Paganism in Today's Society

I decided to write this article because of some "facts" out there that are widely published, yet completely false. I thought that everyone, including some neo-pagans, and some who call themselves pagan could really use a bit of an eye opener. My interest in the subject, and what makes me so knowledgeable of it, is the fact that I am a neo-pagan and have been one for almost ten years.

The first thing that I would like to point out is the difference between a pagan and a neo-pagan. If you follow something akin to pagan beliefs, but also happen to be reading this, then you are a neo-pagan. Pagan religions are followed by those from pure Paleolithic cultures. That is to say, that modern culture has not touched them. If the religion has been followed by your culture since before modern times and the arrival of missionaries and the telephone, then yes you can claim to be a true pagan. If, however, you are following a revivalist religion, such as Asatru , or your beliefs are garnered from what little information you can find about what is now known of the civilizations of "classical" cultures, such as Ancient Greece, then you are a neo-pagan, or new pagan. Basically unless you come from untouched areas of Africa and South America, you are not truly a pagan, but are a neo-pagan should you follow such religions. That said let us move on.