Did you know that throughout the world paganism used to be the?
817415
yes \nand that every branch of religion since , has shown characteristics of that
718291
:) Isn't it great to see how much Christianity is Pagan?\n\nDon't forget the Holy Water (Water), Candles (Fire), Incense (Air), and Eucharist (Earth) used at Catholic Masses. Oh, lookie there, all the Alchemical Elements that have always been used by Pagans!\n\nAlso, the entire Rainbow means God's keeping a promise... Hera had a Winged Goddess go across the sky with a bowl and dump out the contents -- a rainbow -- whenever the Gods kept a promise with the people.\n\nDon't forget Osiris, who came back from the dead.\n\nHell was named after Hel, the Norse Goddess of the Underworld.\n\nSatan was created based on how Pan was supposed to look.\n\nJesus was "born" on December 25th... around the time of Yule/Saturnalia, thus making it easier for Pagans to convert. However, based on Astrology, they said Jesus would be an Aries, meaning he was born sometime in April... around the middle.\n\n"Easter". Funny, spelt just like Ester, the Goddess whom is celebrated on Ostara, about March 23rd. Which is about when EASTER is celebrated.\n\n:3 Heehee. Silly Christians. Your stories are for Pagans!\n\nNote: Paganism first came about in 10000 BCE, and Zoroastrianism (first monotheistic religion) came about in 5000 BCE.\n\nTo davlynark: Your Jehovah wasn't even around at that time. Pick up a history book. You learn about the people from the Ice Age. They were Pagan. You keep learning about Pagans, too, for such a long time. Think for a change, won't you?\n\n- 16 yo Pagan
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It depends upon your definition of Paganism and your idea at religion.  People like to have a community belief system - that much is evident by the number of belief systems this old earth has seen.  People like to add structure and milestones to their lives with religious rites of passage, etc.  \n\nPagans can be those who observe the old natural ways of times past or they can be defined as anyone who is not Christian, Jewish or Muslim.  Religion can be a spiritual practice as well as an organized church.  There is so much and so many shades of gray - why do we need to label and belittle everything different from ourselves?\n\nPeace!
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Yes...alot of people do...but it is also used in Witchcraft...which is not Satanism!
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Better question, what pagan rituals did Christians steal?
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Never. No churches back then. The word "church" is a much later word adopted from another word the means "circle". As pagans they would gather in circles to practice Magick. Once they became Christian they kept the same pagan terminology rather than adopting Biblical terminology.
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"Pagan" is hard to define; a lot of people think of it as "any religion that's not Christianity, Judaism or Islam." I don't think that's quite accurate, but it's okay to start with. \n\nSince your sister talked about a "Wiccaning" (not "wickening), she's talking about the pagan religion Wicca (and here's where I start quoting Wikipedia): Wicca is a religion, and although its adherents often identify as witches, Wicca and witchcraft are not necessarily the same thing.\n\nWiccans may worship a Goddess and/or a God; they observe the festivals of the eight Sabbats of the year and the full-moon Esbats; and they have a code of ethics that most live by. Wicca is thus generally considered to be distinct from witchcraft, which does not of itself imply any specific religious, ethical or ritual elements, and is practiced in various forms by people of many religions, as well as by atheists.\n\nWicca does, however, incorporate a specific form of witchcraft, with particular ritual forms, involving the casting of spells, herbalism, divination and other forms of magic. Wiccan ethics require that magical activities are limited to good purposes only.\n\nAccording to Gerald Gardner [the one who brough Wicca into modern public awareness], the religion derives from a secret but widespread witch-cult of early modern Europe, which incorporated all of the key religious beliefs and ideals and the distinctive ritual structures found in modern Wicca. While this historical interpretation is now much criticised, it makes it difficult to conclusively say whether Wicca is a religious form of witchcraft or a religion incorporating witchcraft.
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I already knew that.\n\nGodspeed. May you be safe from hate as the answers pile in.\n\n- 16 yo Pagan
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it confirms mine.  Being wiccan/pagan I believe that the earth is a living, breathing being that is growing and changing.  Pangea is proof of that.  While the earths growth and changes take longer than the lifespan of humans it does happen.
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There are certain religion that have a long history of good or bad karma. Like one Paganism/Wicca people think of occult
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Thank you for asking this question. Very good point. I am a Pagan, and Paganism pre-dates Chrisitianity and our festivals did come first. Any book will confirm this!
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The official: not believeing in one God:  paganism refers to 'one who worships something other than God'\n\nPaganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "a country dweller" or "civilian"). It goe back to even Witchcraft, Wicca and astrology \n\nIf you further interested in history:\nhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/history/history.shtml\n\nBUT TO SUM IT ALL WITH WORDS FROM A PAGAN\n(for more question from him directly: earthreligions@yahoo.com)\n\n\n\nWhat are Earth religions? \nWhat is Paganism? \nWhat kinds of people are Pagan? \nDo Pagans worship Satan? \nWhat god do Pagans believe in? \nDo Pagans have holidays? \n \n\nWhat are Earth religions? \n\nEarth religions are religions which focus on connection to divinity through nature. Sometimes they are called alternative religions or earth-based spiritualities as well.\n\nWhat is Paganism? \n\nPaganism, many times referred to in our times as Neo-paganism, is a religion, or perhaps a set of various spiritual paths and traditions, that celebrates reverence for the Earth and all its creatures. This question is actually quite complex since every follower of an earth-based spiritual tradition would probably give you a different definition. Fortunately, there are several concepts that seem to be quite popular among most of us. "Pagans" generally believe that all life is interconnected and try to experience this interconnectivity as part of their religious practices. Some may choose to do this by taking care of the space they inhabit, while others try to deal with the problems that are destroying the earth on a wider scale. The ways in which each of us views our connection and duty to the Earth are truly limitless.\n\nWhat kinds of people are Pagan? \n\nThere can be no one stereotype applied to any of the individuals who follow these spiritual paths. Any person may choose to be Pagan no matter their station in life, and just because an individual is interested in this group, or in any of the traditions that fall under the general "pagan" umbrella, does not mean they are Pagan.\n\nDo Pagans worship Satan? \n\nThis is a very old myth, and one I will be happy to dispel. No, Pagans do not worship Satan. In fact, Satan is not even a part of Pagan lore. I'm sure there are some of us who agree with Christians and believe in the existence of the Devil, and just as fervorously as any Christian, I would also hope that no person would worship that type of evil icon.\n\nWhat god do Pagans believe in? \n\nPagans, in general, believe in many different gods and/or goddesses. Many individuals believe that the gods and goddesses are facets of the larger, unknowable Divine Source, which is neither male or female, and cannot be described with any specific characteristics since it is all inclusive. It is up to the individual to decide which god(s) or goddess(es), if any at all, they want to believe in and/or commune with. Unlike structured religions we do not have sacred, religious texts (ie. the Holy Bible or the Torah) describing a specific set of beliefs that we must follow. Some individuals see the Earth (or Mother Earth) as the ultimate divine symbol, while others believe in a single divine source referred to by many, many different names. Some also choose to worship a set of gods/goddesses derived from ancient pantheons (ie. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, African, Native American, etc). Generally, it is acceptable to believe in any divine concept, so long as that concept represents life-affirming qualities.\n\nDo Pagans have holidays? \n\nAbsolutely! Most traditions within earth-based religions have specific holidays that are observed by their members. There are too many holidays to name individually here, but many of our holidays tend to recognize the changing of the seasons, the passage of the earth around the sun, and the cycles of the moon. There are many resources (including the members of Earth Religions) available to help you learn about
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There was no original founder of paganism. It was a belief developed separately as far back as civilization exists to believe in something Divine in a most simple, generic term. No matter how advanced or how simplistic human civilization is, there will always be a need to worship or find something greater then yourself to answer questions or seek guidance in an uncertain world.
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Technically speaking, yes.\n\nMost Christian holidays (Easter and the Easter Bunny, for example) and rituals have their origins with pagan ceremonies.  They were adopted by the Christian Church in an effort to abolish pagan practices- the logic was "hey, we have the same holiday, and we do it better, therefore your holiday is now outlawed".\n\nIn a sense, modern Christians unwittingly practice pagan ideals, and as such may be called, "Christian Pagans"\n\nYou will more than likely receive responses from those who say "CHRISTIANS ARE NOT PAGAN, WE WORSHIP OUR ONE TRUE GOD"\n\nBlind logic and assumptions without proof were also driving forces behind paganism.  Funny, no?
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Modern Wicca was popularized and,for all practical purposes, began around the 1940's-50's by a man named Gerald Gardner.  Wicca was spread around Europe through literature.  It was later brought to America by Raymond Buckland.\n\nPaganism is actually an umbrella term which refers to many different religions, each of which were founded at different times.  Many Pagan religions predate Christianity but not all of them.
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As a Pagan, it really makes me sad to see my fellow Pagans take history out of context and ignore the parts that make our own predicessors look bad.\n\n#1. Christianity is full of Pagan concepts, much more than Jewish concepts- Virgin birth, child of a God born of a mortal woman, the trinity, all Pagan concepts. Therefore, why we feel the need to throw up an impenetrable wall, I don't friggin know!\n\n#2. Umbanda, Voodoo, and Santeria are three Christian/Pagan blends with HUGE followings that have been around since long before you were born to complain.\n\nI am not going to even address your dubious history except to point out that Pagans also killed Christians, and most of these killings were political in nature, rather than religious. \n\nThank you. Move along.
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Just as the term "Eastern religions" refers to Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc., the terms "Neo-Pagan"  "Neopagan," and "Pagan" refer to a collection of separate religions that share a few common themes.\n\nThe term "Neo-Paganism" was apparently coined by Tim Zell, editor of The Green Egg, a publication of the Church of all Worlds. 1\n\nA Neopagan religion is a modern faith which has been recently reconstructed from beliefs, deities, symbols, practices and other elements of an ancient religion. For example, the Druidic religion is based on the faith and practices of the ancient Celtic professional class; followers of Asatru adhere to the ancient, pre-Christian Norse religion; Wiccans also trace their roots back to the pre-Celtic era in Europe. Other Neo-pagans follow Roman, Greek, Egyptian or similar ancient tradition. \n\nMany Wiccans and other Neopagans refer to themselves simply as "Pagans." Unfortunately, the word has many different meanings -- some quite negative. The term "Neopagan" is less ambiguous. \n\nMany people are confused between Neopaganism and Satanism:\n\n To some Fundamentalist Christians, all religions other than Judaism and Christianity are actually varieties of Satanism. To them, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, and the various Neopagan religions are all forms of Satanism, or at least are led by Satan or his demons. \n To almost everyone else, Neopagan religions are simply individual faith groups with little or no connection to Satanism. \n\n\n\nRecognition of Neopagan religions:\nBecause of the principle of separation of church and state, the U.S. government does not formally maintain a list of recognized religions. Both the U.S. and Canada register religious groups as tax-exempt organizations and grant clergy the right to conduct marriage ceremonies.\n\nHowever, many European federal governments have ecclesiastical affairs ministries which do formally recognize religions. The governments of: Iceland in 1973, Norway in 1996 and 1999, and  Denmark in 2003 have officially recognized Neopagan religions which worship Viking Gods such as Odin and Thor.