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Old 09-03-2008, 08:28 PM
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Sam Sam is offline
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Paganism in Christianity

from pages 4 and 13 of the March 1956 the Pentecostal Herald

Paganism in Christianity
by Roy H. Maki
(minister, Duluth, Minnesota)

A noted scholar once remarked that much of present-day Christianity is nothing more t h a n "baptized paganism." Anyone who has delved at length into pagan mythological beliefs of ancient times can vouch for the fact that much of what is palmed off as genuine Christianity is simply paganism in a new garb.

Church Festivals

One need only to trace the history of the observance of practically all the so-called Christian festivals celebrated by nominal Christianity, to come to the surprising conclusion that the Apostate Church has taken these festivals "lock, stock, and barrel," from paganism, and forced them to fit into the Church calendar by associating Christ and the apostles with pagan deities and personalities, and substituting Biblical observances for pagan ones if they were at all similar. Almost to a letter the Church festivals generally coincide with the dates of the earlier pagan festivals!

The Apostate Church, willing to meet paganism halfway, compromised the precious truth spoken by Jesus Christ, and the doctrines left us by His disciples and apostles. So-called Christianity did not convert paganism, but rather assimilated it with its customs. In short, paganism had overcome t h e Church without the Church's being aware of it. The pagan antagonists of Augustine taunted, "There is no difference between you and the pagans, except that you hold separate meetings." Thus did the Church go from the mountain top of inspiration into the valley of tradition, completely obliterating her apostolic heritage.

Christmas And Easter

The methods of celebrating the Nativity, and Easter, the two prime festivals of the Christian calendar, are excellent examples of how paganism has almost totally obscured the original significance of these two occasions.

No one denies that the chief festival of the pagan cult of Mithraism was the annual celebration of the birthday of "The Unconquered Sun" on the, 25th of December. Emperor Constantine, the first "Christian" ruler of the Roman Empire, was devoted to Apollo, the sun god of the Greeks and the Romans, and designated him as his patron. Apollo had a day of worship set aside called "the sun's day." Many of the early representations of Christ on the banners of the Roman legions of Constantine pictured Him in the garb of Apollo, with the rays of the sun streaming about His head.

Easter is another Church festival which is pagan in concept. It is encumbered with pagan ideas of Easter eggs, bunnies, and senseless ritual, which includes abstaining from certain meats, and observing special days considered holy in themselves. Authorities agree that the word "Easter" is a corruption of the name Astarte or Asharoth, a licentious pagan deity. The translators of the King James version "leaned over backward" to include the word "Easter" in their translation of the Bible. The word "Easter" used in Acts 12:4 should have been translated "Passover," and is thus designated in the margin.

The Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is another example of how paganism has obscured vital Christian doctrines. It is difficult to comprehend how paganism could have crept into our so-called Christian doctrines but the transition has been so subtle as to escape the scrutiny of most theologians. Nevertheless the fact remains that behind the fundamental doctrine of the Trinity
lies the essential pagan concept of a plurality of gods!

Most sensible theologians and Christians will be the first to deny that they believe in a plurality of Gods. But a study of the controversies which raged over the Godhead among the ante-Nicene theologians shows that such a concept was held by many of them. The early Church was divided into three contending parties--one believing in three separate and distinct Gods (the Tritheists) , another which believed that God the Father and Christ the Son were one and the same Person (the Sabellians or the Patripassians), and a third which
believed that there was one God in three Persons (Athanasian Trinitarianism). There were also the Arians, who denied the divinity of our Lord.

Some of the representations of the Trinity in Christian literature and art have been rather bizarre. One is a picture which depicts God the Father and Christ the Son as a man with two heads on one body! One of the heads in this particular picture looks like the average one of Christ, while the other is that of an old man, to represent the Father. The Holy Ghost in the form of a dove rests in the foreground of the picture of this Trinity. Certainly pictures of this sort must be repugnant to the average sensible Christian.

This fantastic concept of three separate and distinct Gods has its roots in paganism, which was allowed to creep into the apostate Church. Consider for example the following pagan trinities, which will be explained briefly.

Pagan Trinities

In India the ancient Hindu divinity was called Eko Deva Trimurtti, which means "one God, three forms." It is represented as a being with three heads on one body. The Buddhists of Japan worshipped a similar three-headed god whom they called San Pao Fuh.

The ancient Persians symbolized their trinity of gods in the form of a shamrock, the very same kind of shamrock which St. Patrick used to illustrate to the pagan Irish the meaning of the Christian Trinity! The ancient Babylonians worshipped a Trinity in unity, called Asshur, symbolized in the form of an old man to represent the father encircled by a cipher to represent the son, and having the wings and tail of a dove to represent the spirit.

According to Layard, the Babylonians also used the equilateral triangle to symbolize their triform divinity. The Egyptians too used the triangle to represent their trinity of gods. Not too long ago I read an article by a Trinitarian who used this very same pagan symbol of the triangle to prove a point.

It is interesting to note that the supreme divinity in almost all heathen nations was a triune divinity.

Monotheism

On page 745 of Halley's Pocket Bible Handbook we read, "The Genesis idea that man started with a belief in One God, and that polytheistic idolatry was a LATER DEVELOPMENT, has been verified in inscriptions found by Langdon, in pre flood layers, at Jemdet Nasr, near Babylon. In Egypt, Petrie found indications that Egypt's first religion was Monotheistic."

How then, might we ask, did polytheistic ideas creep into the thinking of the ancients? The answer, we believe, is to be found in the 10th chapter of Genesis, wherein is given a short history of Nimrod "the mighty hunter before the Lord.'' This same Nimrod was the founder of the first city, Nineveh, in the land of Shinar. It is proven that Nimrod is the same as Ninus, the first king of Babylon. Contrary to popular belief, Nimrod hunted more than wild beasts. He captured the souls of men as the cofounder, with his wife Semiramis, of a gigantic religious system, set up to oppose and frustrate the plan of God as revealed to the Israelites and their descendants. Eventually these pagan notions of Nimrod and Semiramis found their way from Babylon to practically every country of the ancient world. The religious
concepts and deities of practically all pagan religions have their counterpart in the Babylonian religious system.

The pure monotheism inspired by the Israelites and the early inhabitants of the earth was corrupted by Nimrod. Much of the paganism including the basic idea of a Trinity of Gods, found in Christianity has come down to us straight from Babylon.

The Council Of Nicea

So divided was the thinking of the theologians of the Nicene era, and so intense were their quarrels over the nature of the Godhead, that Emperor Constantine, a quasi pagan at best, was forced to call a council to settle the most important Christian doctrines. It was this same Constantine who revered the sun god Apollo, and who held the office of Pontifex Maximus,
the nominal head of the pagan state religion of Rome, who presided over the Council of Nicea, in 325 A. D. He later assumed the right to pass on the reasonableness of Christian dogma, issuing decrees upholding his verdicts.

A Helpful Suggestion

Our prayer is that Christendom as a whole will cast out of her midst all that is pagan and unscriptural, and strive to the end that "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God." May God enlighten our minds and cause us to prayerfully
consider the infinite mysteries of the Godhead. May we always have a sane, logical, and scriptural foundation for our convictions. Let us hold fast to the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and resist all efforts to relegate Him to a secondary position in our
worship and thinking.
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Old 09-03-2008, 09:08 PM
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

Oh, the list goes on and on with this one.

Steeples on the church? Yes... from pagan temples of the fertility god.

Shekhina... oh how we like to use that word.. the Shekhina Glory of God was really in this place tonight... did you know that word is not even in the Bible? Where did it come from? Jewish Mysticism. Believe me, just because I put the word Jewish in front of it, doesn't change the fact that it's mysticism. Shekhina was the mother of God. Yep..

Sunday is Sun God worship.. the sabath was really on Saterday.

From Friday to Sunday is not three days for the resutection.
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Come see us on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/Revelationist1948
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Old 09-04-2008, 06:16 AM
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

...and we usually make pagan whatever we don't like...
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Old 09-04-2008, 06:38 AM
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

I just want to know who the noted scholar was
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Apostolic is defined on AFF as:


  1. There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  2. The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
  3. Every sinner must repent of their sins.
  4. That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
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Old 09-04-2008, 06:40 AM
U376977 U376977 is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sister Alvear View Post
...and we usually make pagan whatever we don't like...
......and CHOOSE to ignore our own truly pagan practices by making excuses for ourselves. We dance around the Christmas tree and give honor to the sun with our "sonrise" services. All the while claiming to have "truth" and the apostolic doctrine. Baloney. Peter never had a christmas tree or got up at dawn to pray in the face fo the sun.
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Old 09-04-2008, 07:41 AM
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Praxeas Praxeas is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

I love pecans
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Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:


  1. There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  2. The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
  3. Every sinner must repent of their sins.
  4. That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
  5. That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
  6. The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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  #7  
Old 09-04-2008, 08:04 AM
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TK Burk TK Burk is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sister Alvear View Post
...and we usually make pagan whatever we don't like...
...and some make "Christian" whatever paganism they DO like...
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The Bible is open to those that want Truth, and if they want Truth, they find Truth. They watch individuals squabble over Bible symbolism on the Internet, and leave the Message boards to enter into the real world where live people dwell, and they find Truth. The World Wide Web is full of Internet Ayatollahs who speak their mind. There is only one Truth, and it is not hidden. No matter what anyone says, Truth still converts the sincere.
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Old 09-04-2008, 08:14 AM
Aquila Aquila is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

I think there’s another way to look at this.

We can take the position of being on the defense and try to weed out all pagan influence in our midst until life is a drab, boring, joyless, huddle on a church compound somewhere. Here’s the deal…DOMININON.

The truth is EVERY day belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, our pagan ancestors dedicated various days to their pagan deities. However, as Christians it is our responsibility to place all things under the Dominion of Jesus Christ. That means we have the responsibility to plunder pagan holidays and culture and redeem them into something with which to glorify Jesus Christ. Easter and Christmas are wonderful examples of this. We’ve taken what were originally pagan holidays. (Christmas actually isn’t so pagan if the actual history is closely studied, pagan celebrations started around this time under Arelius in an effort to unseat the Christian remembrances of Christ’s birth by resurrecting an ancient pagan holiday custom. And the December 25th date goes back to the Jewish custom of believing that the Messiah would be of “integral age”. But that’s another story.) So we’ve taken these days and stripped them of their pagan worship and only maintained relevant cultural and ethnic traditions redirected at glorifying Christ. And even now in our post-Christian culture we see that Christmas and Easter are days where even the most un-churched consider attending at least one service. For many the Christianization (or Dominion) of these holidays opens a door to show them eternal life at the very least once or twice a year. As heirs of creation we have every right to take what was the devil’s and redeem it to glorify Christ.

We need to stop being cowering cowards in this world, running from anything that doesn’t fit within our traditional religious paradigms. We need to take DOMINION. Halloween is coming…most Christians are going to hide in church or at home screeching against the “Devil’s Night”. NEWSFLASH….the devil doesn’t own Halloween. Even October 31st belongs to JESUS CHRIST. Therefore on that day we’re going to be fellowshipping some families in a fall family night where we eat, play games, party, laugh and just fellowship and love the Lord. Some religious snobs will criticize…but I say…let them criticize with their retreatist concepts. I’m not in retreat….I’m taking dominion of each and every day for Jesus. Yes, I’ll even claim Halloween for Jesus. If I were a pastor I’d not only have a fall family night but a “History Hayride” where saints of God get on a hayride that tours Christian History with seven stops. At each stop there would be a “ghost” of a famous martyr sharing their story and how their faith cost them their very lives. At the end they would stop at the church and the setting would be 10 years from now…during the future persecution. Fictional stories would be told of how world events turned against Christians and stories of saints in our congregation who gave all would be shared….and the emphasis would be….would you be willing to die for him? And if you’d be willing to lay down your life for him in the future…why not lay down your life now…die to the world, sin, and shame and live radically for Jesus? Bring in the altar call! Or a Christian Costume Party could be had where everyone had to dress up as historical figures in Christianity. Yes….I’d TAKE DOMINION and use it to glorify Jesus Christ.

By taking DOMINION, I believe it’s all Christ’s…Easter, Halloween (Actually should be called Holy Evening), Christmas,…you name it.

C’mon folks, stop being motivated by fear and think outside of the box. Take dominion and experience the absolute freedom, joy, and authority only found in Jesus Christ.
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Old 09-04-2008, 08:25 AM
Aquila Aquila is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

I fear most of us have gotten into the habit of only looking at life in terms of what we’re against…and we’ve completely lost focus of our mission and what we’re for! I’m for taking back ALL that Satan has stolen and using it to glorify Jesus Christ. And yes, for you stuffy fearful religious types out there, that includes the Christmas Tree! I might even set aside a night to be with my boy this Fall and carve out a pumpkin with scenes like a cross, a dove, or even the hill side of Calvary!
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Old 09-04-2008, 09:07 AM
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TK Burk TK Burk is offline
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Re: Paganism in Christianity

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila View Post
I think there’s another way to look at this.

We can take the position of being on the defense and try to weed out all pagan influence in our midst until life is a drab, boring, joyless, huddle on a church compound somewhere. Here’s the deal…DOMININON.

The truth is EVERY day belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, our pagan ancestors dedicated various days to their pagan deities. However, as Christians it is our responsibility to place all things under the Dominion of Jesus Christ. That means we have the responsibility to plunder pagan holidays and culture and redeem them into something with which to glorify Jesus Christ. Easter and Christmas are wonderful examples of this. We’ve taken what were originally pagan holidays. (Christmas actually isn’t so pagan if the actual history is closely studied, pagan celebrations started around this time under Arelius in an effort to unseat the Christian remembrances of Christ’s birth by resurrecting an ancient pagan holiday custom. And the December 25th date goes back to the Jewish custom of believing that the Messiah would be of “integral age”. But that’s another story.) So we’ve taken these days and stripped them of their pagan worship and only maintained relevant cultural and ethnic traditions redirected at glorifying Christ. And even now in our post-Christian culture we see that Christmas and Easter are days where even the most un-churched consider attending at least one service. For many the Christianization (or Dominion) of these holidays opens a door to show them eternal life at the very least once or twice a year. As heirs of creation we have every right to take what was the devil’s and redeem it to glorify Christ.

We need to stop being cowering cowards in this world, running from anything that doesn’t fit within our traditional religious paradigms. We need to take DOMINION. Halloween is coming…most Christians are going to hide in church or at home screeching against the “Devil’s Night”. NEWSFLASH….the devil doesn’t own Halloween. Even October 31st belongs to JESUS CHRIST. Therefore on that day we’re going to be fellowshipping some families in a fall family night where we eat, play games, party, laugh and just fellowship and love the Lord. Some religious snobs will criticize…but I say…let them criticize with their retreatist concepts. I’m not in retreat….I’m taking dominion of each and every day for Jesus. Yes, I’ll even claim Halloween for Jesus. If I were a pastor I’d not only have a fall family night but a “History Hayride” where saints of God get on a hayride that tours Christian History with seven stops. At each stop there would be a “ghost” of a famous martyr sharing their story and how their faith cost them their very lives. At the end they would stop at the church and the setting would be 10 years from now…during the future persecution. Fictional stories would be told of how world events turned against Christians and stories of saints in our congregation who gave all would be shared….and the emphasis would be….would you be willing to die for him? And if you’d be willing to lay down your life for him in the future…why not lay down your life now…die to the world, sin, and shame and live radically for Jesus? Bring in the altar call! Or a Christian Costume Party could be had where everyone had to dress up as historical figures in Christianity. Yes….I’d TAKE DOMINION and use it to glorify Jesus Christ.

By taking DOMINION, I believe it’s all Christ’s…Easter, Halloween (Actually should be called Holy Evening), Christmas,…you name it.

C’mon folks, stop being motivated by fear and think outside of the box. Take dominion and experience the absolute freedom, joy, and authority only found in Jesus Christ.
What? This is so backwards from anything in the Bible. God never told His people to take DOMINION of the practices and celebrations of the heathen around them; He commanded that His people separate themselves from such issues and to have no appearance of them. Anytime they did not, and chose instead to bring the’ unclean thing’ into the camp, God judged them.

Please, show where anyone in the New Testament did anything like what you wrote above.

Separating oneself from such practices isn't "cowardous," it’s about HOLINESS.
__________________
The Bible is open to those that want Truth, and if they want Truth, they find Truth. They watch individuals squabble over Bible symbolism on the Internet, and leave the Message boards to enter into the real world where live people dwell, and they find Truth. The World Wide Web is full of Internet Ayatollahs who speak their mind. There is only one Truth, and it is not hidden. No matter what anyone says, Truth still converts the sincere.
 -DD Benincasa, 12/06/03

www.tkburk.com
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