Pagan "Facts"

It's very important to ensure what you are saying is actually "Fact" before labeling it a "Fact". Take for instance the image below:

It's nice for people to try to list facts to educate the masses, but it hurts us far MORE when these "facts" are inaccurate. For example, the fourth paragraph from the top states:

"The term Pagan means Nature religion who believe in many different gods or non gods and only in nature"

Actually, "Pagan" (according to the Online Etymology Dictionary) comes from the "Late Latin paganus 'pagan', in classical Latan 'villager, rustic civilian, non-combatant'" or "from pagaus 'country people; province, rural district,'"

Nowhere in the etymology does it say that "Pagan" means "Nature religion".

Another example of mis-"fact" is confusing Satanist with Devil Worshiper. "Satanists" (quotes intentional) are rebellious Christians who sympathize with it's devil and pay homage to the Christian anti-deity. ACTUAL Satanists (i.e. CoS practitioners) are atheistic in nature. They don't actually worship the "Devil", but see it as symbolic of man's carnal nature; the raw self. They don't adhere to the REstraints and CONstraints of religious rule and law. They DO however, abide by man's laws.

Native Americans are not Pagan, which is yet another "mis-fact" found in this piece. You ask ANY Native American if they are Pagan and ALL of them will tell you no. The only reason they fit under the Pagan umbrella is that they don't believe in nor practice Abrahamic religions. The Chinese, Japanese and other oriental cultures are also not Pagan in nature. Paganism originated in Europe, not Asia.

The author seems to also seems to imply that any religion that is "male oriented" seems to be negative and controlling. There are plenty of male-dominated religions that are NOT controlling out there. It's dangerous to make assumptions about the centrality of a religion without actually understanding its process.

Paganism is also not a religion. It's an umbrella term. Sure plenty of Christians label themselves "Christian", but if you ask them what branch, they'll say "Baptist", "Catholic", "Protestant", "Reform", etc. Christianity is also an umbrella term. No Christian is strictly "Christian". They all fall under some subset of the term.

While it's true that to be Pagan "is to hold and believe in the sacredness of all things", however Christians, Buddhists, Jewish, Muslims, etc also hold and believe in the sacredness of all things, yet they are not Pagans. The central core of Paganism is NOT believing the "sacredness of all things". You would have to examine each and every individual Pagan religion to understand what their cores are. Again, oversimplifying is a dangerous thing.

I'm not sure what the Washington Monument has to do with Pagan facts. It's a monument to Washington, not intended to be a monument to religious beliefs. Many churches have rounded roofs, but the Washington Senate is not a monument to religion either.



To me, I don't see this "factoid" as education in nature, but more propaganda against anything anyone doesn't like that isn't pagan. If anything it reminds me of many a Christian propaganda page detailing the unholy nature of anything that isn't Christian. It's your typical fluffy nonsense that too many novices are going to take at face value. It exhausts myself and other seasoned practitioners to correct such misinformation. There are lots of people making these nonsensical "factoids" and parading them around as known facts that every Pagan holds to. I want to make clear

I DO NOT ENDORSE THIS "FACTOID". IT'S RIPE WITH ERRORS.