A question about the religions that Christianity "borrowed" from?

Question

Where is the evidence? Why do they never offer pagan scriptures as proof of Christianity's borrowing from previously existing pagan religions?

Answer 1

Knowing Jesus has nothing to do with religion.
www.notreligion.com

Answer 2

Evidence? Sure. Here is the Short List.

Easter: borrowed from the Pagan Goddess Ester, goddess of spring and rebirth. Had been celebrated for some 500+ years before the birth of Jesus. It was worshiped by everyone from the Middle East to Italy.

Christmas: Taken from the Northern European nations (before they were considered European), predominately the Celtic nations. The "Yule Log" was the biggest tree cut down to last the 12 darkest and coldest days of winter. The villagers all would gather into one large hut to survive. Those that tried to do it on their own would ofter be found dead either from the cold, bears or other means during those cold days and nights. The evergreen was used to symbolize renewal and rebirth as the tree strived even in winter.

In the warmer South Climes... Christmas was the day many Pagan Gods were born... especially Sun gods. All these were done and/or worship 100's of years before Christ was born.

All Hallow's Eve. Not really worshiped by Christians, but they do use the day either in two ways. To vilify it or to get kids to become Christians by have hallowe'en parties. This day was representative of the belief (Celtic again) that the barrier between the living world and the world beyond was at it's thinnest and the ancestors that had died could come back and become the patriarch of the home again. Gourds were carved or painted to warn the ancestors that the home was no longer theirs, and it was time from them to move on. Bonfires on the highest hills were lit to help keep the ancestors away from the homes. Again, began long before Christ was born.

Most of the Saints' days were taken also from folklore... many Celtic. The early Christian Church had this philosophy... if you couldn't subvert the region with the usual death and destruction, absorb the local customs and beliefs and incorporate them into Christian beliefs. After all, Rome successfully incorporated many regions beliefs and social values to make Rome what it was. And, as the Beginning of the Christian Religion was Roman, it was a good strategy to use to convert the entire Roman occupied Europe.

And, again, as the modern Christian religion (mainly Catholic) was created in Rome, it had to camouflage itself by using the pre-existing Pagan Religions already being worshiped to gain more followers.

Answer 3

I wouldn't say Christianity "borrowed" as much as "incorporated" pagan traditions. Think about it: when Christianity was on the rise, pagan ideals were already deeply rooted in the peasant population. Most of their practices had been going on for generations. For Christianity to come in and just say, no, this is wrong, was not going to work.

Instead, they let the pagans continue some of their old traditions - like certain festivals - under the sponsorship of a new church. For example, some of the Christian holidays today are celebrated on the same dates that the biggest pagan festivals were held.

It wasn't really a matter of failing to create a new religion, or bending easily to paganistic pressure -- it was a series of compromises made so they could take power more effectively.

Answer 4

Pagans don't have scriptures. Scriptures are silly and even if we did have them, they'd hardly be evidence. Scriptures aren't evidence. They are stories. The evidence we rely on is Archaeological evidence and historic record. In Greece, we have Adonis, elsewhere known as Tammuz.

We do have writings of Christian leaders, in their own voices, stating that they are going to adopt various Pagan festivals for their own.

We also have linguistic evidence. For example, the word Easter is linguistically similar to Eos, Ostare, Ostara, Eostre, Eastur, Ausos, etc. All of which are names of Goddesses of the Dawn, new beginnings, and thus spring and rebirth and in some cases named after the month in which Easter falls. Also, explain what eggs and bunnies have to do with Christianity. We know what they have to do with Paganism.

We also have folkloric evidence. The stories of Attis and Cybele, for example, whose cult existed right near where Vatican is today about 200 years before the supposed birth of Christ. This cult involved celebration of the death and resurrection of Attis, beginning with the Day of Blood and culminating three days later with rejoicing at a cave. Attis, by the way, was born of a virgin, conceived of and beloved of the Goddess Cybele. We have information about this from Archaeological evidence and historic documents.

We also have historic and Archaeological evidence of Roman feast days prior to the adoption of Christianity, and of Mithraism.

Answer 5

Christianity which one?
True Christianity Vs. False Christianity

Actually most(Matt.7:13) of the so-called Christianity came from the Roman Catholic Church; the Roman Catholic Church followed Pagan Rome. The protestant daughters are (Rev.17:5)following the (mother) Roman Catholic Church.

"...AND THE DRAGON GAVE HIM HIS POWER, AND HIS SEAT, AND GREAT AUTHORITY." (REV.13:2)
Note.--It is an undisputed fact of history that under the later Roman emperors, aftyer Constantine, the religion of the Roman government was changed from pagan to papal; that the bishops of Rome received rich gifts and great authority from Constantine and succeding emperors; that after 476 the Bishop of Rome became the most influential power in western Rome, and by Justinian, in 533, was declared "head of the holy churches," and "corrector of heretics."
Thus Rome pagan became Rome papal: church and state were united, and the persecuting power of the dragon was conferred upon the proffesed head of the church of Christ, or papal Rome. "The Pope, who calls himself'King' and 'Pontifex Maximus,' in Caessar's successor."--ADOLF HARNACK, WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY? (PUTNAM'S, 1903 ED.), P.270.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/370320470/1370349615049373547bQYylo

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But however, if you read the history of the Christian Church; you will find out that the christian church was along the side of the heathen pagan religion. I read in the Encyclopedia about the Catholic Church destroying the three tribes that were: the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths(Dan.7:8,24).
The true church had to flee in the wilderness from persecution for 1,260 days which = 3-1/2 years(Rev.12:6,14). The true church(Eph.5:27) name (Acts 20:28) has always been in the Bible. From Acts 20:29-31; Paul warns us that there would be more false interpetations and churches that mix error with truth; I've seen these churches.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/370320470/2696902220049373547TJJKnz
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THE TWO BABYLONS
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/magazine/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine30&item=1104251669

Answer 6

Judaism itself could be considered to have "Pagan" roots. Abraham lived in Ur, and there he, along with all the other citizens, worshipped a pantheon of gods. Abraham adopted the chief god, EL, as his patron god... but still acknowledged the other gods.

His descendents worshipped EL as well, also revering the other gods. This only changed when Moses "enhanced" EL and called him Yahweh. This is why the Israelites worshipped the golden calf when they thought Moses had disappered (one of the symbols for EL was a bull). They were just doing what they had always done.

Even after Moses changed the religion, they STILL acknowledged other gods, only taking Yahweh as their personal god. It wasn't until about Isaiah's time that the religion became truly monotheisitc. Why do you think it was so easy for the Israelites to slip back into polytheism over and over in the old testament? It was their heritage.

Answer 7

Christianity borrowed from many religions. The fact that Jesus died and rose again is from the Celtic-Druid religions of Samhain, where thier dead relatives had one day to come again and feast with thier still-living relatives and say goodbye. Halloween comes from that Holy-Day also, because early Christians were scared out of there minds at the prospect of spirits.

Christmas, the supposed Christs birthday is from a pagan New Year, no where in the bible did it say that he was born Dec. 25th, since the calendars back then were different from the calendars we use now.

The prospect of Heaven and Hell came from the Celtic belief that when you die you go to another place and live a life there until you are born again here on earth.

And monotheism was started with islam, not Christianity.

Honestly does ANYONE here watch the History channel?

Answer 8

Christianity took a lot from Judaism. Evidence: 90% of the Old Testament.

Answer 9

They are talking about celebrating Christmas, Easter, etc. Nothing that you get from the KJV Bible is pagan.
But in the Bible it talks about celebrating like the pagans, and in the Bible there are verses referring to the Christmas tree.

Answer 10

many religions have certain basic infromation in common, like the garden of eden, but that does not mean anyone borrowed....

Answer 11

I was taught that this occured in a Christian Sunday school when I was 12. It isn't exactly debated.