Christianity syncretized pagan symbols, ideas, concepts, temples, poetry, and art.
The idea is not preposterous.
Christianity was accepted originally into the Greco-Roman world as one more mystery religion.
You can "limit" what other people want to believe through institutionalizing a religion, but you certainly cant institutionalize God or Deity....or do that well anyway. That's a human thing, not a God or Deity thing.
Therefore, if someone is bold enough or is willing to work out the apparent paradoxes on their own....then who do you think you are to tell them otherwise?
NEVER SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE was a changed phrase by a ruler who had a phobia for witches and started a witch hunt. The original line said NEVER SUFFER A POISONER TO LIVE.
These religions started in the same manner as many old texts have the Abrahamic God worshipped alongside other Gods. It's stories and symbols are pagan. I think the reason the deity made that law was to attempt a takeover of his original pantheon. A bid for more power if you will.
All creatures of spiritual nature are spirits. This includes the gods and goddesses of all religions. These forms usually have more worshipers than the average spirit so they will have more power and control lower spirits. I doubt he had that rule in place when he had a concubine who was worshiped alongside him.
Christianity, as we know it today, was a mixture of Christian/Roman beliefs.And, yes, Christianity used Pagan symbols and Pagan feast days. Nevertheless, the basic belief of Christianity is that Jesus was God! The "son" of the Holy Trinity. Pagans do not believe this!
Muslims do not believe it. Jews do not believe it. And thousands of other religions do not believe it. Christianity is a religion. So is Wicca. So how can anyone be a Christian Wiccan, as many claim to be? They cannot be a Christian Pagan either!
There are a lot of professing Christians in the world. Maybe over a thousand. The theology has covered an immense territory over the last 2000 years or so.
Are gnostic believers Christians? They may not accept the incarnation. Jehovah's witnesses? They reject the idea Jesus is God. How about Mormons? 'Cause they say, "As man is, God once was and as God is, man shall become."
You seem to be defining the beliefs of over a third of the world's population.
Personally, I believe all Gods, and there are many, stemmed form the same core dieties and only time and culturization have morphed them into wat they are today. so yes, I believe there could be a God not unlike the Christian God, I just also believe he has some really annoyed realitives.
Fortis, I said "the basic belief of Christianity".That is the beliefs as taught by the Catholic Church; the New Testament of the Bible.Of course there are other "cults", based on the life of the man,Jesus. As a prophet, seer, wise man, or even a political rebel.
The Christianity that I mean, the basic belief, is the religion formulated by the Conference at Nicea. The others are "cherry picking", in just the same way as so-called Wiccans pick and choose what they wish to believe. All religions go through this process; but the "basics" remain the same.
