Pagan Elements in Christianity

[Ronin Truth]

Origin of the names of the days

The names of the days are in some cases derived from Teutonic deities or, such as in Romance languages, from Roman deities. The early Romans, around the first century, used Saturday as the first day of the week. As the worshipping of the Sun increased, the Sun's day (Sunday) advanced from position of the second day to the first day of the week (and saturday became the seventh day).

Sunday

The name comes from the Latin dies solis, meaning "sun's day": the name of a pagan Roman holiday. It is also called Dominica (Latin), the Day of God. The Romance languages, languages derived from the ancient Latin language (such as French, Spanish, and Italian), retain the root.
French: dimanche; Italian: domenica; Spanish: domingo
German: Sonntag; Dutch: zondag. [both: 'sun-day']

Monday

The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon monandaeg, "the moon's day". This second day was sacred to the goddess of the moon.
French: lundi; Italian: lunedi. Spanish: lunes. [from Luna, "Moon"]
German: Montag; Dutch: maandag. [both: 'moon-day']

Tuesday

This day was named after the Norse god Tyr. The Romans named this day after their war-god Mars: dies Martis.
French: mardi; Italian: martedi; Spanish: martes.
The Germans call Dienstag (meaning "Assembly Day"), in The Netherlands it is known as dinsdag, in Danmark as tirsdag and in Sweden tisdag.

Wednesday

The day named to honor Wodan (Odin).
The Romans called it dies Mercurii, after their god Mercury.
French: mercredi; Italian: mercoledi; Spanish: miércoles.
German: Mittwoch; Dutch: woensdag.

Thursday

The day named after the Norse god Thor. In the Norse languages this day is called Torsdag.
The Romans named this day dies Jovis ("Jove's Day"), after Jove or Jupiter, their most important god.
French: jeudi; Italian: giovedi; Spanish: jueves.
German: Donnerstag; Dutch: donderdag.

Friday

The day in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg.
In Old High German this day was called frigedag.
To the Romans this day was sacred to the goddess Venus, and was known as dies veneris.
French: vendredi; Italian: venerdi; Spanish: viernes.
German: Freitag ; Dutch: vrijdag.

Saturday

This day was called dies Saturni, "Saturn's Day", by the ancient Romans in honor of Saturn. In Anglo-Saxon: sater daeg.
French: samedi; Italian: sabato; Spanish: sábádo.
German: Samstag; Dutch: zaterdag.
Swedish: Lördag; and in Danish and Norse: Lørdag ("washing day").

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_days.html

 

[RJB]

Here is some more irrefutable evidence that Christians are pagans from a scholarly source:

Pagans ate fish. Early Christians noticed that the Greek (a pagan language) word for fish spelled the acronym "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior," and used the pagan symbol as a sign of Christianity. I can't see how anyone can ignore this.

On top of that, there is no scientific evidence of any fish ever reading the bible, so fish themselves are pagans.

 

[Ronin Truth]

Here is some more irrefutable evidence that Christians are pagans from a scholarly source:

It isn't so much that Christians are pagans as it is that Christianity got hijacked, twisted and redefined by the pagan Roman Empire some 400 years after executing Jesus. Estimates are that ~100,000 - 1 million early Christians were slaughtered before Constantine "saw the light". Early Roman Empire Christianity history up to today still carries many of its barbaric pagan influences.

Where's Jesus?

 

[Terry1]

The Catholics get beat to death with regard to "paganism, symbols and phallic idols", mostly because they're the oldest Christian church that's had a lot of time collect of lot of baggage. The Protestant churches are not without the same problem though. Many of the protestant churches have the same pagan and phallic symbols as they accuse others of having.

The "church of four walls" itself is actually a pagan practice. Many churches buildings are hallowed and worshipped by their parishioners. They are adorned with images, carvings and laden with many symbolic idols themselves.

The Presbyterians have symbols of the burning bush, the dove and lamps that they adorn their church with and worship these items as they're place close to or at the alters. http://www.fpclexnc.com/?q=node/43

The Baptist hold their baptismals and dunking stations as hallowed as "saving" and worship them as if they were the Holy and adorn them with idols and symbols.

The Masonic Origin of Pinnacles, Spires and Steeples in Churches is not Biblical and come from pagan origins.

Many protestant churches us the symbol of the Obelisks or Sacred Pillars and Asherah Poles Forbidden in the Bible too.

We can not point a finger at other churches, practices and faiths until we examine what we ourselves are subscribing to unknowingly. All manmade churches are symbols of their own making that many worship equal to God.

This is why the original spiritual assemblies were held in peoples homes in ancient times. There were no buildings, symbols, images, towers, steeples. These all began later.

 

[erowe1]

It isn't so much that Christians are pagans as it is that Christianity got hijacked, twisted and redefined by the pagan Roman Empire some 400 years after executing Jesus. Estimates are that ~100,000 - 1 million early Christians were slaughtered before Constantine "saw the light". Early Roman Empire Christianity history up to today still carries many of its barbaric pagan influences.

Where's Jesus?

Constantine. So the early 300's. If that's the point in time when you think authentic Christianity got hijacked, then the solution is easy, just look at Christianity before that. We have no shortage of sources from it, including a number of books from the first decades of the Jesus movement by apostles whom he personally appointed to proclaim his faith, the brothers of Jesus, and close associates of theirs. I don't say this to boast, but personally, I've taken great pains to study the apostolic Christian faith reflected in those earliest pre-Constantinian sources. What I've found is that the Nicene Creed is a pretty accurate summary of the essence of the Christian faith going back to the very beginning. If you're really interested in this, you can do a whole lot better than the internet sources you keep posting.

 

[Ronin Truth]

Constantine. So the early 300's. If that's the point in time when you think authentic Christianity got hijacked, then the solution is easy, just look at Christianity before that. We have no shortage of sources from it, including a number of books from the first decades of the Jesus movement by apostles whom he personally appointed to proclaim his faith, the brothers of Jesus, and close associates of theirs. I don't say this to boast, but personally, I've taken great pains to study the apostolic Christian faith reflected in those earliest pre-Constantinian sources. What I've found is that the Nicene Creed is a pretty accurate summary of the essence of the Christian faith going back to the very beginning. If you're really interested in this, you can do a whole lot better than the internet sources you keep posting.

Gee thanks, when I want more of a sparse Jesus biography I'll be sure to let you know. I'm much more interested in what Jesus actually said and taught, supposedly. It keeps things a whole lot simpler.

 

[Terry1]

The sad fact is that paganism has infected all of the churches of four walls and all denominations. No one can point a finger at the other.

 

[Ronin Truth]

The sad fact is that paganism has infected all of the churches of four walls and all denominations. No one can point a finger at the other.

Agreed!

Thanks.

 

[erowe1]

If it's ABOUT Jesus I will have done it wrong. There's already far too many of those already.

No. At its core, the message Jesus preached, really was a message about Jesus. Any attempt to reconstruct, or systematize, or understand the teachings of Jesus that doesn't include his own audacious insistence that he was the Messiah and unique Son of God, that all of world history before his day looked forward to, and all of human history since his day looks back on, who taught with authority, and who came to this world to die for sinners and rise again...any attempt to understand his teaching that misses those points fails to understand the very most important and central parts of his teaching. The teaching done by Jesus was teaching about Jesus.

 

[Ronin Truth]

No. At its core, the message Jesus preached, really was a message about Jesus. Any attempt to reconstruct, or systematize, or understand the teachings of Jesus that doesn't include his own audacious insistence that he was the Messiah and unique Son of God, that all of world history before his day looked forward to, and all of human history since his day looks back on, who taught with authority, and who came to this world to die for sinners and rise again...any attempt to understand his teaching that misses those points fails to understand the very most important and central parts of his teaching. The teaching done by Jesus was teaching about Jesus.

Golden Rule, Sermon on the Mount, Sermon on the Plain, eye beam, love, forgiveness, how to live, what to do, etc., etc., etc.
If you wish to get all invoved in the "about" historical institutional politics of it all. Please just feel free to and be my guest. For Jesus it wasn't really about the vessel.

 

[Sola_Fide]

The sad fact is that paganism has infected all of the churches of four walls and all denominations. No one can point a finger at the other.

Paganism, which deifies man and de-deifies God, is related to all the religions of man, including Arminianism and Roman Catholicism.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I never cease to be amazed at man's never ending ability to take a basically really good idea and to then royally screw it up.

 

[Terry1]

I never cease to be amazed at man's never ending ability to take a basically really good idea and to then royally screw it up.

I really had no expectations there either other than the response I got, call me a prophet if you want. ROFL

 

[RJB]

Golden Rule, Sermon on the Mount, Sermon on the Plain, eye beam, love, forgiveness, how to live, what to do, etc., etc., etc.

I think most Christians will admit trouble in living up to that, but the Church on Earth is not the Parthenon of Saints but a hospital for sinners.

If you wish to get all involved in the "about" historical institutional politics of it all. Please just feel free to and be my guest. For Jesus it wasn't really about the vessel.

What your article attacked is basically local customs. I've lived in Japan, Korea, and the Phillipines. Each country lives Christianity in it's limited human understanding. Each has a unique way of expressing it in literary devices, art, philosophy, linguistics but at the core is the Gospel. This is no different from the ancient Roman and Greek Christians.

It isn't so much that Christians are pagans as it is that Christianity got hijacked, twisted and redefined by the pagan Roman Empire some 400 years after executing Jesus. Estimates are that ~100,000 - 1 million early Christians were slaughtered before Constantine "saw the light". Early Roman Empire Christianity history up to today still carries many of its barbaric pagan influences.

Where's Jesus?

Thank God that Constantine saw the light.

You may be sincere in your quest (I haven't noticed your posting history) but I notice a lot of people who make these claims of paganism will in one thread attack the Church as pagan yet in another thread post a bunch of pro-occult subjects.

As for where's Jesus. Pray.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I really had no expectations there either other than the response I got, call me a prophet if you want. ROFL

A brave soul indeed Prophet Terry1. Historically prophets don't seem to be particularly favored folks by the mob.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I think most Christians will admit trouble in living up to that, but the Church on Earth is not the Parthenon of Saints but a hospital for sinners.

What your article attacked is basically local customs. I've lived in Japan, Korea, and the Phillipines. Each country lives Christianity in it's limited human understanding. Each has a unique way of expressing it in literary devices, art, philosophy, linguistics but at the core is the Gospel. This is no different from the ancient Roman and Greek Christians.

Thank God that Constantine saw the light.

You may be sincere in your quest (I haven't noticed your posting history) but I notice a lot of people who make these claims of paganism will in one thread attack the Church as pagan yet in another thread post a bunch of pro-occult subjects.

As for where's Jesus. Pray.

Gloaming on to local customs and crafting the message to the local crowd was a primary marketing tactic employed by the Roman "missionaries" to woo and convert the rube pagans in the outlying provinces. Eventually the main message got lost and all that remained was the church and a biography sales pitch of Jesus.

I'm not much of a fan of institutionalized anything. What usually starts out with a good idea tends to quickly devolve into a protect the institution at all costs, original purposes be damned. In the Romans' case I believe they had more nefarious motives from the very start. Save the dying empire by whatever means possible in whatever form.

BTW check out whatever you wish, I'm not a Christian and am not looking for converts.

 

[erowe1]

Golden Rule, Sermon on the Mount, Sermon on the Plain, eye beam, love, forgiveness, how to live, what to do, etc., etc., etc.
If you wish to get all invoved in the "about" historical institutional politics of it all. Please just feel free to and be my guest. For Jesus it wasn't really about the vessel.

Have you read all of what you just mentioned?

If so, did you not notice the authority with which Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount? His audience did.
Matthew 7:28-29

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

And throughout that sermon you read Jesus saying things like the following:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.

You have heard that it was said...But I say to you... [6x in the sermon]

Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?" Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me you evil doers."

Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

And that is to say nothing about all of what you left out in your summary of Jesus's teaching; you left out easily the majority of what we have in the earliest records available. The teaching of Jesus was teaching about Jesus. It was all the things that I said it was in post 109. Every ethical demand that Jesus gave was only meaningful in the light of his teachings about himself, as the Messiah, the son of God, to whom all authority on Heaven and Earth has been given, the savior of those who believe in him, the center of world history, whose purpose in coming to this world was to die for sinners and rise again. If you cut out all of Jesus's teaching about himself and whittle Jesus's words down to a few tiny snippets like you just tried to do, you'll have to whittle it down even more to get to a teaching that is not all about Jesus. But if you do that, then all you will have done is whittle it down to something that no longer represents the teaching of Jesus in any accurate way, but is just some generic advice for living that could have as easily come from Confucius or Hillel or Plato or Zoroaster or you or me.

 

[RJB]

Gloaming on to local customs and crafting the message to the local crowd was a primary marketing tactic employed by the Roman "missionaries" to woo and convert the rube pagans in the outlying provinces. Eventually the main message got lost and all that remained was the church and a biography sales pitch of Jesus.

What was lost? We still try to practice the tenants you mentioned of loving God and one another, yet we are admitted sinners?

I'm not much of a fan of institutionalized anything. What usually starts out with a good idea tends to quickly devolve into a protect the institution at all costs, original purposes be damned. In the Romans' case I believe they had more nefarious motives from the very start. Save the dying empire by whatever means possible in whatever form.

So what is your alternative ideal lifestyle for a Christian to live?

BTW check out whatever you wish, I'm not a Christian

Yet you are either trying to claim more knowledge of Christianity than Christians or show a desire to restore what Christianity once was with no interest in living it. As someone who is not a Tasmanian, do you have this much interest in the politics of Tasmania?

and am not looking for converts.

Then what is the point of the thread?

 

[heavenlyboy34]

The Catholics get beat to death with regard to "paganism, symbols and phallic idols", mostly because they're the second oldest Christian church that's had a lot of time collect of lot of baggage. The Protestant churches are not without the same problem though. Many of the protestant churches have the same pagan and phallic symbols as they accuse others of having.

The "church of four walls" itself is actually a pagan practice. Many churches buildings are hallowed and worshipped by their parishioners. They are adorned with images, carvings and laden with many symbolic idols themselves.

The Presbyterians have symbols of the burning bush, the dove and lamps that they adorn their church with and worship these items as they're place close to or at the alters. http://www.fpclexnc.com/?q=node/43

The Baptist hold their baptismals and dunking stations as hallowed as "saving" and worship them as if they were the Holy and adorn them with idols and symbols.

The Masonic Origin of Pinnacles, Spires and Steeples in Churches is not Biblical and come from pagan origins.

Many protestant churches us the symbol of the Obelisks or Sacred Pillars and Asherah Poles Forbidden in the Bible too.

We can not point a finger at other churches, practices and faiths until we examine what we ourselves are subscribing to unknowingly. All manmade churches are symbols of their own making that many worship equal to God.

This is why the original spiritual assemblies were held in peoples homes in ancient times. There were no buildings, symbols, images, towers, steeples. These all began later.

FIFY.

 

[Dr.3D]

The Catholics get beat to death with regard to "paganism, symbols and phallic idols", mostly because they're the oldest Christian church that's had a lot of time collect of lot of baggage. The Protestant churches are not without the same problem though. Many of the protestant churches have the same pagan and phallic symbols as they accuse others of having.

The "church of four walls" itself is actually a pagan practice. Many churches buildings are hallowed and worshipped by their parishioners. They are adorned with images, carvings and laden with many symbolic idols themselves.

The Presbyterians have symbols of the burning bush, the dove and lamps that they adorn their church with and worship these items as they're place close to or at the alters. http://www.fpclexnc.com/?q=node/43

The Baptist hold their baptismals and dunking stations as hallowed as "saving" and worship them as if they were the Holy and adorn them with idols and symbols.

The Masonic Origin of Pinnacles, Spires and Steeples in Churches is not Biblical and come from pagan origins.

Many protestant churches us the symbol of the Obelisks or Sacred Pillars and Asherah Poles Forbidden in the Bible too.

We can not point a finger at other churches, practices and faiths until we examine what we ourselves are subscribing to unknowingly. All manmade churches are symbols of their own making that many worship equal to God.

This is why the original spiritual assemblies were held in peoples homes in ancient times. There were no buildings, symbols, images, towers, steeples. These all began later.

Christians do need to look at what they are doing and make sure they are right before they try to take the speck out of the eyes of others.

NRS 1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?