paganism??

Question

i haven't the slightest idea what it is......

and i since i dont know anything about it i cant really be specifc.....sry
just tell me what you think of it

Answer 1

I once wrote an essay on the topic. I'll paste it here, I hope you don't mind VERY long answers! ;)

"What is a pagan?"

There are a couple of ways how to answer this question. Firstly, let me point out that there is no "pagan religion" as such, therefore it should not be capitalised.
Paganism is the oldest belief known to humanity. It's origins reach back to the stone-age animism, when people tried to explain natural phenomena, explore the unknown, and honour the nature around them. Therefore, paganism originally has no founder, no earthly leaders, no prophets, no messiahs, and no saints.

Linguistically, the word pagan derives from the Latin word "paganus", which means "a villager", or a "country dweller". Romans in the big cities, who had already accepted Christianity, used this derogatory term to described simple farmer folk who lived in the countryside and still practised the old polytheistic religion. Back then, anybody not Christian was considered a barbarian, a lesser being.
Historically, the different synonyms for a "pagan" were almost always used in the derogatory way, meaning an infidel, heretic or an unbeliever. Look for example at the term "heathen". Heathen is yet another word like pagan. Heathen means "people of the heath (hearth)", and nowadays it is used to signify pagans that follow one of the norse/germanic pagan paths.
The Latin word "Pagus" means a village, and while the majority of Pagans today live in towns, this term nowadays accurately describes the Pagan heritage, and the affinity which modern Pagans feel with the natural environment.

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So what does a term "pagan" mean nowadays, for example here on Yahoo!Answers?
The word "pagan" is an umbrella term which nowadays came to mean all pre-Christian non-Abrahamic polytheistic beliefs and also many of the new polytheistic beliefs, reconstructionisms and neo-pagan beliefs.

Reconstructionisms are original polytheistic religions of old that either survived or we are trying to restore them in the form as they were practised before Christianity came. Recons don't just study the gods, but also the culture of the people who practised the old religion, and often try to re-enact both.
Such beliefs include: Heathen reconstructionism (Asatru, Odinism, Theodism, Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, Irminsweg - Germanic Heathenry), Hellenic Reconstructionism (Greek gods), Kemetic polytheism (Egyptian Gods), Celtic, Roman, Indian, African, Native American and many more. Some of those are nearly lost and only fragments are left (like Celtic), others have actually survived almost intact to the present days (like Native American with the tribes, or Asatru in some remote regions of Scandinavia.)
Neo-pagan beliefs include all practices and forms of theistic (usually poly-theistic) forms of Earth-centred religion, for example Wicca, different forms of witchcraft and eclectic paganism. Eclectic paganism is the most free, no-rules type of pagan belief, it's basically a pick-and-mix do-it-yourself religion. Eclectics often work with gods from different pantheons, sometimes even at the same time, and adopt practices from different traditions. This is often frowned upon by those who follow a specific path.

There are also HUGE differences in the way of worship. Specific-path pagans worship only one pantheon of Gods. Hard polytheists believe that every God and Goddess is a separate entity with a distinct personality, while certain Wiccans worship one mother Goddess and one God as the archetype of all female and all male gods.
There is no holy book or scripture that requires pagans to follow any prescribed manner of worship - every path has its own rules, its own texts, books and sources. Some pagans worship in a formal manner, with strictly prescribed rituals, others have a more instinctive and unconscious mode of acknowledging and communicating with the divine. Some Pagans prefer to make their worship a private affair; others gather in groups and make their worship a communion with each other, as well as with the Gods.
On the subject of magic: not all pagan paths practice magic. It seems to be quite an integral part in modern pagan paths like Wicca, but not in all pagan beliefs. Especially reconstructionists don't always practice magic. Some, of course, do, but it's not essential for the practice of their path.

Various pagan beliefs are so different that you'll have to research them as individuals. There is hardly anything at all, that all of them would have in common - apart from not being Christian, Jewish or Islamic. By this definition, even Buddhism could be counted among pagan beliefs.
Nowadays there are even a couple of people around who claim to be atheist pagans - not believing in any gods, but feeling close to nature, respecting an honour code similar to those of the pagan beliefs, being spiritual without being theist.
When someone identifies as "pagan" to you, you shouldn't presume anything without asking first: "Which tradition?"

Answer 2

This is actually much too broad a subject for a single answer, but I can give you a nutshell

Well, first of all, Pagans ARE members of a group of religions that are generally polytheistic in worldview with an emphasis on tolerance and respect for the world around us.

There are actually many Pagan religions, some are focussed on a single pantheon (such as Asatru/Heathenry or Hellenismos) while others are more eclectic in which pantheons they follow -- and may even mix Gods from multiple pantheons in their practice (such as many Wiccans)

Most Pagan religions have a very strong ethical and moral tradition and some actually have what could be considered to be "sacred texts", such as the Eddas or the works of Homer and Hesiod.

This is different from the Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam who are monotheistic in outlook and often have lower degrees of tolerance for other religions.

Answer 3

the only one i've got easily study so a strategies is Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler. Its somewhat old yet an stunning source of information. listed right here are some from my desire checklist, which i've got extra often than not gotten suggestions from a pagan communicate board I wide-unfold: A historic previous of Witchcraft, 2d version by Jeffrey B. Russell, Brooks Alexander usual Magic: crafty-human beings in English historic previous by Owen Davies while God became a woman by Merlin Stone women human beings's Mysteries: historic & modern-day by M. Esther Harding The White Goddess: A historic Grammar of Poetic delusion by Robert Graves * The Triumph of the Moon: A historic previous of modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton stable good fortune with the gallbladder. * no longer inevitably historic, yet stable to study.

Answer 4

Paganism is the name given to the root belief system of all nature-based religions. It is also commonly known as Wicca or witchcraft. Witchcraft is an ancient word which means "Way of the Wise" or "Craft of the Wise". It is also often referred to, by many, simply as "The Craft".

Paganism, contrary to popular disinformation from the Christian sector, has nothing to do with devil worship.

Pagans do not believe in the Christian Devil or the Christian God.

Pagans believe in many Gods and Goddesses from many cultures. The vast majority of Pagans tend to follow the Celtic, Germanic, Egyptian and Greek/Roman Gods and Goddesses.
Some follow the beliefs of ancient Native American culture, including, but not limited to the Aztec, Mayan and Incan Gods and Goddesses.
Some Pagans follow all of the gods and goddesses from all ancient cultures.

Pagans, like in all other religions, have different paths. We have Alexandrians, Gardenerians, Helenic, Ancestral, Celtic, Scottish Wicca, Native American, Egyptian, Solitary Practitioners, Eclectic........the list goes on and on.

Pagans practice majic in all of it's wonderous ways. Most of us work toward healing and balance in some form or another for our fellow humans and for the Earth.

Unlike some sects of organized religions, we accept all religious paths as valid.
Unlike some organized religions, we do not recruit people to join us. Instead, we accept only those who actively seek us out.

Paganism is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States (possibly the world), with so many members that even the military has begun to seek out Pagan chaplains to satisfy the spiritual needs of its growing members who are Pagan.

There is a lot more information on Paganism that is out there; too much for this forum.

Seek out metaphysical bookstores and ask about books that will explain Paganism in depth to you. That will have more information, but what we have told you here should help.

May the Gods guide you to the path that is right for you.

Answer 5

That's like asking about Christianity. You'll have to be a bit more specific. Ask me about Asatru and I can help you, Wicca I know NOTHING about it. Depends on what part of paganism you want to know about.

I think it's a perfectly valid and logical path as our ancestors practiced it for about 25,000 years. They must have been doing something right.

edit: To clear something up, not all of us practice magic. Most of us in Recon paths don't. Not in the same sense that other paths do. I have seen more "magic" in a Catholic mass then I have a blot.

Answer 6

Today's Paganism and Neopaganism can vary from Wicca, which worships 2 deities, God and Goddess in equal measure, much like Yin and Yang, to Hard Polytheists who reconstruct a specific pagan pre-Christian religion in honor of their ancestors. There are also those who call themselves pagan, like myself, who believe in Jungian Archetypes, and Gods as parts of your psyche.

Answer 7

"Pagan" has a couple of meanings. In one sense, it means any religion not of the three big monothesitic religions. Not all pagan religions are polythesitic or animistic; Taoism and Buddhism, for example, are essentially atheistic.

In ancient Rome it meant 'country dwellers' like hicks.

Often today it refers to various types of nature-based religions, or often Norse or Egyptian traditions.

Answer 8

Paganism is a word used to describe a group of beliefs which predate Christianity. It is also used as a pejorative referring to anyone who does not share the religious beliefs of the writer.

Answer 9

a person who refers to himself as pagan usually means that he follows one or more traditions of pre-christian european religions. egyptian and hindu mythology are also prominent, as are native american, african tribal, and east asian beliefs. pagans tend to be very much earth-based.

in its broadest sense, it does mean any non-abrahamic faith, but the pagan community, at least in america, has scarce few eastern practitioners. still, eastern beliefs play a significant role in wicca and ecclectic pagan faith.

witchvox.com is a good website to look at if you want to learn more, and there are a lot of yahoo groups for pagans.

Answer 10

Any religion outside the Abrahamic faiths such as Wicca, Hindu, Buddhism, Shinto, Native American.