Pagans

Paganism is an umbrella term, covering a very large variety of different religions and spiritualities. what they have in common that puts them under this banner, is that they honour the creative forces inherent in nature and/or the spirits of the ancestors. some see these forces as Deity. some don't.

In latin the word originally meant 'country dweller'. Today it basically means people who worship more than one God or Goddess..most of which view nature as am embodiment of those deities. But like the first poster said, it IS an umbrella term. There's many different beliefs inside it, because we pagans are very diverse lol. Instead of having different denominations we have simply the word 'pagan', clarifying exactly what each of us as an individual believes in. In the Bible though, pagan and heathen basically meant anyone who wasn't christian -- I believe, anyway.

I am a devout Pagan and in my religion, we worship, not only one God, but many. Precisly the Sun and the Moon, the God and the Goddess. We embrace nature and all aspects of nature. I personally am a solitary practioner because I don't belong to any covens. I follow my religion through my heart, not by the way others do. I believe everything has magick and that our souls do not die, but go on into another life, reincarnation. You will hear many different views on paganism because there are many off branches of Paganism, for example, Wicca, Vodou, and many others.

If I understand right, the Bible meaning of "pagan" is essentially anyone who is not Christian. Please correct me if I'm wrong. The modern meaning of "Pagan" is: a member of an earth-centered religion or spiritual path. Many of these religions are polytheistic and come from older beliefs, such as those of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Norse and Celtic peoples. For example, I am a Pagan. My specific belief system is that of the pre-Christian Celts. I tend to refer to myself as a "Celtic Reconstructionist" when I want to be more specific about my beliefs, or when I am talking to other Pagans. My personal belief involve a belief in multiple deities, respect for nature, an emphasis on personal responsibility and honor, and the belief in an Otherworld, which is both the human afterlife, and a home to things that are not human (such as Gods and other supernatural beings). Some "Pagans" don't belong to one of these smaller religious groups that I've mentioned, but are instead "eclectic", choosing whatever elements work for them out of different belief systems. There are also modern Pagan religions (such as Wicca) which use elements of older beliefs but aren't based on just one ancient religion or culture. Some "Pagans" prefer to refer to themselves as "neopagans" to distinguish between the modern meaning of "pagan" and the biblical one, or to shed the negative connotations of that meaning, or even just to say that they realize their beliefs differ in some way from the older versions of their religion.

The term "pagan" has a very broad definition. It covers a variety of religious and spiritual belief systems and paths. A pagan can be monotheistic, duotheistic, polytheistic, or atheistic. A pagan can belong to an earth-based religious belief system, or not, though most do. Most pagans do believe in the supernatural, or the divine, in one way or another. The ancient Egyptians were pagan, the Norse, the Celts, the Native Americans, Most ancient African religions, modern day wiccans, etc. In order to really understand what paganism is to a particular person, you have to ask that specific person (since the dictionary, and people, have given it such a very broad definition). And, according to the dictionary, you can technically count anyone who is not either Jewish, Christian, or Muslim as "Pagan". Feel free to ask me to elaborate on anything, if you would like to know more. Blessed Be.

Well, the Biblical view of a Pagan is probably not how Pagans would see themselves. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism and this will give you a wider view of their beliefs than you might get otehrwise. Also, some people who describe themselves as Pagans are not necessarily what other Pagans would recognise as such. It's not my cup of tea - I'm a Christian, myself.