The Definition of Paganism

(Re-uploaded for better quality.)

A crappy little quickie video, again constructed from my cozy little cubicle, offering a definition of the term "paganism."

-Paganism is an umbrella term for any religion except for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
-Paganism is not a religion in and of itself.
-Atheism is not a pagan religion, since atheism is not a religion.
-Philosophies are not religions, and hence, not a part of paganism.
-Paganism is not only for polytheistic nature religions.

That's the essence of this video anyway. Just... with music and a pretty picture in the background.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Pagan
• Paganism
• Religion
• Occult
• New
• Age
• Wicca
• Celtic
• Satanism
• Asatru
• Thelema
• Kemetism
• Define
• Definition
• Dictionary

[BleedingScarlet666]

I think the deffinition of Pagan varies just like you said..but for the most part I think it's just an all over knowing the power of the Earth and what it's given to us and also being intouch with magic the Earth has and our powers to do good and evil through this. :) tell me what you think.

[PirateEra]

The "power of the Earth" is irrelevant, really. Paganism isn't earth worship nor reverence. At its most basic, paganism is simply an umbrella term for any religion that isn't Christianity, Judaism, or Islam (and sometimes Hinduism and Buddhism). Satanism is pagan. Wicca is pagan. Asatru is pagan. Shintoism is pagan. Scientology is pagan. Taoism (as a religion) is pagan. Sikhism is pagan. The list goes on. I consider myself a pagan, though I am an atheist and don't believe in good nor evil.

[BleedingScarlet666]

yeah I realised after I posted that Earth doesnt aply to all Pagan beliefs though I'd say it's in most of them, bring earth into their relgions or at least from what I've seen and the beliefs that I have are very much earth related. I also am Atheist Eclectic - Pagan so I understand what your saying. I believe every animal/human is good and evil...so thats a little different.

[PirateEra]

Hm, well, I'm not even sure most are. When you take into consideration that Paganism is all but three (or sometimes five) specific religions, that leaves a whole lot of other "pagan" religions.

Personally, I don't believe in the existence of good and evil. I believe they exist as subjective and imperfect concepts that are often arbitrarily tossed around and that do more harm than good when taken too seriously.

[shrikechan]

what the hell? Paganism is NOT every other religion except Christianity. Judaism is not pagan, it`s monotheism, Hinduism os not paganism, the list goes on! Paganism is having a spiritual connection to nature and not every pagan religion personified nature with gods and godesses either, some just had a great respect for nature and sought peacful moments in the wild to get in touch with nature and be able to feel and understand it.

Labeling everything as pagan is just Christian stupidity!

[PirateEra]

Watch the video again. This time, read and comprehend it. You'll find that I didn't claim Paganism is every religion aside from Christianity. I claimed that it is every religion save for Abrahamic faiths like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Hinduism is pagan, depending on the definition. Some definitions of Paganism label all religions aside from the Big 5 (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism) as Pagan. Nature worship is irrelevant. Paganism is NOT nature worship. Watch again.

[gumtreewallow]

We are not a cult

We don't all follow gardener

Or Alexander

A cult is a group that blindly follows one person

In Wicca there are many paths

Many of them don't follow anyone but yourself

[CrazyMastodon]

@wartmcbeighn Religion - a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.  Yeah, I would have to say that Wicca, Pagans in general (such as solitaries), and Scientology fits that definition. You may not believe that they do, but that is irrelevant.

[BeidhArLaLinn]

Some of these comments are hillarious. then again it takes all kind of people to make the world go round, even the simpletons...

[jin54363]

paganism is like calling an african negro

[BelleNex]

I think the people of India might rightfully take offense at your pretense to attempt to lump them in with the modern Pagan movement. They predate the Abrahamic faiths according to Archeological FACT and I think they have a right to define themselves as do other people around the world such as the First Nation People, The South American Tribes, Australian Aborigines.... attempting to define a faith as Pagan simply because it is not Abrahamic is an offensive viewpoint to many.

[kahetel13]

if you follow the Gardner aspect you'll always fall short and the "dithiestic fertility cult" definition is a little silly since thats far far from the roots of what wicca has or is. the facts are paganism is defined from its latin word root paganni or "people of the fields" simply put the first definition you put on your video is very accurate "a belief system which is not of Jewish, Islamic, or Christian . in the bible references are made pagans as being those who are "heathen" funny vid:)

[drumhound777]

I am a Christian, but it was one of the most concise and well-constructed definitions I could find. Good work.

[wartmcbeighn]

Wicca and paganism are no more religion that scientology.