Overview
Any form of involvement in a religious practice that goes against the Christian doctrine has been largely defined as paganism. This term is also used by the two main religious mainstreams, namely Christianity and Islam to refer to those who do not belong in either of the two religions. There are those who define paganism as a belief system that is not enshrined within the main religions. The simplest definition of paganism has also been taken to mean a situation whereby an individual does not profess his or her faith to any religion or Supreme Being (Cameron & Garnsey 577). A more comprehensive origin and understanding of the term paganism can be traced back to the ancient Roman and Greece times when some of the oldest religions existed. This was also the era in history that was referred to as the Stone Age when the early man used the stone as a very important material for making tools among other uses.
The word pagan is also known as pagans in Latin. It means somebody who resides in a country. Believing in many gods is usually a common practice among pagans. Hence pagans are polytheistic in nature although one supreme god is chosen as the lead god who is adored above others.
The growth of Christianity and the advancement of the Christian faith into modern times have transformed the perception of pagans and paganism at large (Hutton 123). A pagan is currently being perceived as any person who does not profess Christian faith according to Christians. Additionally, all those practicing belief practices which are not aligned to Islam, Judaism, or Christianity are collectively referred to as pagans. Hence, as can be noted, the practice of paganism has often been associated with a lack of faith in fundamental world religions.
The Background History of paganism
Historically, people attached more importance to the worship of multiple gods and goddesses. Deities were equally regarded as significant and hence deserved to be worshipped. The main reason behind the belief and worship of many principalities was that each one of them was perceived to have a spirit alive in them. This spirit was also considered to be powerful in a sense and could not be angered. Hence the best way to appease these living spirits was by worshipping them as gods and goddesses. As a result, polytheism took came into being. Different natural aspects were adored and worshipped. For instance, there were gods and goddesses of the sea, land, sun, and moon among others.
The advent of civilization witnessed people’s changing needs at the local level. Therefore, there was a need to transform into the creation and worship of other gods and goddesses who would fit their needs of the moment. These new gods grew and transformed with people’s life although the old gods and goddesses were not forgotten at all. They still occupied a principal place in the belief system of people.
The worship of many gods and goddesses was not done in vain. They were believed to be very powerful and influenced every aspect of people’s lives on a day-to-day basis. The manner in which laws and traditions were established was very instrumental since the gods and goddesses were perceived to take center stage in the entire process. Despite the importance attached to gods and goddesses, the concept of heaven and hell was non-existent. One of the most common belief systems of life transformation after death was that of reincarnation (Berger, Leach & Shaffer 47). This meant that a person would be born again in another form of a live body depending on how he or she merited while alive.
Modern-day paganism also known as neo-paganism has taken many forms and is also widespread all over the world. Many forms of spear gods are worshipped which include all forms of nature. Although most contemporary pagans have pegged their belief and worshiped in more than one god, there are those who do not believe in the existence of any god and are referred to as atheists.
Institutions and practices of pagans
There are quite a number of religions and practices which exist among the pagans in different parts of the world today. For instance, there are different categories of traditions that are practiced by pagans in America. The Norse and Celtic practices are common (Berger, Leach & Shaffer 97). Besides, there are those who value the Greco-Roman cultures as well as paganism practices that were associated with the old age Egyptians.
The Middle Stone Age period was characterized by the Kabbalah practices. It was associated with the Jews whereby a lot of magic was performed (Bachrach 37). On the other hand, Native Americans pursued the practice of shamanism. The main activity during this practice is drumming and in the case of traditional communities, the shaman has to make an astral journey to the spirit world in order to deliberate with spirits on the needs of the society. One of the common needs is the aspect of healing, both spiritual and physical. The Egyptian practice is very common in modern paganism (Magliocco 218). There are a lot of complicated practices which are carried out in this form of paganism. Matters of death and being born again are deeply meditated upon in the spiritual world. The main component of the Egyptian practice is the ability of priests to use their skills in performing magic.
It is not easy to create a comparison between Christianity and paganism because the latter identifies multiple belief systems as well as sects. However, there are several contrasts that appear between paganism and Christianity. Firstly, the Bible as the basis for Christian doctrine teaches on the presence of one God who is supposed to be worshipped and adored. On the other hand, paganism professes the belief in more than one god or sometimes no god at all. Although Christianity and other well-known religions have their doctrines well written in holy books and which have to be followed as the pillars of teachings, the practice of paganism does not have any written texts on beliefs and what should be practiced. Additionally, the Bible is taken as the word of God to humanity and the authority of this holy book cannot be questioned whatsoever.
Christian teachings observe that Jesus Christ is the son of God who came to die for the sin of mankind (Hutton 122). There are pagans who profess their faith in Jesus just like the other gods although they do not give Him so much importance like Christians. From these myriads of differences, it is impossible for an individual to pursue Christian faith while at the same time practicing paganism.
Paganism in the Military
The presence of Paganism has been embraced in most societies as one of the mainstream religions (Bachrach 7). It no longer appears strange or unethical to belong or practice paganism. Right from the academic society to the military wing, paganism is being widely accepted and also practiced. The perception that paganism is associated with satanic or silly practices is slowly fading away. Academia respect paganism according to recent research statistics. Those who openly practice paganism argue that its spirit exists and that it is not a dead practice. Additionally, a lot of literature has been written on the subject. This has continued to dispel the so-called misconceptions about pagan practices.
The actual figure of those who practice paganism in the United States of America today is not known. However, there are some indications that the number has been growing steadily (Magliocco 274). For instance, in the duration of 11 years, about eight thousand Wiccans were recorded on a national level. As it is well known, this is just one category of pagans. This pagan figure grew to about 135,000 during the same period of time. This comprised those pagans in the military.
Those who belong to the Marine corps, the army or other branches of the military and have professed paganism have equal religious rights just like other faith groups. In fact, the practice of paganism in the military in the United States is no longer a secret affair (Bachrach 92). The Wiccan branch of pagans can even tag their pets with the word “wiccan” with minimal fear. The military also has the liberty to pray to their gods and goddesses at will. Besides, the military officers can equally attend the pagan rituals within their base especially if the camp has other pagan adherents in it.
The US government agents also recognize paganism. This was evident in 2001 when all the branches of paganism were included by the Air force personnel as among the religious sects authenticated by law. For example, the Seax Wicca and Druidism which are all branches of paganism were enlisted as legal belief practices and systems. This was a clear indication of how paganism had deeply penetrated the military sector.
Another evidence of growing paganism in the military sector is contained in the Military Chaplain’s Handbook. This piece of literature gives a nod to the practice of Wicca among the military soldiers. It specifies some of the procedures on how soldiers who practice paganism and the Wicca can interact in their day-to-day activities. The book acts as a spiritual manual for pagan soldiers and the Wicca.
The Association of the Veterans who have been practicing paganism permitted the placement of the pentacle on the pagan soldiers as well as those other pagans who had passed on. This act was carried out in 2007 after it had been postponed for ten years. It was after a successful lawsuit by the wife of sergeant Stewart who was murdered in war-torn Afghanistan during the fight against terrorism by the United States in that country. After a pagan symbol for the deceased soldier was brought into the public limelight, several other pagan symbols and emblems have followed. This acknowledges how the practice of paganism is entrenched in the military (York 74). Furthermore, a movement was set up to spearhead the use and public display of pagan symbols. The American pagans and the other branches of this practice greatly lauded this move and considered it to be a total victory on their part.
Before the close of the last decade, Bob Barr made a comment that the practice of paganism and Wicca was not welcome in military camps and was not supposed to be elevated. The Reverend faced stiff opposition because he was seen as attempting to look for ways through which the state could outlaw Wicca and paganism in the military base. Those who opposed him argued that no other religion would be safe if paganism was outlawed.
George W. Bush later asserted that the practice of paganism and Wicca was not justified as far as religion was concerned and that it would be better if the military officers would think again about this line of action (York 154). He was not specifically impressed by the decision which some military men had taken in regard to their stand on faith.
Pagan soldiers together with their blood relations received yet another boost in 2005 when a group meant to support their needs was set up. The group was known as the Warrior Circle. It mainly targeted those pagan soldiers who were actively participating in the Wicca practices. Since then, the number of soldiers who have continued to pursue faith based on earthly matters has continually grown by leaps and bounds. This has added an extra responsibility on the pagan or Wiccan chaplains and priests who are supposed to make their work lighter by establishing auxiliary groups. Such support groups are meant to ease down the burden on chaplains as far as attending to pagan and Wiccan needs is concerned. For instance, the support group is supposed to provide a space within the military establishments where members can carry out their ceremonies and practices.
The senior chaplains of the US Air force met with top leadership of the Military Pagan Network way back in 2006 in order to deliberate on the need of accommodating military pagans. This was as a result of some kind of opposition which was eminent especially in the military bases. There were instances when pagans who practiced paganism faced discrimination from the main religious bodies and individual members. Additionally, the meeting emphasized the need of enhancing the mode of communicating to the mainstream faith groups in order to increase their acceptance into the society. Even as this was taking place, paganism in the military had grown to significant levels and was generally being accepted by the majority just like the other belief systems. Chaplains who were advocating for the sustainability of the pagans at the military bases also demanded for checks in the welfare of the military officers who had declared their stand on the practice.
Unifying discipline standards has also been noted down by the military pagans as one of the guiding principles in maintaining the unity of the group within military installations. These units can face dire consequences should a member be pointed out by other faiths as a social misfit. This has been identified as one way through which the unit can break down. The military has severally contented that it has been supporting the needs and concern of all faith groups and practices. Nevertheless, this contention seems not to be the case. Pagans have a perception that their interests are not being taken seriously in the armed forces. Lack of support to the Wiccans and pagans in the military was evident in 2006 when an army officer by the name Larsen Don placed an application to be accepted as a chaplain of the Wiccans. Unfortunately, his request was not accepted. To make matters worse, Larsen was ejected from the entire program which was dealing with chaplaincy. This action sent a clear message to the rest of the pagans and wiccans in the army that their line of faith was not supported (Walker, Dunn &Dunn 73).
After this incidence and several others indicating lack of support to the military pagans, some suggestions by the pagan network were put forward to the individual members who felt that their faith was being interfered with. For example, there was a suggestion to use communication as one basic tool of correcting members from other faiths from discriminating the pagans and Wiccans. Moreover, each individual pagan in the military is supposed to document every form of harassment or discriminatory acts arising from other believers. This would assist in the correctional program as far as the protection of paganism is concerned.
The documented facts concerning harassment of military pagans are then supposed to be used for reporting to the military authorities as complaints. The pagans are further advised to make use of the chain of command which is a very important utility in the military. They should present their complaints of harassment right from the immediate supervisor in the group and then move up the chain of command whenever deemed necessary.
In the event the normal channels of command within the military fail to work or solve the problem, pagans in the military are advised not to give up but contact the Inspector General through a well filed list of documented complaints (Carpenter 157). This is owing to the fact the Inspector general in the military has more authority not only to investigate complaints but also put regulations in place. If the Inspector General fails to execute any positive action, pagans who are being harassed in the military can still follow the due process of the law under Article 138 which deals with complaints arising from the military. Different organs within the military are affected differently by this piece of legislation hence those filing complaints are advised to duly read and understand the article and how they are going to take the right process of sorting out discriminatory or harassment problems from non pagans in the military (Carpenter 88). From these supportive measures delegated to the military pagans, it is definite that paganism in the military will sooner or later gain full support because in the first place, it is not illegal to be a pagan or even practice the same.
Conclusion
In summing up this paper, it is imperative to underscore the fact that paganism in general has been an old age practice and can be traced back several centuries back. In most common definition, paganism has been referred to as the practice of not professing any faith to any religion or better still, worshipping many gods and goddesses (polytheism) contrary to the belief and practice of Christianity. Additionally, there are those groups of pagans who do not believe in the existence of Supreme Being and are pure atheists. It is also important to note that there are several branches of paganism in the world today (neo-paganism) although they appear in different names in spite of similar or same practices.
Paganism has spread far and wide in the society. From the academia to the military, the practice of paganism is being accepted and accommodated just like other religions. For instance, pagans in the military especially in US have made several attempts to not only be recognized but also be dignified and respected in the same way as other mainstream faith groups.
Works Cited
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Carpenter, Dennis D. Emergent Nature Spirituality: An Examination of the Contemporary Pagan Worldview. Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft. Ed. James R. Lewis. New York: State University of New York Press, 1996. Print.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. England and New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print.
Magliocco Sabina. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004. Print.
Walker Melissa, Dunn, R. Jeanette and Dunn, P. Joe. Southern women at the millennium: a historical perspective, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2003. Print.
York Michael. Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion, New York University Press: New York, 2003. Print.