OT: Pagan vs. "pagan"

[Jean Dudley]

With all due respect, Mr. Linden, Christian is a "generic description", 
as well, but because it is a generic description of a collection of 
specific (and non-related) religions, it is given the initial 
capitalization.  Your argument doesn't hold water.  Further, "Xtian" 
(alternatively "Xian") is a sobriquet used by early Christians 
themselves, and is still being used as a respectful shorthand by 
English-speaking Christian scholars the world over.  As for those that 
use the uncapitalized "judeo-christian", I'd say they are lacking in 
knowledge of the use of capitalization, or are just plain ornery.

Yes, Pagan (then "pagan") was used pejoratively.  It also meant 
prostitute.  Originally it meant "country dweller", with the 
implication that these were the last outposts of indigenous religions 
before pre-Christian Rome converted them to the religion of 
Emperor-as-deity.  The general connotation was "back-woods hick", I 
believe.  Now the word encompasses all of the reconstructed and 
surviving indigenous religions.  Including, I presume, the ones you 
mentioned. And as such, it deserves capitalization.

It's good to know the historic uses of a word, the various flavors it 
carried.  It also helps to recognize new uses, and maintain the 
standards of correct English usage.

As for sociological atlases, I'd disagree.  There are lots of places 
that Rome never conquered.  Me, for example.  *wry smile* How ironic 
that the very term they used so pejoratively against others is now used 
to describe them.  Ever hear one of Garrison Keillor's "Lake Wobegone" 
series, where the Lutherans denounce the Catholics as idolatrous 
pagans?

Yes, we're straying from the topic of religion and law, here.  I'd be 
happy to continue this discussion off-list, Mr. Linden, before Eugene 
calls for our hanging and the burning of our corpses in the town 
square.  *wink*

On Apr 18, 2005, at 9:59 PM, Will Linden wrote:

> At 09:25 AM 4/15/05 -0400, you wrote:
>
>> However, Wicca is a dogma-free religion.  "An it harm none, do what 
>> thou will" is one of the major beliefs.  I suspect it's ignorance on 
>> the part of the article's author--also you will note that "neo-pagan" 
>> is used instead of Neo-Pagan.  This is a common mistake, but the OED 
>> and all American Dictionaries  stipulate that proper names of 
>> religions and religious groups are capitalized.
>

>  Strongly disagree. "Neo-pagan" is a generic description. Are "Wiccan 
> revivalists", neo-Hellenists like T. Taylor, Botkin's Church of 
> Aphrodite, Norse revivalists, Slavic revivalists, and the group 
> Chesterton found "carrying on the pious work of our ancestor King 
> Penda" all a specific religion of "Paganism"?
>    (And for most of its linguistic history, pejorative at that. That 
> is why a sociological atlas will tell you that there are no more 
> "pagans", only "animists".)
>
>>  You don't see "judeo-christian", do you?
>  Frequently, from the same sort of people who think they are scoring a 
> tremendous point by writing "Xtian".
> thers.

Jean Dudley
http://jeansvoice.blogspot.com
Future Law Student