What is a Pagan and Paganism

What is a Pagan? There is no straight forward answer as it has several different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. The most widely accepted definitions of both Pagan and Paganism derive from the Latin word paganus meaning "rustic', "of the country" or "rural". Even this is not considered the only definition of a Pagan as it can be considered a skunk word, which means that it has a different meaning to different people.

The most common usage is associated with any religion that is non-Abrahamic. Neither Christian, Muslim or Jew. That would make roughly 45% of the world's population Pagans. Needless to say those 45% are not likely to class themselves as Pagans although some would.

The term Pagan is also used in a derogatory fashion. People to hate or unbelievers. The main religions of the world have frequent references to unbelievers within their religious scripts, more commonly referred to as a heathen. Since the seventeenth century heathen has oftentimes been replaced by Pagan.

To Pagans it simply means those who practice a nature based religion. Neopagans are newer religions tracing their beginnings to the 20th century, but their roots much farther back, and they do refer to themselves as Pagans. Druids, Witches and Wiccans are some examples of the followers of Neopaganism.

Christianity has also been seen as Pagan by other Abrahamic religions and between different Christian religions. These accusations come largely from the practice of christianization which adopts others beliefs into Christianity. This is seen by the practice of celebrating Pagan feasts such as halloween or easter.

As you can see, answering a simple question such as What is a Pagan? is actually far from being easy as it has diverse meanings throughout the world.

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Article Source: What is a Pagan and Paganism - Ezine Article