Pagan versus Neopagan

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Kemble

Religions are like languages. Some have grown up with a religion as their first language where they simply absorb it from the surrounding neighborhood or atmosphere and don't have to put conscious effort; they can navigate it like natives from the get-go. Others adopt a religion like a second-language, often from reading books. Those folks can study the ideas, texts, et cetera, and come out with a pretty good comfort level in it but there is still a wide divide between the cultural, native folks and the adoptive folks. The adoptive folks will never really achieve native fluency in an ancient religious tradition because they lack the cultural and social contexts that are largely unrecoverable. Much more often they will drape their new religion over the native beliefs they are still comfortable with or unconsciously operating from.

But, to be fair, that's exactly what old tribes would do all the time as they interacted with each other, traded ideas, etc. Most native religions didn't have the strict standardization that Abrahamic religions introduced, and so there would, from what I understand, be large variances between villages and tribes.

Consider Artemis: multi-breasted goddess of fertility, as in Turkey, or the maiden huntress (with only two breasts), as in Greece?

[Siddhartha Plotinus]

I believe you're right in the sense that "neo" makes it out to be a different religion to the old one. But then again, it very well can be, such as Wicca, which is Neopaganism.

Pagan = Worships the old gods in the same way as the ancient peoples did. Uses literature and interpretations according to the ancient peoples. Etc, etc, ancient peoples.

Neopaganism = New age interpretations of the old ways that would probably have gotten them glares and scoffs, possibly killed, because they are so far from the actual definitions and interpretations of said gods and practices of the ancient peoples.

You can be one or the other, or a mixture of both which is neither or. That's my opinion.

[Tofu]

I believe 'neopagan' specifically implies all the recent religious traditions in one way or another based on ancient polytheistic belief systems.

Pagan is a very broad term with a multitude of meanings: an adherent to a polytheistic religion, a person not belonging to an Abrahamic religion, etc.

And then there is the whole question of Heathenism versus 'Paganism/Neopaganism.

It might be interesting to add that in my native language (Dutch) 'pagans' and 'neopagans' are referred to as 'heidenen'. Still the word 'heiden' officially means non-believer.

[Quintessence]

"Pagan" is still used colloquially to designate atheism as well. Or to designate "outsider" belief systems in general. Or as a snarl word, to designate people to hate. These usages I lump under "pagan" in improper case, because while I might not like these definitions, I'm not going to lie to myself and say they're illegitimate. People can and do use the word that way, but they're not referring to Paganism proper, as a religion or religious movement, much less Neopaganism specifically. Every so often some bone-headed politician uses "pagan" as a snarl word and the Neopagan blogosphere explodes in fiery politically correct wrath. I usually just laugh.

[Nayana]

I really just use Pagan. Neopagan is fine as well in my opinion. I think it's when people get involved in deeper conversations that the terms "neopagan" and "pagan" are used a bit more to identify older forms of paganism and their more modern reconstructed form, from paganism which has taken parts of many paths and constructed their own individual path.

To be honest, the terms are used so loosely and broadly I am not particularly fussed. One can argue many points on this. By my own logic I follow a type of Neopaganism as I do not adhere to a deity of any particular pagan path at the moment, mine is more nature worship and any god/ess of that is of nature I feel connected to, to varying degrees. Or am I an eclectic pagan?

It also seems that Paganism even in ancient times was subject to change and the people would build upon their beliefs, so one could also argue that it's just Paganism. I mean when did the era of "neopagan" begin? There have been some revival movements for the past few hundred years. Also eventually the newer parts of paganism will become old one day too, so I'm not sure what happens after.

[keebles]

I have found in reading several different book on the subject was helpful in the easing of the confusion. Basically they all said that as the world evolves and grows people perception on things become different. Peoples morals are different than what they where when our ancestors came before us. Neo-paganism is practically a rivised pagan concept that fits the morals of today. Back then they had no problem with sacrificing animal and such but if you would do that today you would be considered crazy and would problem get locked up for animal crulty or something like that. Neopaganism pretty much takes the what our society consider "immoral or not right" and removes that and also a lot of pagan groups back in the day were very secretive about there rituals so we don"t know for sure what they did just a general idea of it. I really don't know how to explain it anymore but I can only suggest that you read up on it. For me I really don't think there is much difference other that it is "new." I chose to practice paganism becuase it does not limit me on what I can or cannot do it is just a belief system generated around the morals that I have been brought up with. There is no right or wrong way to worship just as long as you harm none.

[keebles]

by the way the term pagan means "from the earth" and was taken up by the christains/Islams/Jews to classify non-christains/Islams/Jews

[Freedomelf]

Since we are all from the earth, I tend to think of Pagans as everyone. Some people reject their Pagan heritage and some develop it into different channels and worship in different ways. We are all united under the skin, since our roots go far back before any currently fashionable religion.