Paganism - the ancient religion of our ancestors
- Thread starter Vereya
- Start date
Spirituality is spirituality and religion is religion. They might intertwine or complement each other, but they are quite capable of existing and working separately.
As for Paganism being the same as christianity... I wouldn't say so. If we leave aside the purely religious matters, such as rites and Gods, and if we examine the underlying philosophy, the difference is huge. If, I will repeat some of my other posts here, if you examine the ends pursued by these two religions and their goals, you will see the difference straight away.
Well, if you do some research on Paganism, you will probably notice that the idea and philosophy underlying the different mythology are basically the same. Paganism has got its set of Gods and Goddesses, but they are there to make it easier for humans to grasp some very complex notions. Besides, most humans do need to worship someone, and to trust that a higher power supports them. And as for Pagan philosophy of life, I believe that it has stood the test of time, and it is much more rewarding and positive than what is offered by monotheistic religions.
Paganism is not simply a broad category, it is universal. That universality indicates something tangeble as it's base. That real base is and was from observation. There is much good evidence to support the real existance of the old gods Mars, Jupiter, Venus etc;. What was done to the old gods I would call religification.
another thing I have forgotten to write earlier :smile: You are absolutely right in saying that the word "Pagan" is derived from the Latin "country dweller". The reason for it is that the people who lived in the country were the last to accept Christianity, and they clung to their Gods for as long as they could. Even long after Christianity has become the official religion in most European countries, Pagan beliefs and Pagan rites were still practiced in the countryside. Thus the etymology of the French word "villain" - the Christian authorities reacted so negatively to the surviving Pagan practices, that the word that originally meant "country dweller" began to mean "scoundrel".
The main line religious franchises also worked to impose central authority independent of celestial timeing and natural rythms, there was to be no adherance or knowledge about the natural authority of the earth and the heavens. Our natural heritage was to be replaced by a managed hierarchy of fear. And so it is today, the pretenters still rule with fear and ridicule. A pox on them all.
