How much of Christianity is based on Paganism?

So it was the first to have stories of virgin birth? Trinities? Divine sacrifices?

Better question: What part of Christianity is original?

Traditions are a part of a religion, so they must be accounted for too. They are every bit as relevant as a religious text.


The entirety of a religion does not reside in it's religious texts. Oral traditions, customs and traditions are a part of the religion itself.

The Bible need not mention these things for them to be a part of the religion.

Traditions are a part of a religion, so they must be accounted for too. They are every bit as relevant as a religious text.

But I repeat myself.

T
K
O

Its interesting that the minority who state that Christ was not a historical figure are NOT theologians but are mostly historians and these guys summon up the bases of Christianityu as coming from the various myths of several unrelated cultures.


Course I have one of Jesus High school photos that he autographed

You would be aware of how Jewish Jesus was ? You only have to take religion from there, where Jesus left it, and you can see how much has been altered by people since then. Perhaps if the cross had a naked Jesus and people could see he had no foreskin it might go a long way to preventing anti-semetism in christians.

And how the Dead Sea Scrolls had different versions of the same text ? So even before Jesus, the Old Testament had grown from several authors. Religion is something the priestly class can not leave alone. They have power issues and they have to keep changing it.

Historians can make a name for themselves, not by going with the accepted version but by compiling as much evidence as they can against it. They usually have some success because the reply to their theory is quite arduous but far more accurate.

I have no opinion because its of little consequence. Im always interested in how various scholars pursue the same trail of crumbs.

Im sure theres plenty of that(not that we should scoff at evidence since forensics is the tool that even the theologians would love to have). Im also sure that theologians can have their own reputations exalted by similr arcane dicussions of what they claim are historical points of reference many of which seem to have no forensic trail at all.

What trumps what is merely a means to keep score.

Definitely.

My argument with the religious zealots usually goes along the line that if the Devil is the enemy, why couldnt he have distorted some aspects of religion ? Their reply is invariably based along the lines of it would diminsh their authority, but they cant see that for their ego.

It happened the other way around. People created elements of christianity from their previous experiences with Paganism. It's pretty clear from the historical record that many of the elements that form the foundation of christianity originated in Paganism.

My question wasn't "if" christianity was based in Paganism, it obviously is. My question was "how much" of it was derived from Paganism, and it's become clear that most of it was.

Any argument that Christianity is not based on paganism, that it is entirely original is beggared by the evidence within the scripture itself. Leaving aside the contradictions and the historical absurdities within scripture, the orthodox canon has Jesus saying that not one jot or tittle of the law shall pass away until the end of time. The law to which he refers is embodied in the Pentateuch, and that includes all of the killing of homosexuals, of adulterous women, of unruly children--but modern Christians are quick to deny that they are any longer bound by those laws. Additionally, it is obvious from the Pauline passages that when the church leaders in the first century of the cult wished to appeal to the basically Hellenistic world of the middle east, they quickly dropped many of the requirements of what was essentially a Jewish sect. (The insistence of the putative Jesus on strict adherence to the law marks him out as a member of or at the least a product of the Essene movement, and especially all the slurs he heaped on the Pharisees.) One really obvious one was the lifting of the requirement for circumcision, and additionally, the imposition of silence on women in church and the requirement that they cover their heads harks back to many, many centuries of Greek practice in their own polytheistic temples.

Any Christian claiming that Christianity were original is either profoundly ignorant, or willfully self-deluded. TKO's question--"Better question: What part of Christianity is original?"--very poignantly addresses the delusion of Christians who claim there is no paganism in their religion.

The Onion: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/sumerians_look_on_in_confusion_as

Ever since you posted that I have been thinking, trying to come up with something that was original to Christianity and I can only present some minor aspects, such as Papal Bulls. But even there, they are more housekeeping then original until you come to Papal Infallability, and that was in 1870 by a Vatican Council under great duress.

Apparently the 7 Days for Creation is also derived from pre-christian (Pagan) stories. http://able2know.org/topic/110967-1

Thats why the world is in such disrepair now. People that believe in something and they don't really know what it is. Because they don't want to. Thats just as crazy.

about 87% give or take a few based on denomination

What 13% is uniquely Christian?

not christian, it's all either Jewish or Pagan, and often politically oriented

In Russia from 120 millions russians 17 millions is pagan. In Ukraine from 85 millions 9 millions is pagan. In Belarussia from 10 millions 25 000 is pagans. In Poland from 39 millions 39 000 is pagans.

Everybody can come on a forum and write some crap.

Your figures are made up.

Example:

Yeah, but there probably are a lot of pagans in Russia.
And a great deal of nominal christianity incorporates pagan beliefs and rituals.. Perhaps that makes them neo pagans.

No, not neo. ER, nuveau pagans

God himself pokes fun at heathen practices-
"Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." (Jeremiah 10:5)


Christianity trashed paganism completely, firstly by OVERWRITING their heathen rituals by turning Christmas and Easter into celebrations of Jesus's birth and sacrifice, and also by STOMPING ancient pagan sites into the ground by building churches on top of them..

let us not forget context my friend, if you study the text you will note that Jeremiah was talking to God, praising him over the idols of the land, and not God talking to man. Neither God nor Jeremiah were telling man that idolatry is harmless

1 Corinthians 10:20 - No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

Another point for you to consider. Does it not concern you that you are accepting the work of denominations that you yourself have said to have seen the fingerprints of the devil all over, as the work of God?

A tragedy, if you ask me.

But to answer the thread's question, no human idea or system or religion is 100% new; they all borrow a lot from prior ideas and systems and religions. Christianity is no exception.