Can you name a Christian idea that didn't already exist in Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Greek or Egyptian religion

Question

This may require you to do research.

Answer 1

The idea that a deity became human in order to share His divinity with humans.

Answer 2

I think the big one, the one that really allowed Christianity to get moving on the whole Billboard Top Religions chart was the idea (introduced by Paul) that redemption through Christ wasn't limited to a single tribe or people. Jew and Gentile alike could be saved through Christ's ministry.

They would actively seek converts, and didn't care what Gods you used to worship.

This was a pretty new idea, essentially antithetical to the theology of, for example, Judaism - in which their God made a covenant to be the God of the Jews and only the Jews.

Religion was no longer limited along tribal/regional lines. This feature would later be put to good use by Empire builders (and still continues today) as a rallying cry and unifying force between disparate factions.

Answer 3

No, all of Christianity today is based from those previous "religions" that you mentioned...however, to clarify you must understand that paganism was the first religion on the planet and as follows with all things the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...the God that inspired all the writings of the Bible including some of those books not currently included in the 'canon' is the God of Truth and so fought fire with fire...of course Christianity has its roots in Judaism...and there is no single early pagan religion that is similar at all to Judaism...they all followed the pantheon of powerless gods that required human sacrifice and everything that was against God. Even the 10 Commandments shows that these people were to be a people separated to God...that was His entire goal. However, as with everything...we tend to muck it up one way or another..so the only pure religion in the world today according to God is this...

James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Almost all sects today have reverted back to some sort of paganistic practices and almost no christian religion urges their peeps to read the Bible for themselves. If you want to see the uniqueness of the Truth you have to look at the Bible...not at Christains who follow after the teachings of men and thier traditions. Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 4

uh, Judaism!?

The parallel argument has been declared dead by intelligent skeptics yet it still being spread by the uncritical and accepted by the gullible.

It's really fascinating how the parallel arguments always uses Christian terminology to describe pagan traditions.

With this as an approach, any ancient tradition involving water could be described as a "baptism," any pagan artwork depicting food and beverage could be characterized as a "Eucharist," any tradition involving an unusual birth of a pagan deity could be framed as a "miraculous birth" or as a "virgin birth," and any deity related to the agricultural cycle could be made into examples of "saviors" who "died" and were "resurrected."

Example: On "Black Friday, Attis was crucified on a tree, from which his holy blood ran down to redeem the earth."

Attis died under a tree, not crucified on it; there is no reference to it happening on a Friday, much less a "Black" one; Attis did shed blood, but all it did was make flowers (especially violets), in some stories -- if you want to call that "redeeming" the earth, then maybe your local farmer is doing the same thing by rotating the crops. It sure didn't "redeem" anything or anyone with reference to sin or do those of us outside the floral business a heck of a lot of good.

Answer 5

You do know that Christianity and Judaism started on the same page right? How about the trinity, a part of God- Jesus coming to Earth to die for the worlds sins....

Answer 6

The very core of Christianity is completely unique in that God will NOT accept any sacrifice that we offer Him as atonement for ours sins. Christianity teaches, that God only recognizes the blood of His own Son as a sufficient sacrifice, and only those who agree to this and humbly accept God's grace can be redeemed from God's judgment.
All other religions puts the burden of redemption on our backs.

Answer 7

Well, I know morbid sexual neuroses existed before Christianity, but the Christians certainly took them to new heights.

Actually, haysoos is right on the money with his remarks. Christianity took hold in the early days because it accepted all comers - beginning, of course, with the slave classes.

As for layawakex, I'm sorry, but don't imagine that you speak for "intelligent skeptics," and that only the "gullible" buy the argument for parallelism. Every responsible historian worth his salt knows that Christianity is composite, a hotch-pot of stolen goods. It's a product of the fact that Rome was spreading civilization, and travel was opening up. The local gods had done very well while travel was rare; but as their devotees began to wander, a clash was imminent. So the priests took counsel, and devised a composite rite, with a composite story to suit. Each priest, by the slightest modification of his own ritual, could join the "trust," and keep or even increase his revenues. It was simply good business.

Then there's Linda, who says "All other religions puts (sic) the burden of redemption on our backs" - as if this is a bad thing! No, who wants to be responsible for himself. I'd much rather be vicariously redeemed through the sacrifice of another, to atone for an "original sin" that wasn't even mine. Christianity is nothing less than the total abdication of all personal responsibility.

Answer 8

This is a false premise, actually.
Adam and Eve knew the truth about God
from the beginning and it was passed down
through the ages and cultures in different skewed forms.
The creation was praised and the creator was
no longer praised after a while.
Revelations do occur, though.
Christ fulfilled everything and arose from
the grave.

Answer 9

Yes.

The transitory nature of the material world. All the other faiths sought sympathetic ritual ties to the material world, and related their religious experiences to said material world. That is the major leap of Christianity against other faiths, and one model that islam coppied well.

Answer 10

Televangelists

Answer 11

The whole point of Christianity is that it further reveals the truths of Judaism....it is a further revelation. Jesus said I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.