"Pagan" defined

[Phi]

:whatgives Okay, okay...I'm confused.
I thought pagan meant naturalistic. Originally it meant a "country dweller" or a "nature dweller" didn't it?:huh:
Would someone define "Pagan" for me?
Would everyone write what the word means to him/her?

[Athena-Nadine]

A person who follows a religion that is considered Pagan by its followers, which generally includes:

A religion that is not Abrahamic or that is of the Non-Abrahamic religions that are not generally considered Pagan (Hindus, for example).

All Pagan religions are not based upon worshipping, honoring, or revering nature.

[Xander67]

you can't get any simpler than this,
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pagan

One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion.
One who has no religion.
A non-Christian.
A hedonist.
A Neo-Pagan.

adj.
Not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish.
Professing no religion; heathen.
Neo-Pagan.


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[Middle English, from Late Latin pgnus, from Latin, country-dweller, civilian, from pgus, country, rural district. See pag- in Indo-European Roots.]
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note.
just because one is Pagan does not mean they fall under all of the definitions.

[Phi]

you can't get any simpler than this,
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pagan

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[Middle English, from Late Latin pgnus, from Latin, country-dweller, civilian, from pgus, country, rural district. See pag- in Indo-European Roots.]
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Ahhh!!My definition was from the original Latin!! :yayah:

[Ladyvi]

ok .the word pagan comes form the latin word paganus meaning 'country dweller' originally designated for any earth based religion. but lately lot of eclectic paths have been lumped into pagans. such as mine.

[TYRRHENUS]

The single most important word from that definition is being overlooked, i.e. - "civilian."
Paganus was also slang among the Legionnaires for non-enlisted personnel. This is the definition which would be applied to non-Christians because they were not enlisted in the 'army of God.' Which would seem to be confirmed by its usage in Medieval Latin when it was also applied to Muslims and Jews.
My focus is on Latin culture in Italy, and I have found that the last to convert to Christianity were, in actuality, bourgeois urban (men) and not poor rustic (women). So the "country dweller" argument doesn't apply for what I have found. Although I admit the word could have had different meanings in different locations.

[edited to fix my horrible spelling]

[Galaxia]

Ω

[Pol]

i have always thought it to be some kind of misc. category for the religions no one wanted categorize ^.^;;;


I think it basically is, dictionarily speaking.
To me, it has to do with the lack of civilised (forced) religion. To me, it has to do with being out of the reach of the government's imposed Christianity. That's just me.

[Angelus_Kuroji]

I think it basically is, dictionarily speaking.
To me, it has to do with the lack of civilised (forced) religion. To me, it has to do with being out of the reach of the government's imposed Christianity. That's just me.

:thumbsup:
Here Here! I have to agree with this. Course even I myself use that term to describe my path in life. It confuses too many people when I tell them that I am Necromantic in arts... While most arts I have found draws their spell-weaving energies from the earth (and themselves), Necromantic draws it from the spirits and entities floating around us daily (and yourself). The way I see it, the earth needs our help to heal, why suck it's energy if there's another option. :bouncysmi That's just me though.

(Necromantic :rant: inserted to prevent questions :hehehehe: ) LoL

[PAGANFILES]

I wouldn't worry all that much about "Pagan." In the history of human beings' relationship with their deities "Pagan" is a pipsqueak upstart of a word/title/pejorative. The only thing that truly bothers me is that neither "Pagan" or "Witch" were promulgated by folks following the paths these words designate.

Terry