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.

[The Duke of Vandals]

I look at how Christianity has spread like wildfire since the time it became the "Official Religion" of Rome.

Not to go off-topic, but Christianity didn't really spread the way most Christians believe:

Constantine had no power-base in the east from which to mount a bid for the throne – but he had been at Nicomedia in 303 when Diocletian had decided to purge the Roman state of the disloyal Christian element. He had also served under Galerius on the Danube and witnessed at first-hand how the favoured Galerius – designated heir and rival – in particular despised the cult of Christ.

The ambitious and ruthless prince, from his base in Trier, immediately proclaimed himself 'protector of the Christians.' But it was not the handful of Jesus worshippers in the west that Constantine had in mind – there had not, after all, been any persecution in the west – but the far more numerous congregation in the east. They constituted a tiny minority within the total population (perhaps as few as 2%) but the eastern Christians were an organised force of fanatics, in many cities holding important positions in state administration. Some held posts even within the imperial entourage.

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/Constantine.htm

Getting back on-topic, I can't imagine that a ruler declaring "Religion X is now the state religion" is in any way unique to Christianity.

[Cogitoergosum]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion.
Egyptians and assyrians/babylonians shaped the old testament and the most of the new. The new had some more influences from buddhism. All of these predated christianity.

[Confused]

So I am guessing that no theist is open to this challenge? I find it amazing that such a vast congregation has absolutely nothing unique about it. Nor any explanation as to why this is so. It would appear one could equate Christianity with the United States: a melting pot of differences coming together to form one solid entity.

[Easyrider]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

[Confused]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

1) Attis

2) Been repeated back as far a Pagan beliefs. Site I gave in OP shows this.

[Goat]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

In that case, there is no such things as 'salvation'.

[Cogitoergosum]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

Osiris, died was resurrected and all dead egyptians would have to stand before him. They have to step on a balance if they are good the balance is tiped towards it and they are saved and live for eternity with osiris, if not their heart is eaten by a dog god and they suffer eternally.
now osiris is mythical because we now recognise it as so, in old egypt he was as real as your jesus. soon enough, jesus will be seen as mythical as osiris by future generations.

[Easyrider]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

Osiris, died was resurrected and all dead egyptians would have to stand before him. They have to step on a balance if they are good the balance is tiped towards it and they are saved and live for eternity with osiris, if not their heart is eaten by a dog god and they suffer eternally.
now osiris is mythical because we now recognise it as so, in old egypt he was as real as your jesus. soon enough, jesus will be seen as mythical as osiris by future generations.

It's been 2,000 years and the resurrection of Jesus has about 1 billion converts, and is growing. That dwarfs Osiris all day long.

You might also read the following concerning pagan claims compared to Jesus:

Refuting Mithra, Osiris, etc.

http://www.geocities.com/metagetics/JCMyth_1.html

[Goat]

i would challenge anybody to find something in christianity that was not present earlier in an other religion

Salvation by grace, and a real (not mythical) resurrected Savior and God.

Osiris, died was resurrected and all dead egyptians would have to stand before him. They have to step on a balance if they are good the balance is tiped towards it and they are saved and live for eternity with osiris, if not their heart is eaten by a dog god and they suffer eternally.
now osiris is mythical because we now recognise it as so, in old egypt he was as real as your jesus. soon enough, jesus will be seen as mythical as osiris by future generations.

It's been 2,000 years and the resurrection of Jesus has about 1 billion converts, and is growing. That dwarfs Osiris all day long.

You might also read the following concerning pagan claims compared to Jesus:

Refuting Mithra, Osiris, etc.

http://www.geocities.com/metagetics/JCMyth_1.html

Well, it disagrees.. However, it does not refute. However it does, by it's very disagreements, show how much the Jesus story mirrors the other ones. It's very disagreements and attempts to confuse the issue show refute itself.