[Jenn]

What exactly does it mean to be a pagan?

User Detail :  

Name : Jenn, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 24, City : Toledo, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Al]

A pagan would be a person who does not accept belief in a God or Supreme Being of any sort. A pagan worships by superstition and places credence in statues, idols and belief in other inanimate objects (rocks, plants, etc.). The belief that these things have a special power to influence one's life, health and general day-to-day existence is paganism. Surprising how this includes many modern day (so-called) non-believers: They simply don't believe in a deity that is popular to the masses.

User Detail :  

Name : Al, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 49, City : Ottawa (Ontario), State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : audio engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[K.]

Every Pagan has her/his own sets of beliefs and ways of worship. There do seem to be some common threads that unite most Pagans:

1. We are very non-authoritarian. Spirituality is a very personal thing. Everyone relates to God/Goddess/Deity in their own way. No one person can tell another what to believe.

2. We believe in the equal sacredness of men and women. Some Pagans try to balance male/female symbols and energies in their worship, while others focus strictly on the Goddess. Also, we do not believe in a "chosen people." We see all cultures, races and life-affirming religions as having wisdom and value.

3. We believe in the sacredness of the Earth and all living things. We seek to live in harmony and balance with Nature. Our religious holidays center on the seasons, moon cycles, etc. Pagans take the rapidly deteriorating state of our environment very seriously, and many work for environmental couses.

4. Pagans differ on how they view the Gods. Some see the Gods as living, conscious entities, others see them as psychological archetypes such as those Jung talked of. Some see them as "thought-forms" that contain the energies of the generations of peoples who have worshiped them.

5. Pagans do not believe in the Christian Devil or Satan. We do not believe there is an enity "making" people do evil things.

6. Pagans adhere to the sacred law, "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." This means that we must be aware of and responsible for our actions and the effects they have on others. We do not knowingly or willingly harm another physically, emotionally or spiritually. Some Pagans extend this law to animals and the environment as well. On the other hand, many Pagans see "victimless crimes" such as homosexuality as OK, since it is an action performed with the consent of those involved.

7. Many Pagans believe in what non-Pagans would call the "supernatural" or "paranormal," such as divination, psychic ability, multiple planes of existance, etc. Magick is to Pagans as Prayer and miracles are to Christians.

User Detail :  

Name : K., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 21, City : College Station, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[M-Kemper22533]

I will have to disagree with your definition. Pagans generally do believe in a 'Supreme Being'. What they do not believe in is the Christian definitions of 'God', of the 'Devil', or of how humans relate to the Supreme Being. Christian beliefs generally define God in terms that are inherently male, judgemental, paternalistic, etc. The Devil is seen as an evil entity with the power to pull humans from God's grace. If a human fails to fit into a narrow definition of righteous behavior, Christian beliefs would have him/her consigned to eternal damnation. Pagans on the other hand take a more 'liberal' approach to these areas. The Supreme Being can be refered to in female, male or non-distinctive language. The Supreme Being is seen in all aspects of life and nature, not in the narrow definitions handed down by the Christian hierachy. Some pagans use statues, but so do some Christian denominations. Some pagans use talismen, but many Christians look to the cross or other religious symbols for help in their faith. Some pagans use elaborate rituals, but the Christian worship services usually involve similar practices. Most pagans don't accept the existence of the 'Devil' as an entity that can pull humans from the Supreme Being's love. If someone does not accept a belief in a Supreme Being, this makes them an atheist, not a Pagan.

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Name : M-Kemper22533, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 30, City : Tampa, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Larry-Hill22944]

The classic definition of Pagan is an idol based polytheisim. The Pagans refered to in the Hebrew Scriptures (what Christians call the Old Testament) were various Canaanite and Near Eastern tribes who prayed to stone idols representing their gods. Some of the practices of these pagan sects included human sacrafice for atonement, and the use of temple prostitutes (male and female) for fertility rites. As Ethical Monotheisim arose, thes practices faded out over a 2000 year period, dying with Rome's colapse. NOBODY practices this kind of Paganisim today (I hope), but the stigma still remains. Add to this the propaganda of the Catholic Church in the middle ages, and you see where the confusion between Paganisim and Satanic cults comes from. P.S. Christian Satan and Jewish Satan are very different. The Jewish Satan is mentioned in the book of Job, and the Hebrew word Satan, pronounced Sah-Tahn means the adversary. His role in the book of Job was prosecuting attorney to God's defense of Job.

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Name : Larry-Hill22944, Gender : M, Religion : Jewish, City : Huntington Beach, State : CA Country : United States, 

[Karen]

I think that Al should read the thoughs by Jenn of Toledo, OH (Basic Pagan Beliefs). She wrote a well thought out piece on Paganism. Try to keep an open mind, you just might learn something :)

User Detail :  

Name : Karen, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 24, City : Fitchburg, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Manager, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[WitchWomon]

I partially both agree and disagree with both Al and K. I believe that what Al is trying to describe as not necessarily having a belief in a God or Supreme Being, but rather that all things have spirits (plants, rocks, rivers, etc.) is what is commonly referred to as animism. It is the native belief system of many indigenous peoples. I would not use the word superstition to describe it. For most people, 'religion' tends to be what I believe; 'superstition' is what you believe.

The type of paganism described by K is what is commonly referred to in the U.S. and Europe as neo-paganism. This would include Wicca, Druidism, Asatru, and similar earth-centered religions. K's description would be what most Americans mean when they say pagan.

However, in the broadest scope, dictionaries often define a pagan as someone of any religion that is not Christian, Jewish or Muslim, does not have as its roots the biblical God of Abraham. This would include Shinto, Hinduism, Buddhismt, Jain, Taoist, Confucian, Santeria, Yoruba, Voodoo, Shamanism, Zoroastrianism, most African, South American, and Australian native religions. Whether those people following those religions consider themselves pagan is another matter. I always considered the dictionary definition rather elitist -- kind of 'us' vs. 'them' in it's tone.

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Name : WitchWomon, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, City : Southfield, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Christy32113]

again- more of an affirmation than a response. thank you for explaining Paganism so eloquently. This is very much needed- the more people i talk to, even at college, the more people i find completely misunderstand my faith. thanks again

User Detail :  

Name : Christy32113, Gender : F, Religion : Pagan, Age : 18, City : St. Paul, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : college student, 

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