Christianity is considered by some to be a direct copy of the Mithraic religion?

Question

Isn't Mithraism a Pagan styled religion ? Can anyone elaborate?

Answer 1

Yeah.

The folks who consider Christainity a copy of the Mithraic pagan religion are revisionists, who like to discover facts and connections that don't really exist.

Christianity is a religion based on the real God, not a myth.

Answer 2

Yes. However, it would be a vast oversimplification to suggest that Mithraism was the single fore-runner of early Christianity. Aside from Christ and Mithras, there were plenty of other deities (such as Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis, Balder, Attis, and Dionysus) said to have died and resurrected. Many classical heroic figures, such as Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus, were said to have been born through the union of a virgin mother and divine father. Virtually every pagan religious practice and festivity that couldn't be suppressed or driven underground was eventually incorporated into the rites of Christianity as it spread across Europe and throughout the world.

The Lord's supper was not invented by Paul, but was borrowed by him from Mithraism, the mystery religion that existed long before Christianity and was Christianity's chief competitor up until the time of Constantine. In Mithraism, the central figure is the mythical Mithras, who died for the sins of mankind and was resurrected.

Believers in Mithras were rewarded with eternal life. Part of the Mithraic communion liturgy included the words, "He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made one with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation."

Here's some other similarities? Consequence, I think now? Mithra was born of a virgin on December 25 in a cave, and his birth was attended by shepherds bearing gifts. He was considered a great traveling teacher and master. He had 12 companions or disciples. He performed miracles. He was buried in a tomb and after three days rose again. His resurrection was celebrated every year. Mithra had his principal festival on what was later to become Easter. He was called “the Good Shepherd” and identified with both the Lamb and the Lion. He was considered the “Way, the Truth and the Light,” and the “Logos,” [Word] “Redeemer,” “Savior” and “Messiah.” His sacred day was Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” hundreds of years before the appearance of Christ. (Ever wonder why Christians don't keep the 7th day as their Sabbath?)

Furthermore, the Vatican itself is built upon the papacy of Mithra, and the Christian hierarchy is nearly identical to the Mithraic version it replaced . Virtually all of the elements of the Catholic ritual, from miter to wafer to altar to doxology, are directly taken from earlier Pagan mystery religions.

Answer 3

Some people say that Christianity is a direct copy of Mithraism.It isn't.The elements of Christianity are found in the Old Testament,which was written before the Mithra legends sprung up.As for the "Lord's supper" Mithra supposedly had,it's been greatly distorted.This saying is appealed to by Freke and Gandy Godwin says that the reference is from a "Persian Mithraic text," but does not give the dating of this text, nor say where it was found, nor offer any documentation; that was finally found in Vermaseren -- the source of this saying is a medieval text; and the speaker is not Mithras, but Zarathustra! Although Vermaseren suggested that this might be the formula that Justin referred to (but did not describe at all) as being part of the Mithraic "Eucharist," there is no evidence for the saying prior to this medieval text. (Freke and Gandy, and now Acharya, try to give the rite some ancestry by claiming that it derives from an Iranian Mithraic ceremony using a psychadelic plant called Haoma, but they are clearly grasping at straws and adding speculations of meaning in order to make this rite seem similar to the Eucharist.) This piece of "evidence" is far, far too late to be useful -- except as possible proof that Mithraism borrowed from Christianity! (Christianity of course was in Persia far earlier than this medieval text; see Martin Palmer's Jesus Sutras for details.)

The closest thing that Mithraism had to a "Last Supper" was the taking of staples (bread, water, wine and meat) by the Mithraic initiates, which was perhaps a celebration of the meal that Mithra had with the sun deity after slaying the bull. However, the meal of the initiates is usually seen as no more than a general fellowship meal of the sort that was practiced by groups all over the Roman world -- from religious groups to funereal societies. [MS.348]


http://www.tektonics.org/copycat/copycathub.html
http://www.tektonics.org/copycat/mithra.html
http://www.carm.org/evidence/mithra.htm

Answer 4

All religions intentionally adapt and used the symbols and beliefs of existing religions when they spread. Christianity did the same, in order to present its teachings in symbols and beliefs that were comfortable and familiar. Remember that Christianity's primary area of conversion was among the non-jewish (pagan) groups (because of Paul who was charismatic and motivated in spreading it in that area).

Answer 5

Christianity is considered by 'some' to be a lot of things that others consider it not to be.

The term "Mithraism" is modern. In antiquity, texts refer to "the mysteries of Mithras", and to its adherents, as "the mysteries of the Persians - for the fact that the devotees were convinced that their religion was founded by Zoroaster.

The cult developed in first century BCE. If however Plutarch was mistaken, as Clauss suggests,[1] "the mysteries" were not practiced until a century later. Mithraism reached the apogee of its popularity around the 3rd through 4th centuries CE, when it was particularly popular among the soldiers of the Roman empire. Mithraism disappeared from overt practice after the Theodosian decree of 391 banned all pagan rites, and it apparently became extinct thereafter.

To answer your question, we will never know as It is difficult for scholars to reconstruct the daily workings and beliefs of Mithraism, as the rituals were highly secret and limited to initiated men.

Religious practice was centered around the mithraeum (Latin, from Greek mithraion), either an adapted natural cave or cavern or an artificial building imitating a cavern. Mithraea were dark and windowless, even if they were not actually in a subterranean space or in a natural cave. When possible, the mithraeum was constructed within or below an existing building. The site of a mithraeum may also be identified by its separate entrance or vestibule, its "cave", called the spelaeum or spelunca, with raised benches along the side walls for the ritual meal, and its sanctuary at the far end, often in a recess, before which the pedestal-like altar stood. Many mithraea that follow this basic plan are scattered over much of the Empire's former area, particularly where the legions were stationed along the frontiers (such as Britain). Others may be recognized by their characteristic layout, even though converted as crypts beneath Christian churches.

There is very little information about the decline of the religion. The edict of Theodosius I in 394 made paganism illegal. Official recognition of Mithras in the army stopped at this time, but we have no information on what other effect the edict had. Mithraism may have survived in certain remote cantons of the Alps and Vosges into the fifth century.

Ernest Renan, in The Origins of Christianity, promoted the idea that Mithraism was the prime competitor to Christianity in the second through the fourth centuries, although some scholars feel the written claims that the emperors Nero, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and the Tetrarchs were initiates are dubious as there is little evidence that Mithraic worship was accorded official status as a Roman cult.

However, you may have a point - Bull and cave themes are found in Christian shrines dedicated to the archangel Michael, who, after the legalization of Christianity, became the patron Saint of soldiers. Many of those shrines were converted Mithraea, for instance the sacred cavern at Monte Gargano in Apulia, refounded in 493. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Mithraism was transferred to the previously unvenerated archangel.

The resemblances between the two hostile churches were so striking as to impress even the minds of antiquity."[2] Like Origen (an early Christian writer and in this respect a peculiarity among the other patristic writers), Mithraism held that all souls pre-existed in the ethereal regions with God, and inhabited a body upon birth. Similar to Pythagorean, Jewish, and Pauline theology, life then becomes the great struggle between good and evil, spirit and body, ending in judgment, with the elect being saved. "They both admitted to the existence of a heaven inhabited by beautiful ones ... and a hell peopled by demons situate in the bowels of earth."[3]), including a great and final battle at the end of times, similar to Zoroastrianism. Mithraism's flood at the beginning of history was deemed necessary because what began in water would end in fire, according to Mithraic eschatology. Both religions believed in revelation as key to their doctrine. Both awaited the last judgment and resurrection of the dead.

When inducted into the degree of Leo, he was purified with honey, and baptised, not with water, but with fire, as John the Baptist declared that his successor would baptise. After this second baptism, initiates were considered 'participants,' and they received the sacrament of bread and wine commemorating Mithra's banquet at the conclusion of his labors

Answer 6

Mithra is an ancient sun-god, who became incorporated into Zoroastrianism as a kind of Holy Spirit or angelic being. The cult of Mithra spread to Rome where he became a Saviour-god, born of a virgin. His birthday is still celebrated today, and is known as Christmas. In Iran it is called Shab-e-Yalda, and has no connection to Christianity.

Answer 7

Christianity took inspiration from many Pagan ideas and traditions.

Answer 8

Hate to break it to you but christianity stole a lot of stuff from Mithraism and other pagan religions. In its early days, it was indistinguishable from the other pagan religions.

Answer 9

Worshipers of Mithras believed in a divine youth who was the child of the Sun god. His followers sacrificed bulls as part of their ceremony. A superficial resemblance at best.

Answer 10

Dunno BUT ! Waz Frank Sinatra a Muslim?
Cos some faceless fekkin' Allah freak on here thought the Q'ran was like New York New York ! So good he named it twice!. Copy and paste only once Mohammed - Al Taxi - Perva ok ? No need for duplicates? Allaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh
Ahh F u c k o f f Paki **** !