Unique concepts of Christianity

[Confused]

I look at how Christianity has spread like wildfire since the time it became the "Official Religion" of Rome. Then I look at its scripture, its celebrations, its heritage and I have to wonder, what is so unique about it? Is there any portion of Christianity that is soley related to it alone? In other words, is there anything found within Christianity that doesn't have roots from an older religion? For example, the creation myth can also be found dating back to before the OT in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Many Christian traditions are celebrated on dates not coinciding with dates of the bible or they coincide with a previous religions/beliefs such as the birth of Christ was celebrate on Jan 6 in early Christian dates (http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa1.htm) as was the Alexandria God-man Aion, the death and resurrection of Christ dates coincide also with the Mithraites Attis death and resurrection. Rituals done for Christians have a history of being done in other religions as well:

Early Christians initiated converts in March and April by baptism. Mithraism initiated their new members at this time as well.
Early Christians were naked when they were baptized. After immersion, they then put on white clothing and a crown. They carried a candle and walked in a procession to a basilica. Followers of Mithra were also baptized naked, put on white clothing and a crown, and walked in a procession to the temple. However, they carried torches.
At Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were recorded as speaking in tongues. At Trophonius and Delos, the Pagan priestesses also spoke in tongues: They appeared to speak in such a way that each person present heard her words in the observer's own language.
An inscription to Mithras reads: "He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made on with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation." 1 In John 6:53-54, Jesus is said to have repeated this theme: "...Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (KJV)
The Bible records that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One went to heaven and the other to hell. In the Mithras mysteries, a common image showed Mithras flanked by two torchbearers, one on either side. One held a torch pointed upwards, the other downwards. This symbolized ascent to heaven or descent to hell.
In Attis, a bull was slaughtered while on a perforated platform. The animal's blood flowed down over an initiate who stood in a pit under the platform. The believer was then considered to have been "born again." Poor people could only afford a sheep, and so were literally washed in the blood of the lamb. This practice was interpreted symbolically by Christians.
There were many additional points of similarity between Mithraism and Christianity. 2 St. Augustine even declared that the priests of Mithraism worshiped the same God as he did: Followers of both religions celebrated a ritual meal involving bread. It was called a missa in Latin or mass in English.
Both the Catholic church and Mithraism had a total of seven sacraments.
Epiphany, JAN-6, was originally the festival in which the followers of Mithra celebrated the visit of the Magi to their newborn god-man. The Christian Church took it over in the 9th century.

This along with many other things leads me to search for anything in Christianity that may be considered unique to Christianity.

[bernee51]

And the best way I can do that here on this earth is by service to my fellow human being. Loving and caring for them as God loves and cares for me.[/b]
Cheers my friend Bernee!

Then we follow a similar path. For reasons different to yours I believe developing and promoting a loving, compassionate attitude to all living things with a view to promoting the happiness of others is 'the best way'.

So that too is not unique to christianity.

This is perhaps a little off topic...

Tell me does 'loving and caring' of others include motivation to convert them to your beliefs?

[joer]

Hey Bernee! I'm glad we're on similar paths!

You wrote:

Tell me does 'loving and caring' of others include motivation to convert them to your beliefs?

Quite simply...NO.

But it does include sharing things with them That I believe they may find uplifting. To some that might mean sharing an understanding of God to others it might mean Intervening in their suicide attempts, starting a STD, birth control and drug abuse free clinic for youth, breaking up deadly bar fights, stopping to help people out of wreaks that had just occurred, help fight fires, pulling cars out of ditches, changing tires for people on the road, inviting an elderly neighbor for dinner or taking them shopping or to an appointment and many many other things that don't include conversion.

Besides I wouldn't want anybody to convert to my beliefs unless they had a desire too. But I would love to help people find their own way to and understanding of GOD via their own belief system and religious preferences.

Cheers Bernee!

[bernee51]

Hey Bernee! I'm glad we're on similar paths!

You wrote:

Tell me does 'loving and caring' of others include motivation to convert them to your beliefs?

Quite simply...NO.

That is most encouraging. I have long held that a religion of conversion is a religion of violence.

Besides I wouldn't want anybody to convert to my beliefs unless they had a desire too. But I would love to help people find their own way to and understanding of GOD via their own belief system and religious preferences.

Even if, in finding that understanding, they were to reject god and religion.

[joer]

Bernee you wrote:

That is most encouraging. I have long held that a religion of conversion is a religion of violence.

Your probably right for the most part on that one as well as it being a religion of crystallization of truths into dogmas. The truth is meant to be as you say a living vibrant truth that evolves changes and adapts to the experience of generation after generation to maintain it validity and integrity through the millennia.

and then this:

Even if, in finding that understanding, they were to reject god and religion.

I will not lead them to reject God and religion but if that is where they are at I will not reject them because of their beliefs. I would try to lead them to make God and religion something personal and alive for them even if it was unique and only if they were willing to entertain those ideas and concepts.

[Confused]

Confused wrote:

This along with many other things leads me to search for anything in Christianity that may be considered unique to Christianity.

I have two thoughts on this Confused.

One, It's silly to believe the concepts Christ's clarified with unique or originated in Him as a man of the realm. Clearly If God has always been around and as you so aptly pointed out His message to mankind has been constant and from many sources. Just reading the bible you can see how through the prophets and other biblical characters God has been trying to teach man the right way to live for thousands and thousands of years through many many sources. And WE (humankind) have been consistent even to today in our rejection of God's teachings.

A better question would be is why have we as humans rejected God's message to us to live peaceful righteous lives in every religion and from every source that God has tried to reach us through?

The second response of course is Christ! Christ is unique to Christianity. All the other concepts you mentioned that were not from Christ may have been consistent with what Christ taught but came from other sources. But if they taught God's constant message to us. That there is one God and we should love each other as God loves us. that message has been given to us over and over again through thousands and thousands of sources in many many ways of expression!

But why do we continue to reject it? Even unto today? That.... is the question!

Peace be with all of us at this site!

Thank you for your respectful insight here. I always am happy to see a response that is sincere.

Those are good questions. But not of this thread. I do have a question of your though. Is it just the name Christ that you refer to being unique? Or the concept or teachings of Christ? Of coure, the title Christ is unique. I never considered this and am thankful you have pointed out the obvious. Of all the posts on this thread, you have succeeded in pointing out something that is the simplest of all, yet all have missed it. My hat off to you for the KISS (keep it simple stupid) reminder. Very refreshing.

[Confused]

Hey Bernee! I'm glad we're on similar paths!

You wrote:

Tell me does 'loving and caring' of others include motivation to convert them to your beliefs?

Quite simply...NO.

That is most encouraging. I have long held that a religion of conversion is a religion of violence.

Besides I wouldn't want anybody to convert to my beliefs unless they had a desire too. But I would love to help people find their own way to and understanding of GOD via their own belief system and religious preferences.

Even if, in finding that understanding, they were to reject god and religion.

Nice statement Bernee. A religion of conversion is a religion of violence. You say a lot in that one sentence. I think many extremists and even some who aren't extreme, but overly passionate about sharing the word of Christ or even trying to spread it often turn to the violent way to force the conversion and that is sad for organized religion. It is like many have forgotten that Christ used means of peace to teach, not force. Now granted, He did a lot of condemning there towards the end. But He Himself never used force to make people belive Him. He used words. It would fare well for many to remember this. Perhaps there would be less condemning and less violence if they did. Conversion by any means necessary is a regression in religion. It is like returning to the early days of the Holy wars and spanish inquisition. Why must one revert to violence and ignorant acts if they are so sure of what the teachings of Christ say. Should the teachings themselves be strong enough to guarantee a conversion. It seems as though those who revert to violence or scare tactics to get others to believe them have less faith in the teachings of Christ than those who simply spread the word and allow others to make the decision for themselves. If the teachings of Christ/God are so powerful, violence or fear shouldn't be required to get man to see the way to this enlightenment.

[joer]

Thanks for the positive replies Confused. Not just to one side or the other but to all. It very encouraging. Let me address your question to me.

Is it just the name Christ that you refer to being unique? Or the concept or teachings of Christ?

Thanks for asking Confused. Yes I meant the personage of Christ as being unique. And what ever that added or detracted from the concepts He discussed being Christ’s unique bent or contribution to those ideas. For example see what you think about this as one small example of how Jesus contributed to the positive development of people’s perspectives on accepted concepts of the day:

Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate the better half of a Scripture while he repudiated the lesser portion. His great exhortation, "Love your neighbor as yourself," he took from the Scripture which reads: "You shall not take vengeance against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus appropriated the positive portion of this Scripture while rejecting the negative part. He even opposed negative or purely passive nonresistance. Said he: "When an enemy smites you on one cheek, do not stand there dumb and passive but in positive attitude turn the other; that is, do the best thing possible actively to lead your brother in error away from the evil paths into the better ways of righteous living." Jesus required his followers to react positively and aggressively to every life situation. The turning of the other cheek, or whatever act that may typify, demands initiative, necessitates vigorous, active, and courageous expression of the believer's personality.

Often times when we find ourselves livng more fully and positively in Life it can often be more of a change in our prespective than a change in the conditions that surround us. Somehow we find this renewed inner strenght and confidence that is not overwhelmed by the challenges we face. I believe much of th esuccess of Jesus' teachings is the affect it on changing people's prespective from one of despair to one of hope.

Thus one of his most misunderstood concepts was the "Kingdon of Heaven" wgich he quite literally meant "is within you".

[Jester]

the same is TRUE/MORE-SO of Judaism. they were to be a light to the world by the grace of God not because they earned it.

This is definitely a very valid point, and though my answer is brief (due to time constraints) I don't want to leave you with the impression that I think this is not an intelligent arguement.
Where I disagree, however, is in the fact that the laws and the sacrifices of Judaism, while pointing to grace, do still hold a certain amount of salvation on merit. The Christian argument is as follows: the God of the Old Testament is clearly offering a message of grace, but it is not fully recognized as such until Christ. I'd say that this is a fair argument even from a secular perspective.

[Cogitoergosum]

Thanks for the positive replies Confused. Not just to one side or the other but to all. It very encouraging. Let me address your question to me.

Is it just the name Christ that you refer to being unique? Or the concept or teachings of Christ?

Thanks for asking Confused. Yes I meant the personage of Christ as being unique. And what ever that added or detracted from the concepts He discussed being Christ’s unique bent or contribution to those ideas. For example see what you think about this as one small example of how Jesus contributed to the positive development of people’s perspectives on accepted concepts of the day:

Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate the better half of a Scripture while he repudiated the lesser portion. His great exhortation, "Love your neighbor as yourself," he took from the Scripture which reads: "You shall not take vengeance against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus appropriated the positive portion of this Scripture while rejecting the negative part. He even opposed negative or purely passive nonresistance. Said he: "When an enemy smites you on one cheek, do not stand there dumb and passive but in positive attitude turn the other; that is, do the best thing possible actively to lead your brother in error away from the evil paths into the better ways of righteous living." Jesus required his followers to react positively and aggressively to every life situation. The turning of the other cheek, or whatever act that may typify, demands initiative, necessitates vigorous, active, and courageous expression of the believer's personality.

Often times when we find ourselves livng more fully and positively in Life it can often be more of a change in our prespective than a change in the conditions that surround us. Somehow we find this renewed inner strenght and confidence that is not overwhelmed by the challenges we face. I believe much of th esuccess of Jesus' teachings is the affect it on changing people's prespective from one of despair to one of hope.

Thus one of his most misunderstood concepts was the "Kingdon of Heaven" wgich he quite literally meant "is within you".

Do you know Joer that these teachings (non aggressivness, turn the other cheeck...) have been taught by plato and other adherents of the pagan mystery religion hundreds of years before christ? Those pagan mystery religions were most of them persecuted because they broke off with mainstream religion and tried to teach people to have a personal relationship with their god(s). It sounds like christianity is the mystery religion that broke off judaism.

[joer]

Cogitoergosum wrote”

Do you know Joer that these teachings (non aggressivness, turn the other cheeck...) have been taught by plato and other adherents of the pagan mystery religion hundreds of years before christ? Those pagan mystery religions were most of them persecuted because they broke off with mainstream religion and tried to teach people to have a personal relationship with their god(s). It sounds like christianity is the mystery religion that broke off judaism.

Cogitoergosum,
I’m sure those ideas were extant even before Plato and other adherents of pagan mystery religion and many other sources thousands of years before them, just as today people are breaking with mainstream religion and again pushing for the recognition of that personal relationship with God and the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind regardless of the organized religion or non-religion you pertain to.

Thank you my friend.