I hesitate to even have this on the list, but it is a widely held belief. It’s a belief only held by followers of other religions, but it’s still there.

First off, you are not likely to ever find a Pagan who believes in hell. As a Christian construct, it has no place in their faith. Like the Devil, it’s not something that they put any stock in. So, if you ask a Pagan, none of them are going to hell, because it doesn’t exist, and therefore can’t happen. Ask folks of other religions though, and they’ll say Pagans are all on a fast track to eternal damnation.

This belief comes from the idea that because Pagans don’t believe in their god they’re all evil, and evil people go to hell. Add to that the belief they have that pagans are in league with the Devil and demons, and you may as well say they’re all just going home when they die.

Pagans do not believe that they are going to hell when they die. Others do, but not Pagans. Now, there are Pagans who believe in a hell-like place, but not all do. Pagans have a wide variety of beliefs about what happens after they die. Some think they simply end, others believe they reincarnate in part or in whole, others think they move on to a better or worse place, and those are just a few options.

Honestly, nobody knows what’s going to happen when we die. We don’t know if Heaven, Hell, the Happy Hunting Grounds, Hades, Elysium or any of those places actually exist. Maybe none of them do, maybe they all do. All that’s for certain is that it’s not even remotely reasonable to believe that every follower of a particular religion is going to a good or bad place when they die. Every person is different, and if there are various destinations, we probably get judged individually, not as a whole to decide where we go.

*Disclaimer: I no longer practice Paganism, but I’ve left these Pagan Myths articles active because I believe they’re still valuable in helping people to understand Paganism and reduce negative stereotypes.*

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter