Is this a coincidence or the roots of Christianity?

Question

"The vestiges of pagan religion in Christian symbology are undeniable. Egyptian sun disks became the halos of Catholic saints. Pictograms of Isis nursing her miraculously conceived son Horus became the blueprint for our modern images of the Virgin Mary nursing Baby Jesus. And virtually all the elements of the Catholic ritual - the miter, the altar, the doxology, and communion, the act of "God-eating" - were taken directly from earlier pagan mystery religions."

"Nothing in Christianity is original. The pre-Christian God Mithras - called the Son of God and the Light of the World - was born on December 25, died was buried in a rock tomb, and then resurrected in three days. By the way, December 25 is also the birthday or Osiris, Adonis, and Dionysus. The newborn Krishna was presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Even Christianity's weekly holy day was stolen from the pagans."

Answer 1

Christianity is nothing more than an ancient pagan religion dressed up in new clothes. In other words, "the names have been changed, but the players remain the same". These myths and practices have been around for thousands of years....long, long, long before anyone had even founded the city of Bethlehem, let alone heard of this jesus.

Salvation, heaven, hell, baptism, eucharist, virgin births, dying and resurected gods and much more are all of pagan origin. For some interesting reading on the pagan origins of the christ myth try:

http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/getting_started_pocm.html

Answer 2

Artistic representations are not the religion itself, halos, images, and catholic ritual are not central to faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was not born in December but in March, probably around passover. The sheep were in the field at night. Even in Israel you don't overnight cattle outdoors in the cold and wet.
Gold, frankincense and myrrh were the valuable gifts of the day, given by pagans.
As for 'God eating', this was a very different thing in the mystery religions than it was to Jesus. He meant that his death was necessary, and that they should remember him afterward until they understood.
And as to his resurrection this actually occurred. Thousands saw him alive after he was definitely dead, you don't survive a spear to the chest, and these martyrs went to their deaths telling the world Jesus is Alive when all they needed to do was admit that he wasn't. But he is alive.

Answer 3

Last year the History Channel showed "The History of Christmas: Christmas Unwrapped". http://www.history.com/exhibits/holidays/main.html
Just to post a little from it:

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

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Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.

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I do believe that Christianity has largely borrowed from other religions and cultures.

Answer 4

Yep, basically a correct set of correlations.

That made it easy for Constaintine to covert the Pagans over to Catholicism.

If you have a built-in audience, why not exploit them.

The other way would be to make them all Jewish and then throw in the changes made by Jesus. Far too difficut and many, many, many people have problems with Jews.

You'd also have problems with Jews accepting those Pagans way back before the Liberalization of Judaism.

Answer 5

None. whilst Jesus as a human did come out of the Jewish bloodlines, what He based together with his life and loss of life and resurrection are uniquely His very own. there replaced into in no way a instructor like Him earlier His time on earth (save for Himself as recorded interior the OT), and in basic terms the believers have meditated His life in view that.

Answer 6

Much of the Christian traditions WERE stolen from other religions. This was to make the conversion easier. It's no secret, though many Christians don't care to research it.
I don't really care about the traditions too much. They're symbols, nothing more, nothing less.

Answer 7

It's not a coincidence. Christianity today is a mix of rituals and beliefs with ancient pagan roots.
Christ was not a "christian"

Answer 8

That is the roots of Christianity.

Mystery cults were popular in the ancient world. Christianity is the one that won out over the others and rose to prominence.

Answer 9

OK hoss, here's your originality. Who else was prophesied of to come exactly the way he did, die exactly the way he did and then be raised from the dead and be witnessed by over 500 people and recorded accurately? Jesus is not a myth but a documented historical figure that kings and emperiors and rulers have always struggled with what to do, because of all the evidence that was left of his walk here on earth. What's even wilder is the the religious Jews of that day did not deny that He healed the lame, raised the dead and turned water into wine. They simply accused Him of doing it all by the power of the Devil! What will you do with him?

Answer 10

I have done research and found that is true but did you also know that the US Constituion has parts paraphrased from " The 2nd Treatise of Government". but yes the founders of xianity copied things so that they could convert more easily