Pagan influence in christianity (Gospel, church, Messiah, salvation)

[daisiesnfreckles]

Honestly, the practice of "eating someone's flesh or drinking their blood", or representations of such, or whatever, aren't what make either religion right or wrong. So the argument seems kind of petty, if you ask me. As a Christian, I believe what makes you a Christian is your faith in Christ...your confession of your status as a sinner, and your apology of such, and your asking for His forgiveness and His ruling over your life...not your taking of communion. Just as it isn't the sacrificing and eating, or whatever, of human bodies that makes paganism paganism. The differences lie in the fundamental beliefs.

[little elmer]

The meaning of "eating His flesh" has no natural equivalancy, as it is spiritual.

(But) the closest we have is if you were taking something in - say watching a movie or a football game - and were changed by that experience. You may be familar with the term, "garbage in, garbage out" - that is "consuming" what is bodily, mentally, or spiritually bad for you, and has a reaction of equally bad repercussions.

Taking Him in has a reaction of expelling our life out (if you wanted to fill a cup with water, the first thing you would do is empty it), but the fruit is His life.

[LogicIsYourFriend]

However, the point of this OP is that Christianity is influenced by pagan religions. God-eating is one result of those influences.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by LogicIsYourFriend

However, the point of this OP is that Christianity is influenced by pagan religions. God-eating is one result of those influences.

Exactly. And what is it that makes you (littleelmer) think pagan practices didn't operate on exactly those principles--that we're expelling all that's bad and taking in the good parts of the gods, etc.?

There's not such a thick divide between Christianity and "paganism". That may seem uncomfortable but if you're honest with yourself, you can see that the various pagan religions (that's a huge umbrella) did and do operate for divine purposes, too.

[little elmer]

Originally Posted by JerZ

There's not such a thick divide between Christianity and "paganism". That may seem uncomfortable but if you're honest with yourself, you can see that the various pagan religions (that's a huge umbrella) did and do operate for divine purposes, too.

I'll give you that; but suppose they're similar because pagans have counterfeited the laws of the one true God?

[grannynancy]

I was thinking along the same lines................

Truth is truth and man searches for it and they found bits and pieces of the truth in these other religions. They are seeing the same truth. They all know at some level there is a spiritual force that is greater than them. But it was not complete because the sum of all truth is not present in nature even though there is truth there.

In Judaism, God searched out his people, told them the way and guided them but they did not fully grasp what he wanted of them - they had to put it into their logical constructs "the law" and the law became them and they lost sight of why they had the law.

So God came to earth as Jesus and walked among us to show us the way to him.

1 Corinthians 3 - goes back to your other posts about logic.

18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"[a]; 20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."[b]

I think that because the other religions have sought for the truth it was not so hard for them to recieve the story of Christ because it is the ultimate truth.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by little elmer

I'll give you that; but suppose they're similar because pagans have counterfeited the laws of the one true God?

One can suppose anything, but since there's FAR more evidence (in the form of cave paintings and sculpture, etc.) for paganism than for Judaism until only a few thousand years ago, it's highly doubtful.

The evidence would seem to point to the opposite, actually.

[LogicIsYourFriend]

Originally Posted by little elmer

I'll give you that; but suppose they're similar because pagans have counterfeited the laws of the one true God?

Why do you think the newer religion that steals from these pagan religions is the right one? Doesn't it seem more likely that the original religions are true?

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by JerZ

Oh! Oh heck no! You were talking about voodoo??? I don't go that route.

I must have totally misunderstood you because I thought you were talking about paganism/neopaganism in general. I don't know whether voodoo even falls under that umbrella. I don't know much about it. It scares the sh i te out of me, to be honest.

As an aside, yes, to tie in this practice with "all" "pagan" practices is disrespectful. Trust me when I tell you that not all pagan religions include slaughtering animals and having sex with virgins. In fact...very few I know of do. If any...

Maybe some former pagan rituals (excluding voodoo) included animal slaughter...a very long time ago. Just as your own religion included animal slaughter, plus burning so the odor would go up to God to inhale. Doesn't that sound barbaric too? But I don't tie Christians in with very ancient Judaism because at one time, animals were slaughtered and burned. Please show pagans the same courtesy. As far as the sex with unmarrieds go...sure, in a male pagan's dreams. :P: (Just as in many a non-pagan male's dreams.............)

Trust me. No virginal sex around here. Unless they're hiding it all from me. Then again, this being SoCal, maybe they just can't find any virgins.

your attempts to cajole and explain away evil are not convincing. you demand respect for all pagan practices bek you say you dont know anyone that practices voodoo. but your denial does not exclude black magic from the pagan body of religions. i see no obligation to respect evil. anymore than an obligation to respect "good gangbangers".

[little elmer]

Originally Posted by JerZ

One can suppose anything, but since there's FAR more evidence (in the form of cave paintings and sculpture, etc.) for paganism than for Judaism until only a few thousand years ago, it's highly doubtful.

The evidence would seem to point to the opposite, actually.

Ah, but notice that these cave paintings are of man's imagination (head of a lion, body of a horse) and all of what is earthly based? Men are inclined to worship only what they have seen, but this is the epitome of idolatry; our Creator is totally other than anything else.

It's a message that everyone needs to hear - that He is not like you, your father, your preacher...