pa·gan n. a. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion. b. One who has no religion. c. A non-Christian. d. A hedonist. e. A Neo-Pagan.
These Definitions can be found at http://www.dictionary.com
It's interesting when you look at these definitions. To a certain extent it isn't hard to see where one might confuse Atheism with Paganism. After all the definition of Paganism includes "One who has not religion". When comparing that to Atheism's "The Doctrine that there is no God or Gods" one could see where someone who didn't understand paganism and its lack of religion as being Atheist.
But, in truth it is not Atheist at all. It is true that paganism does not necessarily have a set religious belief. It is inclusive of all beliefs that a person feels to be true in their own hearts. That makes it kind of hard to turn it into an organized religion. After all, organized religion says that the person sitting on the pew next to me is safe. They believe in the same ideals that I do. They take communion the same way. They believe in the same savoir and the same means by which to be saved.
Pagans on the other hand rarely agree to every detail of another pagan's path. Sure we all light our candles the same way. But, a ritual to bring healing to a friend can be done in so many ways. Some cast a circle others don't see the need. Some pagans, in doing such a ritual, would meditate; others would not. There is no set path to paganism so there cannot be a set religion.
The other side to that is that pagans tend to be non conformists who do not wish to have some person who is supposedly higher up in the spiritual evolutionary latter tell them what they should or shouldn't believe. They lack the fear that many in organized religions have today. We believe as a whole that we do not need a prophet to save us. It is up to us to save our selves. There is no magick pill, no one idea that says ok your going to die and go to a very bad place if you don't say this statement this many times or give this much money to the church. No our demise is purely in our own hands. But, then again pagans rarely believe in the idea of original sin.
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