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> You don't see neo-pagans picking up Republican Roman paganism, with its emphasis on stoicism, duty and civic virtue, for example.

You should expand your definition of "neo-pagan" to include more than the Wiccans. For example, the Nova Roma *do* follow Roman Republic paganism, with all it's trappings; and Asatruar follow the old Norse ways. Both of these groups tend to see Wiccans as pretty fluff-bunny. Asatruar, which I know more about than Nova Roma, *do* attempt to follow a non-easy path of honor and duty. And Asatruar are most assuredly *not* fluff-bunnies in terms of pacifism or reliance upon magickal BS.

A popular yet almost certainly fictional tale:

Seems there was a group of Ku Klux Klansmen in Texas who heard that some Pagans were holding a ritual out in the woods somewhere. Having run out of other minorities to harass, they decided to get back to their roots and practice some religious bigotry in addition to the usual racial intolerance and break up the party with a good ol' cross-burning.

So anyway, these fellows loaded up some lumber and a couple of cans of gasoline and went out hunting for these Pagans they'd heard about, hoping to catch them dancing nekkid around a fire or something. They found the spot where the other vehicles were parked and donned their hoods. Grabbing the lumber and gasoline, they assembled a cross and strode off into the woods, confident that they'd scare any remaining pants off the fluffybunny Pagans.

They were a little disconcerted to find themselves looking at the business end of at least 2 spears, a couple of swords, assorted knives, and more than one firearm. They'd crashed an Asatru blot and didn't realize that not all Pagans are pacifists. From somewhere behind the hardware, a voice called out
"If that cross goes up, you're getting nailed to it. I've got my hammer right here..."

The Klansmen left in a bit of a hurry.