What It Really Means to Be "Pagan"

Hello All,
Just have a concept floating in my mind and wanted to share it and see what kind of reaction I get.

So whats it really "mean" to be pagan? What is a pagan anyway... well for me it works like this:
We are all the result of our ancestors surviving unbelievable things throughout our Earth's history. War, famine, disease, go back far enough in time and add ice ages and climate catastophes to the list. Fact is we are still here, we made it and that should mean something. So how did they do it anyway?
Personally, and this is just an opinon, I would say organized religion did not help much. Telling everyone they are all the same and basically pathetic in the eyes of "God" (whose god anyways) is a relatively new concept in human history and it certainly didn't help our intelligence quotient as a species.

If I were born Greek I would be into Zeus and Hera... course I have this "thing" for Hekate and Ares amuses me. If I were born Egyptian it would be Isis and Osiris. Most of my ancesors were from what was once considered Austria. I guess my granfather said his uncle was a personal bodygaurd to Emperor Franz Joseph II (too bad he wasn't watching his son LOL) . I have some Norse blood in me too from the "Norman" my other grandfather had in his veins.

The Germanic gods make so much sense to me. Not to mention that quantum mechanics, mathematics and chaos theory seem to confirn paganism. I don't know why there are "good" scientists out there trying to find a "God" particle. How ignorant! Since when is the science of what is turning into some kind of fundementlist carnival? No wonder this species is headed for self destruction... well.. except for the other pagans which brings me to my point.

Even the "scripture" the part in Revelations called the rapture says how all the christains wil be selected to be with God when chaos reigns and the Earth changes again. I personally see this as the Christains and other organized religions are so wrapped up in idieology and their own dogma, they simmply will not have the coping mechanisms to survive the upcoming turmoil. They will die and frankly, sad as this might be, this leaves the pagans again. Good.

Many native american tribes have stories about re-inherting the earth after a great chaotic upheaval, and I am sure European pagans have the same thing embedded in there subconscious mind. I myself intend to survive Ragnarok and resurect the Gods starting with Odin. So how is this going to happen? For one thing, bonding with other pagans might help. I come on the site more often than you think someone in my position shoudl be able. Regardless I see very little commmunication and thats very sad. There are some really good people out there.

I'd like to see who can relate to my little spiel and perhaps get some dialogue going again.

Hope to hear from Jake and Heid and hope my opininons do not offend any pagan folk.

Good post! It is our intention to start a dialouge on all things spiritual. Keep the posts coming and know we are reading.
My thoughts are simple. From the beginning there were forces greater and bigger than ourselves. Many had different functions to ensure the world held balance. Continents being shattered and new languages being developed forced each civilization to name these forces different things, but, at the same time these forces are the SAME. So, that said ... organized or not, if your path leads to spiritual fufillment then stay with it and persue the mystery for that is what you were dealt. Do not spend precious energy to define how we are different but to learn how we are the same.

Keep the post coming folks. This is after all, your forum!!!!


Jake