Frequently Asked Questions

   Collated by Rhiannon NosTylluan

   

FAQ for March 2005 Is every Pagan a witch? Aren't Pagans Satan worshippers? Do Pagans try to convert others to their beliefs?            Is every Pagan a Witch? No. The term Pagan refers to a collection of spiritual and/or religious paths taken by people. The term witch refers to someone who works magic, healing, or is involved in certain areas of esoteric study. The two are often combined because many witches practice witchcraft as a part of their faith. But there are many Pagans who do not practice witchcraft. Some follow alternate paths of magic, healing and esoteric study - such as druidry or shamanism. Others do not practice any of this at all. Also, just as every Pagan is not a witch, nor is every witch a Pagan - some are Christian. Some follow traditional "aboriginal faiths" such as the various African religions. Some are something else again. ~ Axiom Is every pagan a witch? - If every pagan is in tune with the forces of nature, and uses them to assist her life, then yes, every pagan is a witch. Unfortunately, the word "witch" is a negative one, in many aspects. But no, not every pagan is a witch. It depends on how, when and if you call on nature and her gifts. ~ J.T. No. The name "Witch" is not owned by either Christianity or Paganism. Many Christians use it as an accusative term, and lump Witches in with Pagans and damn the lot. The reality is that a Witch does not need to be Pagan to be a Witch. I've known a number of Christians who fit the term perfectly - a couple even use it and actively incorporate God and the Angels into their practice. Then there are the Pagans (often they seem to be newer Wiccans) who either consider Witch to be an alternate word to Wiccan and use the two indiscriminately to refer to all Wiccan Pagans. Or they use Witch as a way of differentiating between magic-practicing Wiccan (ie a Witch) and non-magic-practicing Wiccans. ~ anon No. I am a Greco-Roman Pagan in many ways, and I also practice magic, healing, and divination. I do not consider myself a witch as I think the laws followed by witches are quite different in some respects to those I follow. I think there is a dual meaning to witch - it is both a religious path, and as such the witch may be Pagan, or not. It is also a secular path relating purely to the working of magic and such. As such the witch may not be Pagan in his/her beliefs. ~ Iphigenia No. I am a Druid and follow a different path than those who practice witchraft. I am "bound" by a different set of principles. Witchcraft can be practiced in any religion. You may have a pagan that is a witch, but not all witches are pagan, in fact you might be surprised to hear that many witches are Christian. ~ Heather P.    Aren't Pagans Satan worshippers? I think this is one of the more annoying accusations I hear. It's insulting to Pagans, and it's insulting to Satanists. I understand why Christians get all confused about it, but it would be so easy to actually check the facts. To a Christian, Satan is the devil, or the concept of evil as manifested within humanity. To a Satanist, Satan is the concept of free-will, self-determination, etc as symbolised by the consumption of the apple. Satan is not evil, merely considered that way by a controlling God who sees mankind escaping from slavery into the realm of free-thought. To a Pagan, it doesn't really matter - both Satan and God are aspects of Judeo-Christianity's religious belief system, and not in any way related to Paganism. Calling us Satan worshippers implies that we are Christians who have decided to invert all that is good in the world (ie God and Christianity) and worship its opposite (ie Satan and evil) - to do so, we need to believe in Christianity's precepts - but since we don't, this is all ridiculous. I may be a Goddess worshipper, but I'm certainly not interested in Satan. ~ Albi I suppose from the Christian perspective, yes we are. From the Christian perspective it could be argued that all non-Christians (Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, et al) are Pagans, since that is one of the ways their holy book presents it, if somewhat mistakenly in its understanding of the meaning of the term And from that same perspective, those who follow not the Christian God could be understood to have fallen to Satan. But that is such a simplistic and ego-centric concept. It takes the arrogant assumption that only one path is right - the Christian one - and makes it into the TRUTH. The reality is, it's a belief - an idea and hope, but not a proven fact. None of us knows what the truth is. We won't until we die. Is it not sensible therefore, to err on the side of caution? By all means believe what you will. But take the time to educate yourself about what others believe - by doing so you develop a more comprehensive grasp upon reality. You may still believe all non-Christians are Pagans licking at the heels of Satan and doomed to eternal torment in the bowels of Hell. But at the same time you may be able to acknowledge this is only a belief, dependent upon your perspective and that from your neighbour's viewpoint, you are wrong. And this may mean that you are more able to see the humanity of your neighbour - is that not what Jesus did, afterall? Looked beyond the labels to see the soul? Did he not see good in those cursed by others for their apparent failure to follow the strict letter of religious law? Did he not proclaim those people to be eligible to enter Heaven purely upon the fact they were good people? How can any Christian seriously claim the right to judge another's soul and find it lacking when Jesus did not? ~ L.S. I find the belief that Pagans are satan worshippers extremely offensive, and ingnorant to boot. To start with, Satan is a Christian concept, therefor Pagans do not believe in Satan. To the Satanist, Satan is a force of nature that represents free will and responsibility among others. They follow statements that they abide by: indulgence, vital existance, undefiled wisdom, kindness to those worthy of it, vengeance, responsibility, man is another animal - the most vicious of all and gratification. Satanists view Satan as a pre-Christian life principle which represents the carnal, earthly, and mundane aspects of life. Satanists do not believe in heaven or hell either. In fact, on further study of Satanism, one will find that it is in fact quite different than the various paths followed by Neo-Pagans. Pagans have a belief that to be a pagan one is responsible for how their actions might affect another, and try to avoid any behaviour that might affect the free will of another or hurt them in some way, emotionally or physically. This alone is quite different than Satanist beliefs. It is offensive to Pagans and offensive to Satanists to be lumped into the same category. ~ Heather P.    Do Pagans try to convert others to their beliefs? That would be a cardinal sin - if we believed in such things. That we each walk the path best suited to us is a belief held dear by many Pagans. I would never try, and I don't know any other Pagan who would either. ~ Catherine M. No. We leave such bad manners to those whose faiths seem less preoccupied with personal spirituality and more interested in the state of affairs in everyone else's soul. Since I do not know the truth of religion, I only believe what feels right to me, I have no right to try and change another person's faith. My beliefs might be right, wrong, or a mixture. To be wrong and convince others I am right and they should believe like I do would be a terrible thing. If I am right, I hope that the way I live will show the truth of my path. While I would never try to convert another, I would also never conceal my beliefs from one who asked. To answer honestly, with no desire for conversion, and to live in truth - these things are the best way to witness one's path. I witness for myself - that I might live in the joy of my spiritual faith. I do not witness to others. Nor do I try and change their faith. ~ Anne S. No. My path is right for ME. It may not be the right path for someone else. It would be irresponsible and close minded of me to force my beliefs onto another individual. In the end we are all seeking the same thing, there are many different ways to achieve the same destination. I don't know one Pagan who would attempt to force their beliefs upon another individual. ~ Ian G. I've never had a pagan try to "convert" me. Never have I had a pagan knock on my door with their book of knowledge, and try to win me over to their side. Nor have I had well meaning friends sit me down and try to change my way of thinking. Actually, of the pagans I know, they are most willing to share their knowledge and experiences with people. But I think that public scrutiny and misinformation have pushed some people back from sharing with others, without the other person asking for said information. ~ J.T. For more information on Satanism, please check out Religious Tolerance.org

Archive Page

March 2005 Contents Page