Pagan Origin And Meaning

Pagan definitions as provided by Merriam-Webster are the following: “a follower of a polytheistic religion, heathen and one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods”.

The definition of Pagan provided by  Oxford Dictionaries is “a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.” The definition of the word Pagan is somewhat controversial. Some people believe the word Pagan is a derogatory insult, a heathen. Others believe it means a Non-Christian or witches, druids, multiple god worshipers and worshipers of false gods. Or someone who worships a non-main world religion. Paganism was also referred as the Religion of Peasantry since Paganism was seen as dirty and impure so it was used as insult to the poor, the peasants. Paganism is not a single religion, but is made up of multiple beliefs, traditions and gods. The origin of the word comes from the Latin word Pagus which means “country and district.” Then later to a different Latin word, Paganus, which means”villager and rustic.” Then the word pagan was used from Christian Latin which meant at the time, “Heathen.” 

Examples of Pagan Religions are Wicca, Celtic, Shamanism, worship of Olympian Gods, Roman Gods, Druidism, Astru, Norse Gods, Pantheon Based Paganism, Eclectic Paganism. One branch of Paganism is the worshiping of Greek Gods such as Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Hades and Poseidon. Pagan beliefs can be more of a spiritual nature and less on worship of a god. To go along as that, not all gods worshiped were powerful, humanoid, super deities. Paganism and its religions are very broad, people are left to discover what it means to be what they are, what traditions they follow or what gods they decide to worship. Pagans do not believe in purposely harming any of Earths creatures for anything other than survival and do not try to convert others to their religion as to become Pagan is an individual journey. One can not be a Christian and a Pagan at the same time as Christianity disregards any religion other than their own as false, sinful, wicked and immoral.                                                                                                                                                                      Romans 1:22-23                                                                                                                                               ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.