The definition of the term 'Pagan' has, in relatively recent times, become an umbrella term for persons who are not Christian. At least, that's the way those of us who fall under the heading use it.
The terms Pagan and Heathen derive from ancient times, and were descriptive of indigenous peoples in parts of Europe. These peoples worshipped nature, and had their own gods and goddesses (which varied by culture and geographic location). Since the writers of the history books get to pick the terms, they were named Pagan (from paganus, or country-dweller) or Heathen (literally, dwellers on the heath, or countryside). Since those writing the definitions felt that their own religions were the proper, superior ones, these indigenous peoples were assumed to have no religion...well, none that anyone need be concerned with, anyway.
There are several modern dictionary definitions for the word Pagan, I submit to you the following from The American Heritage Dictionary online. Definition #1 is the predominant definition in our modern, politically correct world.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/p/p0011100.html
So, I guess it comes down to this...Wiccans are Pagans (because our practices are rooted in the practices of the indigenous peoples of Europe), but not all Pagans are Wiccans. I suppose I tend to call myself Pagan more often than Wiccan, and that probably boils down to 'safety in numbers' than anything else. If you only count yourself as Wiccan, the group is smaller, but if you consider yourself part of all the Pagan subgenres, it becomes a substantial number, and that is essentially how our community functions. There's a lot of overlap, and we tend to support each other's paths and rituals, and merge our community efforts and outreach as a group of differents, operating mostly as a group of people with a path in common. Does that help any?
You needn't worry about me being offended by your inquiries. I am generally able to differentiate between honest curiosity and outright attacks.
