Are we still pagans?

31 Dec 2015 | by Anthony Boulton

Anthony Boulton considers paganism and Christianity

'Pagan religions developed to give people a sense that they had some control over their lives in the world.' | Photo: SCA Deutschland / flickr CC.

I recall reading of a conversation between an anthropologist and a journalist concerning a primitive South American tribe that worshipped a stone idol as a god. ‘What does this god do?’ asked the journalist. The anthropologist shrugged and replied: ‘What does any god do – answers prayers, makes rules, lends muscle.’ It struck me that this is how many people regard God today – albeit somewhat nuanced.

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