Dicho, Pagans don't count. They are just part of the pittoresque scenery that awaits a bold explorer at the end of his voyage.
We need this eurocentristic image of the world, you should understand. Otherwise we must admit we descend from african natives - or even - lord beware - small upright walking apes! No true patriot of whichever european country or landside you may insert here must tolerate this thoughts. They lead to the fact that "civilisation" was once invented in an area now nearly totally covered by islamic countries, or to the fact that while we had proud alexander the great, proud rome, and proud charlemagne the world in truth evolved around china that area, and we were just a forgotten appendix to the asian land mass. or to the fact that after more than 2000 years of written history in europe no european native can any longer deny that his blood heritage not only probably includes 95 % of all other european countries, but definitely that of his most hated neighbor. Or to the fact that it might not be right to think thoughts like "I do not want my daughter to marry an albanian, they all steal and hit their women and eat sheep balls, thank you!"