The Truth about Contemporary Pagan Religion

[William Knox]

Wiccan, Druid, Heathen, Hindu… the list of Pagan traditions is indeed a lengthy one. Contemporary Pagans do not follow a specific creed, nor as a general rule do we subscribe to any one particular doctrine. It is mainly for this reason that fundamentalists from the so called “organized” religions marginalize our faith, often to the point where our diverse traditions are publically ridiculed to the extent of persecution. It is a sad fact that many Pagans continue to be shunned, isolated and ostracized due to the fear that our faith will somehow corrupt the rest of civilized society.

Despite the lack of a formal creed, Pagan religious philosophy tends to be fundamentally identical even though our respective traditions may seem disparate indeed. The most ignorant assumption anyone can make is that Pagans are evil simply because we do not worship a transcendent Deity (including the concept of Satan, the existence of which we categorically discard as false). Most Pagans view our Gods as immanent in nature, neither good nor evil,  fully encompassing and manifesting within the material world. Simply stated, we believe that the realm of the spiritual fully permeates physical reality.

We do not personally follow the doctrine of others for one very important reason – we believe our individual experiences provide a greater and more comprehensive understanding of the spiritual universe than any written text could possibly impart. Given this approach, it is hardly surprising that all contemporary Pagans insist on acceptance and respect toward a multitude of spiritual paths; any other perspective would be inherently self-defeating.

We believe in the principal behind the statement “As above, So below”, for what occurs in the spiritual realm is directly reflected in the material world. We see ourselves as inextricably linked to the Gods, our very existence being itself an emanation of divinity. Our individual consciousness is inseparable from the Divine and we are intimately connected, not only to each other but with the natural world as well.

It is important to recognize that while individual Pagans honor many different Gods and we conduct our personal rituals and the worship of those Gods in different ways, we nonetheless share the same fundamental truths. We are one religious community with many separate traditions and we honor each other accordingly.