There are various types of Paganism. The term can be used to encompass religions such as Hinduism and individual cultural beliefs. However, this letter will concentrate on a type of Paganism that focuses on nature. The Pagan calendar is tied to the seasons, and reflects changes in the environment. Many traditions involve the symbolic use of fire. A parable that becomes apparent when examining Paganism involves the tradition of fire-walking. This is where people walk across a hot bed of coals and their feet are unharmed. There are various scientific theories that have been suggested to explain this:

• "The coal has low thermal capacity so cannot transfer much heat." The thermal capacity of coal is relatively low, but 100 grams of coal at 600 degrees Celsius contains enough heat energy to boil 85 grams of water. The heat energy in this water is sufficient to burn the skin.

• "When the coal cools down, the temperature sinks below the ignition temperature, so it stops burning, and no new heat is generated." Coal ignites at 400-500 degrees Celsius, but by the time the coal has stopped burning, the skin should already have been burned.

• "There is a thin layer of insulating air between the coal and the foot, which prevents burning." The feet cannot only be in contact with air, otherwise there would be nothing supporting the weight of the person.

• "The feet sweat, and this water absorbs the heat." If this tiny amount of water absorbed this much heat then it would turn into steam and burn the foot.

• "The thermal conductivity of coal is relatively low and is often covered with ash." The ash is very hot and sticks to the skin, allowing all the heat within it to be transferred over a prolonged period of time, even after the person has finished walking across the coals.

• "The coals are a very uneven surface, and the actual surface area of foot touching the coals is very small." The coals support the weight of the person standing on them. If the surface area were too small, then the pressure would be so high that the coal would penetrate the skin. Therefore, the contact area must be reasonably high.

• "The blood removes the heat from the skin, preventing burning." The capillaries in the skin are very thin, the rate of blood flow is very slow (around 2cm per second), and the amount of heat that can be distributed is very small.

• "People are not in contact with the hot coals for long enough to allow burning." I would be interested to know how long it takes to burn if a hot piece of coal is placed on the skin.

• Fire-walking can be done consistently by a whole group; it is reliable (like parables) and does not require you to have a 'special gift'.

• It requires faith (a belief that you will not be harmed, despite what your common sense tells you).

• It resembles the ability of Jesus to walk across water.

The idea that the soles do not get burned has parable-based significance; the souls of Pagans should not be 'burned' by the criticisms that apply to most religions. Paganism is particularly prevalent among the poor, and is common in traditionally poor countries like Lithuania. The term 'Pagan' has become a byword for 'heathen' and 'evil', so Pagans are an outcast group (Heathen is also a genuine religion that has been turned into an outcast group; there is a similarity between the words 'heathen' and 'heaven'). However, unlike most religions, Pagans pursue their traditions because they want to, not because they are trying to get to heaven; many Pagan activities are directed towards the pursuit of happiness and do not serve to harm individuals or oppress others. Unlike the Church, their traditions and cultures do not serve as a replacement for following Jesus. Instead, they serve to bring communities together and promote relationship formation, sexuality and equality of the sexes. Unlike most religions, Pagans do not use religious buildings; they prefer to be outside. There is no official Pagan scripture, so people following this tradition are not restricted by rules. Pagan worship can involve meditation, chanting, music, prayer, dance, recitations of poetry, the performance of sacred drama, and the sharing of food and drink.

Paganism lacks any emphasis on helping the poor. However, since most followers of this tradition are poor anyway, this concern is of little relevance. A similar situation will exist in the New Age, where there is equality among people. Concerns about the poor will be less relevant, and the focus will be on making each other happy and serving each other, perhaps resulting in a similar culture to Paganism.