereotypes about paganism?
9.Are there back lashes from other religious groups for your beliefs?
10.If you had to 5 words to described your religion which would they be, and why?

Answer 1

Try it...then write a book...

Answer 2

Well here it goes:
1.What are the important holidays and traditions of this religion?

I practice Strega (Italian Wicca) by the way.

Winter Solstice / Yule
Lupercus / Imbolg
Spring Equinox / Ostara
Tana’s Day / Beltane
Summer Solstice / Litha
Cornucopia / Lughnasadh
Autumn Equinox / Mabon
Shadow Fest/ Samhain

2.How has religion shaped your life?
In so many ways it would be difficult to list.

3.What are the challenges, if any, to practicing this particular religion?
This is not a widely accepted religion and there is prejudices against it.

4.Can you tell me three things I might not expect from your religion?
Freedom of thought and expression
No patriarchal dominance
No hell

5.How many forms or groups make up paganism?
You need to look this one up.

6.How has this religion changed over the last 100 years?
To complicated to make one blurb.

7.How do you join or become a member of this religion, are there requirements?
I’m solitary.
8.What other religion is closest to paganism that can be compared?
Your question doesn’t make sense. Which form of paganism are you referring too?

9.If none then could you please explain more in depth?
Need more info.
10.If you were given a canvas and paint how would you paint to give a visual to the concept of your religion and please explain the colors or mixtures you would use?
I would paint the earth in her beauty. Probably many greens, blues and brown.
11.What are some stereotypes about paganism?
That we are all the same.
12.Are there back lashes from other religious groups for your beliefs?
What do you think?
13.If you had to 5 words to described your religion which would they be, and why?
Harmony, Balance, Rhythm, Collective, Divine

Answer 3

Someone else ahs already answered the first question in detail so I'll skip this one.

2. I started off being Christian actually and that didn't really answer my deepest questions. Being Pagan felt right to me. I am very much drawn to nature and care very much for the earth. Being Pagan aslo helped me to tap into my own personal power. I have much more confidance and belei8ve that I have more abilty to change my life for the better if I wish and will it to be so.

3. The biggest challenge is some times having to keep my religion a secret from others who still hold negative perseptions about Pagans. I am proud of my faith and would like very much to be open about it but doing so might mean being hated by some just because of my faith.

1. Pagans do not worship the devil, the devil is not even part of our belief system. Not all Pagans believe in practicing magic or casting spells. Pagans are actually very practicle and down to earth people in the literal and figurative sense.

2. THere are hundreds of Pagan religions out there. Most are similar but have very different rules and requirements.

3. I'm skipping this one I havn't around that long. lol

4. Different traditons or religions have differnt requirements or rules about joining. Some arevery open others are very strict. Wicca is pretty open you can even start on your own and become a Solitary. Although there some Wiccans who would argue about that.

5. I think all religions are similar at the very core. Specifically it's very hard to compare.

I'm skipping to 8. and that would be a yes see answer 3 in the first section.

That's all I can answer for now. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

1. There are many sabbats and esbats.. look them up.
2. It's given me freedom from fear and made me own up to my own actions - which can be exhilarating and a bit intimidating at the same time.
3. Taking responsibility for your own actions - not a religion for those who like to blame their problems on someone else.

1. We don't worship Satan.
We aren't all pacifist tree-huggers.
We live among you, we are your neighbors and co-workers.
2. Too many to name.
3. Wicca became the most recognizable Pagan religion in the last 60 years or so, drawing Paganism into the public eye in a big way.
4. Depends on which Pagan religion you want to practice. Some have strict rules, others are very loose and individualistic.
5. Paganism shares many aspects with many other religions.
6. No. Look it up.
7. To me, Paganism encompasses all the colors in nature, so I would paint a scene of various landscapes -natural, not altered by man - in all seasons and in all kinds of weather.
8. That we worship Satan, sacrifice babies, or that we are all new age spirit-channeling fruitcakes.
9. Uh, yeah.
10. Natural, logical, peaceful, uplifting, freeing

Answer 5

Solstices and equinoxes.
Religion screwed up my head when I was young.
Pagan beliefs are frowned upon by the ignorant and bias lies that organized religion have placed on it.
1)Door to door Pagan recruiting/converting.
Pagans trying to control our government and laws.
Pagans declaring WAR on any belief sysytem.

2)Hundreds, if not thousands. Pagan- anyone who is not Christian, Muslim or Jewish. Basically, if you don't follow the old book from the desert....your a Pagan!

3)The definition has been added to in an attempt to change it.
The religious "right" have stoppped burning us! Sects as Wicca have sprang up in an attempt to rebuild that which was distroyed in the Burning Times.

4)Read, study, practice and your guide will appear.

5)Shamanism or Pantheism.

6)Paganism is a blanket term that includes these and many, many more belief systems.

7)A peaceful and embracing glow of all the colors in nature.

8) Satan worshipping, no morals, sex addicts.

9) Yes, fundies of all kind hate us. The peaceful, non-confrontational attitude of a Pagan is what they know they should be acting like. But they insist on shoving their beliefs on other and are not embraced by the mild manner folks the way we are.

10) Dirt worshipping tree huggers...peace! ; )

Answer 6

Paganism is not a religion. It encompasses many different religions.
8. Many people believe that all pagan religions are evil and require some type of blood sacrifice. They also believe that all pagan people are satanic.
Sorry I can't answer all the questions. It is very interesting, though.

Answer 7

Email any one of us who answer these types of questions and we can probably give you a lot of information or point you in the right direction. We do not worship the Christian Satan, nor do we cast spells to hurt people. We know (or should know) both the dark and light side of our religion(s) so we won't make a mistake and harm anyone, plus this gives us balance. I feel whole with this belief! (sorry can't give five words and stay grammatically correct!)

Answer 8

Paganism covers many religions which are quite different. Which are you trying to write about?

Answer 9

Maybe if you allowed email it would be easier to collect information on each person's religious beliefs since "paganism" covers a wide range of beliefs. Or, email me through my profile with your questions.

Answer 10

1.This is not really a cut & dry question. The Wiccan holidays are different from Asatru or Driudism, but in GENERAL there are 8 Holy Days(Sabbats) and collectively they are called the wheel of the year. They are celebrate based on solar cycles(at the equinoxes and solstices and @ the midway points between.) Some common names for these are:
Yule (Winter Solstice) Around 21st December
Imbolc 1st February
Ostara (Vernal Equinox) Around 21st March
Beltane 1st May
Litha (Summer Solstice) Around 21st June
Lughnassadh 1st August
Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) Around 21st September
Samhain 1st November
But these may vary from region to region and from one tradition to another.
2) Religion has shaped my life in many deifferent ways. Neo-paganism has taught me to be more in touch with the natural energies in my surroundings, thus giving me a newfound respect for the Earth and all things in it. It has also brought me into contact with a lot of new friends that I wouldn't have met were it not for networking with other pagans.
3) There are challenges based on peoples pre-determined biases. Most automatically assume I am against their God because I choose not to worship him.
1) You may not expect that there are a lot of conservative neo-pagans. You also may not expect that there are pagans who are in every aspect of society(doctors, nurses, teachers, etc.) who aren't in any way different in secular life than the rest of society. Pagans DO believe in a god(or gods). We just don't believe in only one God. We also believe in a Goddess(or godesses.)
2) There are just as many denomination of pagans as there are Christians. Being that one of most pagans tenets is that we are free to worship how we choose, this allows for a lot of variation from one group to the next, and even variation within a group.
3) This religion has really just been started to revive to its former glory in the last 100 years. Most of the modern era of pagans, started out as Wicca and has evolved into countless different forms.
4) The only requirement is to come in with an open mind. You may see and feel things that are outside of your normal realm of being. But just bear in mind that it is all(if the people are just of heart) intended for the betterment of all mankind.
5) Native American Shamanism is very closely related to paganism.
7) I would paint a multitude of roads of varying colors, all leading to the center where a god & goddess stand hand in hand looking down on the Earth and smiling.
8) We are NOT devil worshippers. Many of us don't even believe in Satan.
9) Yes, mostly from fundamentalist Christians who would rather attack us than do some honest research into what our beliefs are and what their Bible tells them is the proper way of dealing with those of differing belief systems.
10) Life loving, happy, magical people

Answer 11

things christians stole from the pagans :
christmas, halloween, easter, cupid, the cross, names of days of the week, birthday cake, satan from the deity pan, hell from the norse goddess of the underworld