Paleo, Meso and neo-pagan?

[David19]

I was looking at Isaac Bonewit's site and i found this http://www.neopagan.net/PaganDefs.html, which puts different 'pagan' religions into Mesopaganism, Paleopaganism and neo-paganism. I had never heard of the first 2 words before, what types of religions are in there, on the site, it seem's to try and divide religion's into an 'us vs. them' category because it basically tried to eliminate anything Christian (or Jewish), although it puts Gardnerian wicca with Mesopaganism or Paleopaganism (i can't remember), does anyone know why, also it puts a lot of religions into one of the categories that i don't think are 'pagan', like Buddhism is put in Mesopaganism or something (and in the neo-pagan category, only Buddhism that has been combined with 'neo-paganism' is put in, although, i don't what it would be like, plus Buddhism is older than neo-paganism and Christianity). Voodoo is also put into one of the categories, and i think Asatru or something is put into Mesopaganism.

Does anyone else use these categories or believe that basically every religion is 'pagan', it also seems to give a very anti-Christian message.

BTW, don't think this is an attack on the author (Isaac Bonewits) as i have heard some good things about his books and if i had more money (and found a shop that sold them), i might buy one and there are some other good articles on his site (although i don't like the opinion towards Satanist's).

[Hangatyr 13]

Does anyone else use these categories or believe that basically every religion is 'pagan', it also seems to give a very anti-Christian message.No, most definitely not. Such arbitrary classifications take away from the identity of individual religions thusly labeled. I have no concerns over whether or not these classifications are seen as anti-Christian. Rather, my concern is that "paganism" or any religions labeled with this term, aren't seen as being depenant on Christianity for their identity.

[Dawa Lhamo]

Well, I think a lot of the problem people have with these definitions is that people want to deny any association with Christianity. Wicca in particular. What do we know about the New Forest Coven? Precious little, but we DO know that there was a ROSICRUCIAN theatre there. A lot of Wicca's influence was at least marginally Christian.

There's no point in denying the fact that religions borrow from one another. So what if some pagan religions borrowed things from Christianity? Christianity has borrowed things from a hundred other religions too. That's just the way it works.

I find that, academically, these classifications are pretty accurate. But really, their usefulness depends on the context in which you are trying to describe modern paganism.

Of course, do I call myself Meso-Pagan? No. I call myself Pagan or Neo-Pagan. I personally don't like thinking of myself as "half"-pagan, as "not quite there yet" pagan. So what if Wicca has some elements from Christianity... it's heart is pagan. And that's what ultimately matters to me. ^_^

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo