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Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity

 
Manticore
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09/02/2006 04:47 AM
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Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
The ancient cult of Mithras was surprisingly similar to early Christianity:-

1. They both believed in the existence of the soul, and the existence of Heaven above and Hell down below.
2. They both believed in final judgement, with the faithful being saved.
3. Christianity adopted December 25th as the birthday of Jesus, a date which had been previously reserved for Mithras' birthday.
4. Both Mithras and Christ were supposedly visited by shepherds and the Magi.
5. It is claimed that both considered their holy day to be Sunday.
6. Mithras performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons too.
7. Mithras carried the "keys to the kingdom of Heaven", just like St Peter.
8. He even had a Last Supper with twelve disciples, each representing a sign of the Zodiac.

There are more striking similarities here.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

What do you make of this?
Manticore  (OP)

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09/02/2006 04:54 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
As well as the above, both religions used the rite of baptism, and had a similar sacrament involving bread and wine.
Manticore  (OP)

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09/02/2006 05:06 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
So, did early Christianity plagiarise beliefs from the older cult of Mithras?

Are they both descended from the Egyptian saviour cult of Osiris?

Or is it all a big coincidence?
Peter
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09/02/2006 10:02 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Ok, here's the skinny.

What we know for sure is that a marriage occurred between Christianity and the Roman Empire government in the 4th century, and after that, the Empire started to exert very strict control over the religion. A thousand-year-long "Big-Brother-type" censorship campaign began then, in which all unapproved scriptures were outlawed. All such contraband, if found, was burned, and anyone caught in possession of it was executed.

That's what we know for sure.

We also know that yes, there are all these curious coincidences between Christianity and other religious cults of the same era, and the assumption is that the Roman government grafted these details into the Christian tradition after the Christian/Roman marriage, so as to make the religion more appealing to the Roman audience.

Fortunately, over the last century a number of those banned scriptures have been discovered by archaeologists (google "Nag Hammadi"), and they paint a strikingly different and unfamiliar picture of the religion, leaving modern man wondering how utterly the Roman/Christian marriage changed and adulterated the original form of the faith.

The Roman Church retained ONLY those pre-fourth-century texts that said what they wanted, and destroyed all that didn't. Thus, the modern church does possess ancient lists of "approved scriptures" that pre-date the Roman/Christian marriage, but those lists do not prove that other conflicting lists did not also exist prior to the fourth century. But because the Roman church destroyed the relevant evidence, we will never know for sure.

Many researchers, like myself, believe that the original form of the religion was radically different that what was passed down to us thru history, and a great number of people are currently trying to ascertain just what Original Christianity actually taught. My book, "Original Christianity", is but one example of such current efforts, and can be seen at [link to www.divisiontheory.com]

- Peter
Manticore  (OP)

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09/02/2006 10:18 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
constantine incorporated paganism into the church in the 4th century

so, how can this be surprising?
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 114312


It's just that the points I mentioned are integral beliefs in most Christian denominations. To see these beliefs duplicated in a different religion makes me question the veracity of Judeo-Christianity.
Anonymous Coward
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09/02/2006 10:34 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
We only have the Roman Catholic Church's word for what beliefs those early Christians had. After the Church was created, it adopted the name of Christian. Where did that name come from? What did it mean prior to the Catholic Church. There was an earlier prophet Krishna of India, also called Christos in the Greek. Buddhism and Brahmanism had infiltrated the Roman Empire.

There were various persecuted religious sects in the Roman Empire prior to Catholicism. They were persecuted and martyred for their beliefs. They hid out in the catecombs and were found and killed. They put the signs of their faith, a lamb, a fish, etc. on the walls of the catecombs. The Church says they were all the worshippers of a crucified Jesus. We only have the Church's word for that.

The Church incorporated the stories and scriptures of various religions into its new Catholic religion. Not only that, they used the names and deaths of some of those early martyred people and changed them into the new Christianity's martyrs and saints. If we could go back to the centuries before Catholicism, there would be not one sect that worshiped a crucified god named Jesus. Prometheus yes, but not Jesus. Krishna/Christos yes, but not Jesus. 'The Way' was Essene, not Jesus worship.
gadfly

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09/02/2006 11:11 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Actually the explanations for the similarities of ancient religions are explained in the Urantia Papers, the so-called Fifth Epochal Revelation.

"Adam and Eve" came to the planet 37,000 years ago and were the first bringers of the messages from Deity which became our various religions, distorted by time and lack of written languages.

Seth, a descendant of the being we call "Adam" sent missionaries out to all the known world about 35,000 years ago, preaching the word of God to the primitive people of Earth (Urantia).

Read it all in the 2000+ pages of the Urantia Book at www.urantiabook.org
Anonymous Coward
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09/02/2006 11:46 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
The Roman Church retained ONLY those pre-fourth-century texts that said what they wanted, and destroyed all that didn't. Thus, the modern church does possess ancient lists of "approved scriptures" that pre-date the Roman/Christian marriage, but those lists do not prove that other conflicting lists did not also exist prior to the fourth century. But because the Roman church destroyed the relevant evidence, we will never know for sure.

- Peter
 Quoting: Peter 136259


It's more likely that the Church under Eusebius' direction actually re-wrote the ancient texts to change the names and settings into Jesus stories and then destroyed the original teachings after producing their new Bible. Of course not all the books ended up being included but they had probably been worked on so as to be considered for inclusion. It has been reported that the Vatican places its people at the forefront whenever ancient texts or antiquities are found, so as to influence the translation of them or even prevent their being revealed to the world.


Also, according to Oahspe (channeled in 1881-1882) this is what happened:

"Now the Council had brought with them, in all, two thousand two hundred and thirty-one (2,231) books and legendary tales of gods and saviors and great men, together with a record of the doctrines taught by them.

Constantine said: Search these books, and whatsoever is good in them, that retain; but whatsoever is evil, that cast away. What is good in one book, unite with that which is good in another book. And whatsoever is thus brought together shall be called, The Book of Books. And it shall be the doctrine of my people, which I will recommend unto all nations, that there shall be no more war for religion's sake."
[link to www.angelfire.com]

After that Constantine and the Popes that followed him began to enforce the new religion across their kingdoms, persecuting and mass-murdering any who did not wish to accept the new religion, and brought on the dark ages of repression of science and education that lasted for centuries in all the areas controlled by the Church.
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 10:01 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Mithracism comes out of Zoroastrianism. This greatly influenced Jewish thought.


Basic beliefs
There is one universal and transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, the one Uncreated Creator to whom all worship is ultimately directed.
Ahura Mazda's creation—evident as asha, truth and order—is the antithesis of chaos, evident as druj, falsehood and disorder. The resulting conflict involves the entire universe, including humanity, which has an active role to play in the conflict.
Active participation in life through good thoughts, good words and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep the chaos at bay. This active participation is a central element in Zoroaster's concept of free will, and Zoroastrianism rejects all forms of monasticism.
Ahura Mazda will ultimately prevail over evil Angra Mainyu / Ahriman (see below), at which point the universe will undergo a cosmic renovation and time will end (cf: Zoroastrian eschatology). In the final renovation, all of creation—even the souls of the dead that were initially banished to "darkness"—will be reunited in Ahura Mazda returning to life in the undead form. At the end of time a savior-figure [a Saoshyant] will bring about a final renovation of the world, and in which the dead will be revived.[5]
There will then be a final purgation of evil from the Earth (through a tidal wave of molten metal) and a purgation of evil from the heavens (through a cosmic battle of spiritual forces).
*** AScension****
In the end good will triumph, and each person will find himself or herself transformed into a spiritualized body and soul.


Those who died as adults will be transformed into healthy adults of forty years of age, and those who died young will find themselves permanently youthful, about age fifteen.
** ascension philosophy**
In these new spiritual bodies, humans will live without food, without hunger or thirst, and without weapons (or possibility of bodily injury). The material substance of the bodies will be so light as to cast no shadow.
***one world order***
All humanity will speak a single language and belong to a single nation without borders. All will experience immortality (Ameretat) and will share a single purpose and goal, joining with the divine for a perpetual exaltation of God’s glory.[5]
In Zoroastrian tradition the malevolent is represented by Angra Mainyu (also referred to as "Ahriman"), the "Destructive Principle", while the benevolent is represented through Ahura Mazda's Spenta Mainyu, the instrument or "Bounteous Principle" of the act of creation. It is through Spenta Mainyu that transcendental Ahura Mazda is immanent in humankind, and through which the Creator interacts with the world. According to Zoroastrian cosmology, in articulating the Ahuna Vairya formula Ahura Mazda made His ultimate triumph evident to Angra Mainyu.
As expressions and aspects of Creation, Ahura Mazda emanated the Amesha Spentas ("Bounteous Immortals"), that are each the hypostasis and representative of one aspect of that Creation. These Amesha Spenta are in turn assisted by a league of lesser principles, the Yazatas, each "Worthy of Worship" and each again a hypostasis of a moral or physical aspect of creation.


Very interesting !!!
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 10:05 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
The Babylonian captivity, or Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 BCE. The captivity and subsequent return to Israel and rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple are pivotal events in the history of the Jews and Judaism, and had far-reaching impacts on the development of modern Jewish culture and practice.

The Kingdom of Judah (also known as the "Southern Kingdom") was created in c. 930 BCE on the split up of the United Monarchy.[1] David was made king over the tribe of Judah as early as 1007 BCE, and the Davidic line was followed by Judah for over 420 years, until the Kingdom fell in 586 BCE to the Babylonian Empire under Nebuzar-adan, captain of Nebuchadnezzar's body-guard.[2]

The exile to Babylon was a traumatic event in Jewish history, as the destruction of the political independence of the kingdom coincided with the destruction of the monarchy and of the First Temple of Jerusalem. Prior to this, several deportations of Judaean nobility and leading citizens occurred.[3] After the overthrow of Babylonia by the Persian Empire, the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great gave Jews permission to return to their homeland in 537 BCE, and more than 40,000 are said to have returned, as noted in the Biblical accounts of Jehoiakim, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The Babylonian captivity had a number of serious effects on Judaism and the Jewish culture, including changes to the Hebrew alphabet and changes in the fundamental practices and customs of the Jewish religion. This period saw the last high-point of Biblical prophecy in the person of Ezekiel, followed by the emergence of the central role of the Torah in Jewish life.[4] This process coincided with the emergence of scribes and sages as Jewish leaders (see Ezra and the Pharisees).

Prior to the exile, the Israelites had been organized on a tribal basis, while afterwards they came to be organized by clans, with only the tribe of Levi continuing in its special role. After the Babylonian captivity, there were always sizable numbers of Jews living outside Eretz Israel, thus marking one starting point of the "Jewish diaspora."[5]
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 10:10 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
How about Saul of Tarsus later Paul. The man never saw Jesus yet writes the most of the New Testament, and dosent even use any of Jesus's words. You would think the Disciples would have wrote a lot more of the New Testament. Plus Tarsus was a roman town and a major Mithras center.
mathetes

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05/01/2009 10:20 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
As well as the above, both religions used the rite of baptism, and had a similar sacrament involving bread and wine.
 Quoting: Manticore

You fall into the trap that 19th century writers made(IE Graves etc.) Who have been shown to be totally off base...using Christian terms like baptism to describe pagan rituals. Even your own link at lest admits that Quote "It(Mithra) was not based on a body of scripture, and hence very little written documentary evidence survives" Instead of Wiki I suggest,if your serious about research read The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World. New York: Oxford U. Press, 1989 and stay away from Graves,Acharya S etc
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 10:23 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Your claim for origins here is tenuous.

25th is the birth of the new sun, as it comes out of it's midwinter solstice.

Sunday is the say of the sun, Sol Invictus, a Roman holiday.

Several of the other elements belong to many doomsday cults.


The ancient cult of Mithras was surprisingly similar to early Christianity:-

1. They both believed in the existence of the soul, and the existence of Heaven above and Hell down below.
2. They both believed in final judgement, with the faithful being saved.
3. Christianity adopted December 25th as the birthday of Jesus, a date which had been previously reserved for Mithras' birthday.
4. Both Mithras and Christ were supposedly visited by shepherds and the Magi.
5. It is claimed that both considered their holy day to be Sunday.
6. Mithras performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons too.
7. Mithras carried the "keys to the kingdom of Heaven", just like St Peter.
8. He even had a Last Supper with twelve disciples, each representing a sign of the Zodiac.

There are more striking similarities here.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

What do you make of this?
 Quoting: Manticore
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 10:31 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
How about Saul of Tarsus later Paul. The man never saw Jesus yet writes the most of the New Testament, and dosent even use any of Jesus's words. You would think the Disciples would have wrote a lot more of the New Testament. Plus Tarsus was a roman town and a major Mithras center.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 669147


Yes. Good point!
wingedlion/whiterider​
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05/01/2009 11:48 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Yes, as I understand it, Satan wants to be "like the most high" it would be logical that he would inspire his followers to form a cult that looked like Christianity.
Anonymous Coward
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05/01/2009 11:52 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Yes, as I understand it, Satan wants to be "like the most high" it would be logical that he would inspire his followers to form a cult that looked like Christianity.
 Quoting: wingedlion/whiterider 661357



Except that they predate Christianity!

Christianity is the copycat.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 03:15 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Yes, as I understand it, Satan wants to be "like the most high" it would be logical that he would inspire his followers to form a cult that looked like Christianity.



Except that they predate Christianity!

Christianity is the copycat.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 481217



Satan was forewarned about her seed stomping on his head. Why else do you think Herod tried to kill the firstborn or even earlier, the pharoah for that matter. They knew what was coming from Genesis.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 03:26 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Magi---Magic--Druid--Fairy--Dragon--
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 03:35 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
The ancient cult of Mithras was surprisingly similar to early Christianity:-

1. They both believed in the existence of the soul, and the existence of Heaven above and Hell down below.
2. They both believed in final judgement, with the faithful being saved.
3. Christianity adopted December 25th as the birthday of Jesus, a date which had been previously reserved for Mithras' birthday.
4. Both Mithras and Christ were supposedly visited by shepherds and the Magi.
5. It is claimed that both considered their holy day to be Sunday.
6. Mithras performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons too.
7. Mithras carried the "keys to the kingdom of Heaven", just like St Peter.
8. He even had a Last Supper with twelve disciples, each representing a sign of the Zodiac.

There are more striking similarities here.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

What do you make of this?
 Quoting: Manticore




What do I make of this?

Any idiot knows that Satan COUNTERFEITS everything that God does. For everything genuine, there is Satans counterfeit.

This is such a simple truth, and yet so impossible to see, for the spiritually blind.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 03:45 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
How about Saul of Tarsus later Paul. The man never saw Jesus yet writes the most of the New Testament, and dosent even use any of Jesus's words. You would think the Disciples would have wrote a lot more of the New Testament. Plus Tarsus was a roman town and a major Mithras center.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 669147




The man never saw Jesus? What do you think BLINDED him? LOL!

He not only saw Him, he HEARD Him as well!
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 04:06 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
and stay away from Graves,Acharya S etc
 Quoting: mathetes


Sounds like someone doesnt want people reading differing versions.

Someone who wants the truth will read everything, and decide for themselves.

Damn near everything the catholic church ever put out there is BS.

The whole Jesus story is astro-theology. Jesus is the sun/son of god. Then is reborn each Dec 25, after "dying" for 3 days (the winter solstice; the sun is re-born)
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 08:11 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Down through time you have a solid line with a snake coiled to its length. It tries to chip away, hide, detract any which way it chooses, watch its actions.

Sacrifice to god ritual changed from flesh(paper) to meaning(behind the pen) in spirit and what animates us. What is behind the five senses? Maybe the pen had the answers. If you have seen what the pen wrote, you have seen the spiritual writer by his thoughtstrokes. What is action and how do you do? You have to be to get the action done. Be like Him whose thoughts showed the way. Don't just say.

Mithras was like many of the others, a counterfeit for your eyes. None of them did what Jesus did and they were forewarned about His coming.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 08:16 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Where are all of the bull motifs in the Christian church? They were big features in Mithraism.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 08:41 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Any idiot knows that Satan COUNTERFEITS everything that God does. For everything genuine, there is Satans counterfeit.

This is such a simple truth, and yet so impossible to see, for the spiritually blind.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 638659

Yes indeed - any "idiot" ... however, anyone one who has studied the topic from more than one source (and actually used books; preferably books that have PhD after the author's name), knows differently. There is no satan, there is no jesus, and there is no god. You fail.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 08:43 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Any idiot knows that Satan COUNTERFEITS everything that God does. For everything genuine, there is Satans counterfeit.

This is such a simple truth, and yet so impossible to see, for the spiritually blind.

Yes indeed - any "idiot" ... however, anyone one who has studied the topic from more than one source (and actually used books; preferably books that have PhD after the author's name), knows differently. There is no satan, there is no jesus, and there is no god. You fail.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 660574



What about history? Paintings and scripts?
Anonymous Coward
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
bump
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 09:58 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Any religion that worships a man, whether Julius Caesar or Jesus or any other man made into a god, is a false religion and does not know the true God.
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 10:02 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
There are more striking similarities here.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

 Quoting: Manticore


always a great.....and reliable source....

thanks!!!!!!!!
Anonymous Coward
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05/02/2009 10:06 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
Your claim for origins here is tenuous.

25th is the birth of the new sun, as it comes out of it's midwinter solstice.

Sunday is the say of the sun, Sol Invictus, a Roman holiday.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 296013

I believe the idea is that Christianity is of MIXED origins, and Mithraism was a Very Popular cult in Rome as was the cult of Sol that Constantine favored. In Greek influenced Rome, Cults were the thing! And early christianity included currents of eastern teachings and some wonderful pure creativity, a blossoming until it was stamped out by the armys of Imperial Roman orthodoxy.
In "The Apocalypse of Paul", one of the Nag Hamadi scriptures, Jesus takes apostle Paul on a visionary journey and shows him how His name will be used by the "blind ones" in the future. Paul gets upset and Jesus tells him to chill, this is what happens in the negative world.

A bit of "truth" spoken in this world will either be stamped out or will be polluted to the point where it can be used. It's not "Satan", it's the negative polarity that holds this world together. People channel both energies, negative and positive, and religions contain both too. "Truth" is neither.
ThreshingSword

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05/02/2009 10:16 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
I don't think you grasp the concept that Satan knew about Christianity before it was even formed.
Anonymous Coward
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05/04/2009 05:33 AM
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Re: Remarkable similarities between the cult of Mithras and early Christianity
I don't think you grasp the concept that Satan knew about Christianity before it was even formed.
 Quoting: ThreshingSword


That's like saying a character in a novel new the story line before it was written.





GLP