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.

[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.

where did you get this information from and how do you know the source to be reliable (i'm speaking of your comparing Christianity and Mithraism)

the difference between Christianity and any other religion......is grace. This is the only one that dares to claim we cant reach God by our works, but that He has reached down to us by His work on the cross. blessings

Why don't you readdress this post after you go through each post in this thread and read all the various resources/links provided. I make no assertion that ALL of Christianity's concepts are revised versions of those from Mithraism alone. I do use that one as an example, but if you have read through these threads you should have found many other ancient religions and texts that it mimics, and all predate Christianity, most predate even the Torah (Judaism).

[Easyrider]

I make no assertion that ALL of Christianity's concepts are revised versions of those from Mithraism alone. I do use that one as an example, but if you have read through these threads you should have found many other ancient religions and texts that it mimics, and all predate Christianity, most predate even the Torah (Judaism).

There may well be some simularities. A question for you is which similar ones were passed down from the lineage of Adam via God's spiritual influence?

But the Biblical record is clear that Judaism developed independently from pagan religions. It was the Biblical God himself who directed and influenced Adam down to the Patriarchs. It was God who gave the Law to Moses. It was God who told the Jews not to engage in unbiblical pagan beliefs and practices. If the pagans were the ones in charge then it is highly doubtful they would have allowed a theology (Judaism) in which pagan beliefs and influences were forbidden. And it was Judaism, not other pagan religions, in which Christianity has its roots.

It is not enough for you to say there are simularities. I think you need to document the Jews adopting specific pagan beliefs that make up their traditional Biblical teachings. Find a simularity and identify who and when it was supposedly copied into Judaism.

[Cathar1950]

Confused - as for Gilgamesh, it's entirely possible that they got the basic flood account handed down to them from the descendents of Noah.

Given there wasn't a flood it is hard to agrue Noah handed down anything.
A reworked myth make more sense as the
Sumerians and the Babylonian had it centuries before Israel. There were also dying and rising gods being sacrificed.
It is not so much copied as influenced and used. Much of the NT used Hebrew writings the same way.

[Confused]

I make no assertion that ALL of Christianity's concepts are revised versions of those from Mithraism alone. I do use that one as an example, but if you have read through these threads you should have found many other ancient religions and texts that it mimics, and all predate Christianity, most predate even the Torah (Judaism).

There may well be some simularities. A question for you is which similar ones were passed down from the lineage of Adam via God's spiritual influence?

But the Biblical record is clear that Judaism developed independently from pagan religions. It was the Biblical God himself who directed and influenced Adam down to the Patriarchs. It was God who gave the Law to Moses. It was God who told the Jews not to engage in unbiblical pagan beliefs and practices. If the pagans were the ones in charge then it is highly doubtful they would have allowed a theology (Judaism) in which pagan beliefs and influences were forbidden. And it was Judaism, not other pagan religions, in which Christianity has its roots.

It is not enough for you to say there are simularities. I think you need to document the Jews adopting specific pagan beliefs that make up their traditional Biblical teachings. Find a simularity and identify who and when it was supposedly copied into Judaism.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't it you who asserted in a previous post that the Epic of Gilgamesh could be about Noah, etc just passed down verbally from one generation to another until it was finally written down? So if your own post is valid and not just you spouting out junk, then how is this not an example of something starting with a pagan-like culture then reverting into current theology.

I am done citing sources. I will reply to you the same as the previous person, go through the thread and look up those sources cited by both myself, bernee and whoever else. But quit ignoring previous posts at your leisure in an attempt to make me replicate what has already been documented.

The beliefs are the same, the methods of obtaining them are what distinguishes the various religions apart. However, as has been shown by all the previous links cited, the similarities are too blatant to ignore. If you want exact, well tell me, how exact is the KJV of the bible to the New KJV to the NIV, etc... How exact is the NT Nicene creed to the later creed in which the trinity was explicitly stated?

[katiej49]

Yes christian apologetics had to look hard for a difference with other religions. And finally they cam out with the GRACE BS.
For your infoin mythology a big number of gods have reached down and helped humans.[/quote]

again i ask...sources and references for the idea that christianity borrowed from mithra. can you quote any mithran writings? of course mythology has a big number of gods. it is mythology though. never claims to be the Way, as does Jesus. never claims to be anything but...myth.

[Cogitoergosum]

I make no assertion that ALL of Christianity's concepts are revised versions of those from Mithraism alone. I do use that one as an example, but if you have read through these threads you should have found many other ancient religions and texts that it mimics, and all predate Christianity, most predate even the Torah (Judaism).

There may well be some simularities. A question for you is which similar ones were passed down from the lineage of Adam via God's spiritual influence?

But the Biblical record is clear that Judaism developed independently from pagan religions. It was the Biblical God himself who directed and influenced Adam down to the Patriarchs. It was God who gave the Law to Moses. It was God who told the Jews not to engage in unbiblical pagan beliefs and practices. If the pagans were the ones in charge then it is highly doubtful they would have allowed a theology (Judaism) in which pagan beliefs and influences were forbidden. And it was Judaism, not other pagan religions, in which Christianity has its roots.

It is not enough for you to say there are simularities. I think you need to document the Jews adopting specific pagan beliefs that make up their traditional Biblical teachings. Find a simularity and identify who and when it was supposedly copied into Judaism.

The jews were polytheistic until about 400 bc, they were influenced a lot by pagan beliefs, especially egyptians, summerians and babylonians as all the old testament are reworked myths from these cultures.

[Cogitoergosum]

Yes christian apologetics had to look hard for a difference with other religions. And finally they cam out with the GRACE BS.
For your infoin mythology a big number of gods have reached down and helped humans.

again i ask...sources and references for the idea that christianity borrowed from mithra. can you quote any mithran writings? of course mythology has a big number of gods. it is mythology though. never claims to be the Way, as does Jesus. never claims to be anything but...myth. [/quote]

You know maybe mithra is not the best example to use as some say (erroneously) that the new testament was written before. Bu i suggest you read about osiris: God who died was resurrected, judges people after they die if they were good they spend eternity with osiris if they were bad a dog god eats their heart and they suffer for eternity. In his cult they serrve the sacramant, ale and bread representing the blood and flesh of osiris, as egyptians thought if they ate a god they would become like him. Do you find similarities with christianity there?
for references google Osiris and you will find plenty.

[katiej49]

Yes christian apologetics had to look hard for a difference with other religions. And finally they cam out with the GRACE BS.
For your infoin mythology a big number of gods have reached down and helped humans.

again i ask...sources and references for the idea that christianity borrowed from mithra. can you quote any mithran writings? of course mythology has a big number of gods. it is mythology though. never claims to be the Way, as does Jesus. never claims to be anything but...myth.

You know maybe mithra is not the best example to use as some say (erroneously) that the new testament was written before. Bu i suggest you read about osiris: God who died was resurrected, judges people after they die if they were good they spend eternity with osiris if they were bad a dog god eats their heart and they suffer for eternity. In his cult they serrve the sacramant, ale and bread representing the blood and flesh of osiris, as egyptians thought if they ate a god they would become like him. Do you find similarities with christianity there?
for references google Osiris and you will find plenty.[/quote]

you telling me to Google it shows me you have no references or sources at all. I am asking for the mithran writings which would confirm it. do you have them? can you quote them?

[Cogitoergosum]

you telling me to Google it shows me you have no references or sources at all. I am asking for the mithran writings which would confirm it. do you have them? can you quote them?

Beati popere spiritu.
by saying to you all that you had to do was google it means there is so many writings about it it is nauseating. The fact that you did not do that already and want them posted for you, it means you have no interest in finding anything for yourself. Maybe you like to have people tell you what to do (for example the preist). Well despite the fact that i would rather have you read about osiris still this is a part on mithra, enjoy:

Mithra
Other spellings: Mitra, Mithras
God of Indo-Iranian religion. He was the god of light and wisdom, and appears also to have been the god of oath and mutual obligation.
The cult of Mithra originated from the Mesopotamian kingdom of Mitanni in the 2nd millennium BCE. Some theories reconstruct his origin to India, mentioned first time around 1400 BCE.
Mithra would become perhaps the most important religious export item throughout the next 1500 years, being passed on to every major civilization of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and deep into Europe, reaching as far as the British Isles. He was important in Zoroastrianism, with the Greeks and had his own dedicated cult within the Roman Empire. Many see Mithra as one of the models for Christianity's Jesus.
In its Assyrian and Babylonian versions in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE, Mithra was nothing less than the god of the sun. The dominating myth relating to Mithra was where he slain a divine bull, from which all good plants and animals came. This myth would follow him through all later developments.
Mithra had an annual celebration, relating to his birth. This occurred around winter solstice, and would at some time in history be fixed to December 25.
Mithra is mentioned in the Zoroastrian writings, although not by Zarathustra himself, as the chief yazata, which is a benevolent spirit. Zoroastrianism placed Mithra as a lesser deity than Ahura Mazda, but would in a later theological stage define him as Ahura Mazda's earthly representation. His function was to protect the souls and see them safe on their journey to Paradise.
Around 400 BCE the Zoroastrians provided for Mithra a mother, Anahita. In a temple from 200 BCE she was referred to as "The Immaculate Virgin Mother of Lord Mithra".
The Zoroastrian version of Mithra survived the longest in Armenia, which also became the first country to embrace Christianity as state religion.
The Greeks came from the 4th century to identify Mithra with the Greek sun god Helios. For the Greeks, the slaying of the bull was a central motive.
In its Roman shape, Mithra was named Mithras. From the 3nd century CE he became identified with the god Sol Invictus, which also incorporated the popular cult of Apollo. In 274, the cult of Sol Invictus was made official.
The Roman mythology of Mithras can only be reconstructed from surviving imagery and indirect accounts. Mithras is represented as closely associated with the creation of the cosmos. What is most possibly a depiction of Mithras, we see him being born from an egg while 12 signs of the zodiac surround him. In total, Mithraic iconography relates closely to heavenly objects.
Followers of Mithras were subject to strict regulations in their battle for the victory of light and truth.
In other accounts Mithras dies, is buried in a cave and then resurrected. The cave plays another important role as being the place where Mithras slain the sacred bull. The cave would in Roman Mithraism become the hall of congregation for members of the cult.

Encyclopedia of the orient
http://i-cias.com/e.o/mithra.htm

[Confused]

Yes christian apologetics had to look hard for a difference with other religions. And finally they cam out with the GRACE BS.
For your infoin mythology a big number of gods have reached down and helped humans.

again i ask...sources and references for the idea that christianity borrowed from mithra. can you quote any mithran writings? of course mythology has a big number of gods. it is mythology though. never claims to be the Way, as does Jesus. never claims to be anything but...myth.

[/quote]
And again, I will tell you to review the threads posts. Several were offered, not just mithraism.