📖 Biblical Definition
Scripture identifies pagan worship as the fundamental human sin: exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images and created things (Romans 1:22-25). Paganism is not an innocent alternative spirituality — it is the worship of demons. "What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God" (1 Corinthians 10:20). The entire Old Testament is a sustained polemic against the pagan religions surrounding Israel: the Baals, the Asherah poles, the high places, the child sacrifice of Molech. God's first commandment is a direct rejection of paganism: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The term "neo-paganism" did not exist in 1828. See PAGAN.
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PA'GAN, n. [L. paganus, a peasant or countryman.] A heathen; a Gentile; an idolater; one who worships false gods. Note: Webster understood a pagan as an idolater — one who worships false gods. Neo-paganism is the deliberate, self-conscious return to this very condition after centuries of Christian civilization.
📖 Key Scripture
• Romans 1:22-25 — "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images."
• 1 Corinthians 10:20 — "What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God."
• Deuteronomy 18:10-12 — "There shall not be found among you... anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer."
• Exodus 20:3 — "You shall have no other gods before me."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Repackaged as harmless earth spirituality and feminist empowerment.
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Neo-paganism presents itself as a gentle, earth-honoring spirituality — a return to nature, feminine divine energy, and pre-Christian wisdom. In reality, it is precisely what Romans 1 describes: the worship of creation rather than the Creator. Modern paganism attracts through aesthetics (crystals, herbs, moon rituals) and feminist theology (goddess worship), but behind the Instagram-friendly packaging is the same idolatry that God condemned throughout Scripture. The church contributes to this problem when it fails to teach the supernatural reality of the spiritual world. When Christianity is reduced to moralism and rationalism, people hunger for the transcendent — and paganism fills the void with counterfeit spirituality.
Usage
• "Neo-paganism is not a new spiritual frontier — it is the oldest human sin dressed in modern clothing: the worship of creation instead of the Creator."
• "When the church evacuates the supernatural from Christianity, it should not be surprised when people go looking for it in paganism."