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I came across these two words PAGASN & SHAMAN on the internet website and get some idea that these are certain kind of religious group in Americas and they have their roots in Indian religion called JAINISM & they are impressed with SHRAMAN BHAGWAN MAHAVEER.
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Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning “a country dweller” or “civilian”) is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of western spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. “Pagan” is the usual translation of the Islamic term mushrik, which refers to ‘one who worships something other than God’. Ethnologists do not use the term for these beliefs, which are not necessarily compatible with each other: more useful categories are shamanism, polytheism or animism. Often, the term has pejorative connotations, comparable to heathen, infidel and kafir (ÙƒØ§ÙØ±) in Islam.
Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices similar to Animism that claim the ability to diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering. This is believed to be accomplished by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits. Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather, divination, the interpretation of dreams, astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamanistic traditions have existed throughout the world since prehistoric times.
Some anthropologists and religion scholars define a shaman as an intermediary between the natural and spiritual world, who travels between worlds in a trance state. Once in the spirit world, the shaman would commune with the spirits for assistance in healing, hunting or weather management.
Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits that affect the lives of the living. In contrast to animism and animatism, which any and usually all members of a society practice, shamanism requires specialized knowledge or abilities. It could be said that shamans are the experts employed by animists or animist communities. Shamans are not, however, often organized into full-time ritual or spiritual associations, as are priests.
a shaman is a barbaric form of witchdoctor. a pagan is a barbaric form of belief.
A Shaman is a member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.
A Pagan is another relgion that worships other thing than god. They mostly worship the sun.
There is general agreement that the word “Pagan” comes from the Latin word “paganus.” Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the precise meaning of the word in the fifth century CE and before. There are three main interpretations. 16 None has won general acceptance:
Most modern Pagan sources interpret the word to have meant “rustic,” “hick,” or “country bumpkin” — a pejorative term. The implication was that Christians used the term to ridicule country folk who tenaciously held on to what the Christians considered old-fashioned, outmoded Pagan beliefs. Those in the country were much slower in adopting the new religion of Christianity than were the city folks. They still followed the Greek state religion, Roman state religion, Mithraism, various mystery religions, etc., long after those in urban areas had converted.
Some believe that in the early Roman Empire, “paganus” came to mean “civilian” as opposed to “military.” Christians often called themselves “miles Christi” (Soldiers of Christ). The non-Christians became “pagani” — non-soldiers or civilians. No denigration would be implied.
C. Mohrmann suggests that the general meaning was any “outsider,” — a neutral term — and that the other meanings, “civilian” and “hick,” were merely specialized uses of the term. 17
By the third century CE, its meaning evolved to include all non-Christians. Eventually, it became an evil term that implied the possibility of Satan worship. The latter two meanings are still in widespread use today.
There is no generally accepted, single, current definition for the word “Pagan.” The word is among the terms that the newsgroup alt.usage.english, calls “skunk words.” They have varied meanings to different people. The field of religion is rife with such words. consider: Christian, cult, hell, heaven, occult, Paganism, pluralism, salvation, Witch, Witchcraft, Unitarian Universalist, Voodoo, etc. Each has so many meanings that they often cause misunderstandings wherever they are used. Unfortunately, most people do not know this, and naturally assume that the meaning that they have been taught is universally accepted. A reader must often look at the context in which the word is used in order to guess at the intent of the writer.
We recognize that many Wiccans, Neopagans, and others regularly use the terms “Pagan” and “Paganism” to describe themselves. Everyone should be free to continue whatever definitions that they wish. However, the possibility of major confusion exists — particularly if one is talking to a general audience. When addressing non-Wiccans or non-Neopagans, it is important that the term:
Be carefully defined in advance, or that
Its meaning is clearly understandable from the text’s context.
Otherwise, the speaker or writer will be referring to one group of people, while the listeners or readers will assume that other groups are being referred to.