pagan, et. al.

[lojbab (Bob LeChevalier)]

Cowan and Protin have addressed some of the following, as has Eric R.

Previosu discussion on a possible gismu:
>>      x1 is a pagan/polytheist/animist of reliegon x2 with rank/status x3
>
>       What's wrong with "so'icevykri"?

There is something missed in the response.  What do the three alternatives
in the English have in common.  Pagan is not the same as polytheist is not
the same as animist.  Only that they are 'on the outs' in Christian culture.

Pagan has two or more meanings - one is the same as 'goy' and 'infidel':
  someone who does not believe that standard relifgion of the culture

cizra lijda  "strange-religion"  and
drata lijda  "other religion" and
lijda claxu  "religion without"
   are all possiblilities, each with its own nalmal-peculiar (nalmal- as a
prefix in Lojban would be a non-derogative interpretation) place structure.
The non-Christian-specific term might be:
xriso natfe krici   Christ-deny-believer
xriso claxu lijda   Christ-without-religion
etc.  Note that there is a distinction in Lojban between the believers and
the religion, which is not obvious in many uses of the word 'pagan'.

Most users of this term intend a "mabla" deregative which should be
included in at least one form of the translation.  A zabna version of
one of these is assumed by a certain segment of the counter-culture,
that does not distinguish between various non-Christian religions like
Pagan, Wiccan, and varieties of Goddess worship that have little in
common other than their counter-ness.

Pagan is also a specific religion, which I don't know enough about to define.
Probably therefore lijr,peigani.

Polytheist means merely many-gods-believer, and this is what the lujvo
proposed means.

Animism is not a specific religion, but characterizes a religion as
danmu cevni lijda.

To some (unitarians), standard christianity is polytheistic.  Mormonism,
which considers itself Christian, is polytheistic to the fundmentalist sects.
Neither are considered pagan nor animistic.  Greek and Roman religions are
polytheistic, not animistic, and pagan only in the loose sense of the word.
Hindu has elements of animism, as did the Egyptian religion of Isis.  Both
were polytheistic, but Egyptian is not generally considered pagan because
it never was in competition wiht Christianity.

lojbab
 Note that "cizra" is one form of A Protin's desired gismu.  See also
"fange", "drata" and a whole variety of opposites of conformity-related gismu