The Roots of Christianity. What is the TRUTH?

by Sirona 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Sirona

  I've read a lot of theories regarding the roots of Christianity, but being honest I have never gotten to the real "truth" about it.

  If you believe that Christianity was very deeply influenced by earlier pagan faiths, what real evidence do we have to support this?

  If you believe that Christianity was not influenced by these earlier pagan faiths, how do you counter the claims that aspects of Christianity are very similar to many aspects of earlier religious beliefs?

  To start us off, here is one very biased website in support of the "pagan roots" theory. http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2003/04/is-christianity-based-on-pagan-roots.php

  Mithras

  According to the Book of Origins, the Canon of the Mithrasic faith, "the universe was created through Mithras, and Mithras was born into the world to save humanity from the attacks of the evil one, Ahriman, who was opposed to human beings. Mithras released the goodness Ahriman had stolen from humanity, and then died to the world, going to the underworld to destroy the servants of Ahriman and bind Ahriman there forever. Then He returned to the earth to teach humanity His commandments and begin Mysteries and Rites which would help humans remember His acts on our behalf. Because of His actions, we can choose good without the overwhelming power of evil, even though evil's influence can still seem powerful because our minds believe it is. Because of His teachings, we know that the purpose of our lives is to serve others in the name of Mithras."
  
  He was:
  * allegedly born on December 25th
  * was born of the Sun God and a virgin mother
  * created all life by slaying a bull, whose blood gave life to all useful things, hence the song, "Thou hast redeemed us by shedding the eternal blood." from an Avestan Hymn to Mithras
  * considered the saviour of humankind, and stories abound of His healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing miracles (making the blind see and the lame walk)
  * protector of human souls, a mediator between "heaven" and "earth" and was even associated with a "holy trinity"
  * keeper of the covenant with mankind
  * put to death on a cross and buried in a cave (some legends have Him held up in a cave to be reborn once a year)
  * took part in a last supper with his 12 disciples (often associated with the 12 signs of the zodiac)
  * ascended to the heavens to watch over His "flock" from above.
  * was known as "The Way," "The Truth," "The Light," "The Life," "The Word," "The Son of God," and "The Good Shepherd"
  * often pictured carrying a lamb on his shoulders
  Mithraists believe:
  * On judgement day, the faithful dead would be resurrected and light would triumph over darkness. They took part in ritual purification or baptism, held Sundays sacred, drank wine and ate bread as a symbol of the body and blood and even took part in ritualistic purging (purification rites such as flagellation).
  * there is a "celestial heaven" and hell

  If you are christian do you feel that this issue is of importance?

  Sirona
• 

  Sirona

  A counter claim:

  http://www.comereason.org/cmp_rlgn/cmp070.asp
• 

  Sirona

  Since noone has responded I guess I'll take that discussion elsewhere.
• 

  Leolaia

  The Mithras evidence can be grossly overstated, as the first link shows. The Mithras cult was just as different from Christianity, if not much more so, than it was similar. Quite a few of the parallels are later accretions to Christianity (i.e. December 25th as Jesus' birthday), and thus not part of its "roots", and since much of the evidence of the Mithras cult dates to the second and third century AD, it may have borrowed from as much from Christianity as the latter did from earlier mystery religions, as the two vied for converts in the West. A number of other elements in the Mithras religion are known only through fragmentary evidence since as inscriptions, and are open to interpretation. Nonetheless, a few parallels between the two are persuasive, as they were to early apologists like Justin Martyr and Tertullian. Christianity likely did absorb some mystery religion elements in the Hellenistic West, just as 1 Corinthians and Ephesians seem to attest...but the soil of much of Christianity, I believe is fundamentally Jewish....Hellenistic Jewish to be sure, as first-century Judaism was heavily influenced by Hellenism... so much of the links may represent indirect influence through a Jewish medium.
• 

  jgnat

  My problem with TRUTH and HISTORY in the same sentence is, the farther away from the event we are, the less we can know for sure.

  What were you doing at 2:00 PM last Sunday afternoon? Having trouble?

  How can we KNOW what it was like 2,000 years ago?
• 

  Sirona

  Thanks for the response Leolaia,

  That is interesting. I suspected that the so called "facts" were distored regarding mithraism being so similar to Christian ideas (and also a precursor) are probably skewed.

  What about other myths such as ancient egyptian or the dionysian sect, both of which seem to contain elements which are reflected in Christianity?

  Sirona
• 

  Sirona

  Jgnat,

  Thanks. I think we should at least be able to look at the evidence. We should know what myths existed prior to Jesus and what was similar in those myths and what wasn't.

  If we can't prove real links between older myths and the Jesus myth (myth used carefully here, I'm not saying it is fiction but for the purpose of this discussion I'll say myth) then we're looking at Christianity as being a new idea. If we prove real links, things which are more than just coincidence then I'd ask the question of Christians "how can we differentiate between Jesus and the previous (or later) saviours?"

  Sirona
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  Narkissos

  Moreover, "pagan vs. Jewish" may be, in part, a false dichotomy. A considerable part of the ancient Israelite religion was repressed and branded as "pagan" by the official leaders of Judaism at different stages (Josiah's reform, Ezra, etc.) -- yet its beliefs and practices did not disappear at a popular level, both in Palestine and in the diaspora. And they were not that different from what could be found in other Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures. At some point, for instance, Yhwh was likely worshipped as a dying and rising god similar to Baal, Tammuz or Osiris. At a later stage, a more syncretic mindset could easily build on the similarities and a "Jewish mystery cult" wouldn't sound so different from other mystery cults.

  Here is an interesting article on this issue:

  http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/diaspora.htm
• 

  Leolaia

  Believe it or not, sacred trees are still used for healing in popular culture in present-day Palestine and Syria. This tradition harks back to the OT Asherah cult.
• 

  Nate Merit

  Hi Sirona
  
  Yes, it's all theoretical, and always will be. All we can do is:
  
  1. Believe what the Bible says about itself, despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary. Just shut our brains down and believe. Personally, I think doing this is a political statement and not spiritual. One is deciding to go with a consensual reality, with the herd, rather than searching for your own answers. I don't know you at all, but I'm willing to bet the WTBTS has burned you badly enough that you've learned your lesson on this matter. YOU are your own best guide.
  
  2. Keep an open mind, but go with what makes the most sense, both logically an evidentially. Science isn't revealed truth. Fundamentalists deride science for this very reason. In their odd minds, not having the Absolute Truth is a mark against science. Its very odd. We humans learn by increments. Look how technology and medicine grow incrementally. Fundies can accept reality on these matters, but when it comes to biology and cosmology they expect instant absolute answers. It isn't going to happen.
  
  Use Occam's Razor. Which is more likely? That a giant being in the sky moved people around like pens to write a strange collection of books that no two people can agree on the meaning of, or that it's a human work like any other of the world's holy books?
  
  I have studied this question as extensively as my finite intellect is capable of. The more I studied the Bible the less credible it became, and the more credible it became that Christianity is simply a Jewish version of the Mystery religions. Please don't take that to man I'm not a Christian, I am. I practice my spiritualality in the context of the Christian Mythos, as I've posted before.
  
  When it comes right down to it, it's a choice between an irrational leap of blind faith in the Bible, a faith that goes contrary to a mountain of evidence and logic, and following your mind.
  
  I choose my mind.
  Nate