Mithras = Christianity? (Jesus, priests, rituals, morals, virgin)

[Kcnorwood]

Originally Posted by Willamena

And that's wise, but it's no longer the case that just anyone can edit. Plus, in being an encylopedia, Wikipedia now requires its authors to quote sources. The source for this information was: Franz Cumont's Texts and Illustrated Monuments Relating to the Mysteries of Mithra published in 1894-1900.

Still all you need to do is find a author that supports your cliam... so it's still the same thing.

[Troublemane]

Originally Posted by Kcnorwood

Any religion that tries to stamp out another & replace it with thiers is hiding something, thats why I do not buy into Christianty being the one true religion but a copy of many.

Is it possible that the early church fathers (due to the fact they were roman) were aware of the Cult of Mithras and even participated in its rites (surely they did, as many converts to christianity were roman soldiers),---and that THIS is why catholicism has mithraic elements in its practices? I mean, it doesnt mean that christ was a copy of mithra (he wasnt, as its obvious looking at the story of mithras) but had many mithraic traits/attributes added to him due to the fact that many followers of christ were/had been initiates in the cult of mithras?

Clearly this was not only possible, but very likely.

[Kcnorwood]

Originally Posted by Troublemane

Is it possible that the early church fathers (due to the fact they were roman) were aware of the Cult of Mithras and even participated in its rites (surely they did, as many converts to christianity were roman soldiers),---and that THIS is why catholicism has mithraic elements in its practices? I mean, it doesnt mean that christ was a copy of mithra (he wasnt, as its obvious looking at the story of mithras) but had many mithraic traits/attributes added to him due to the fact that many followers of christ were/had been initiates in the cult of mithras?

Clearly this was not only possible, but very likely.

LIke I said before it makes more sence to me that Christianty used bits & pieces of the Pagan Gods then just one or two. I think it made it harder to trace if they spread it out.

[Azakel]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

How long, o Lord?

I'll get back to you. I'm on break right now ^_^

[kai]

Originally Posted by Troublemane

Is it possible that the early church fathers (due to the fact they were roman) were aware of the Cult of Mithras and even participated in its rites (surely they did, as many converts to christianity were roman soldiers),---and that THIS is why catholicism has mithraic elements in its practices? I mean, it doesnt mean that christ was a copy of mithra (he wasnt, as its obvious looking at the story of mithras) but had many mithraic traits/attributes added to him due to the fact that many followers of christ were/had been initiates in the cult of mithras?

Clearly this was not only possible, but very likely.

a very sensible observation of which i tend to agree , like christianity and ethnic religions in africa and south america kind of melting in together .frubals to you

[logician]

Originally Posted by Troublemane

? I mean, it doesnt mean that christ was a copy of mithra (he wasnt, as its obvious looking at the story of mithras)
.

WHo was he a copy of then?

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by Troublemane

Is it possible that the early church fathers (due to the fact they were roman) were aware of the Cult of Mithras and even participated in its rites

I'm sure the ECF's were aware of Mithras... but I just wanted to point out that most of the Fathers were not Roman, but from the East.

Just FYI: the nascent church had many rivals from the "mystery religions" of the era.... such as the Dionysian and Orphic mysteries of Thrace; the Eleusinians, the religion of the Great Mother - Cybele, and the Egyptian cults of Isis and Osiris.... Mitras was not the only possible belief that may have influenced Christianity.

[Troublemane]

True dat, Scott. In fact the story of how the pope came to be the pontifex maximus is itself an interesting one. And supposedly the two keys that are purported to represent the Keys to Heaven and Hell are supposedly representative of both Pagan and Christian traditions. So that the Pope (as the Pontifex Maximus) is the head of not only the Christian tradition through the line of bishops (by the laying on of hands in succession back to christ) but is also the head of the Pagan tradition---due to the position of Pontifex Maximus of Rome. I believe however the first [actual] Popes (after Theodocius)decided to use this authority not to unite all the religious practices under one church but to convert all to christians, and sometimes this worked (and the satellite church became a McCopy of the church in rome) and sometimes it did not (and the locals kept the minor details of their religious practice but put the stamp of christianity over it).

Its kinda funny to reflect on the fact that the Catholic Church could claim to be the genuine and authoritative head over modern paganism though!

[gnostic]

Originally Posted by troublemane

So that the Pope (as the Pontifex Maximus) is the head of not only the Christian tradition through the line of bishops (by the laying on of hands in succession back to christ) but is also the head of the Pagan tradition---due to the position of Pontifex Maximus of Rome.

Yeah. And Gaius Julius Caesar was elected as a Pontifex Maximus, before he started his military career.