Christians: Please Explain The Non-Pagan Aspects Of Christianity?
I have come across many where I have had to defend my faith in the religion of Christianity, not the faith or gospel of Christ, but the religiosity of the faith. Traditions such as the holidays, church steeples vs phalli cs/oblesks, questions on idolatry. Please explain the comparison of many pagan traditions, holidays, and culture to that of Christianity. For God did say in Isaiah that you cannot take something meant for heathens and make it for him. Also in Hosea, God spoke about not calling him by the name of other Gd's.
Keep in mind with my question, there is no debate on the gospel / faith of Christ. But of the traditions of the religion and the infusion of paganism which is in contradiction to the Fathers commands.
In order to exist in the first centuries, the Christians had to make some of the themes, etc, coincide with the pagan's beliefs. Then the symbols are all older than any religions know to man today so, there is not real debate to be had, it is as though we have evolved in another direction, all of the esoteric religions that is.
John 3
18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God?s one and only Son."
The pagan religions fail to see that there is only one way to make peace with God, and that's through His Son, Jesus Christ. The rest of the world will disagree with him about that.
The Holiday thing is pretty simple, at least with Catholics. Every day is a saints day. Halloween is All Saints day because there are too many saints for each day.
Steeples were only added to churches in the 600s, copying military steeples. Eventually they were added to churches.
Have you been reading "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola and George Barna? It is a very good book to read, I recommend it to everyone who wants to explore getting to the truth.
1 Corinthians 8
1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that ?We all possess knowledge.? But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that ?An idol is nothing at all in the world? and that ?There is no God but one.? 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ?gods? and many ?lords?), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol?s temple, won?t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Christians: Please Explain The Non-Pagan Aspects Of Christianity?
