From: v122pewm@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (C.S. Flunky)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.esperanto,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.misc,talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: SUMMARY OF OLD PAGAN CULTS
Date: 8 Sep 92 18:23:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Sep4.172011.2825@doug.cae.wisc.edu>, irfan@maxwell.ece.wisc.edu (Irfan Alan) writes...
>SUMMARY OF SOME OLD PAGAN CULTS 
>HICH HAD SIMILAR RITUALS TO TODAYS' CHRISTIANITY
> 
>Allah says in the Qur'an:
> 
>	"The Jews call 'Uzayr a son of God', and the Christians call 
>Christ the son of God.  That is a saying from their mouth; 
>(in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say." 
> 
>                                                  (Qur'an 9:30)  
> 
> 
>Qur'an made us to reject any association of partnership with Allah:
> 
>"They say: '(Allah) Most Gracious Has begotten a son!  
>Indeed you have put forth a thing most monstrous!..
>As if the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder,  
>and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin.
>That they should invoke a son for the Most Gracious.  
>For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah)
>Most Gracious that He should beget a son."  
>     
>                                          (Qur'an 19:88)
> 
> 
>Warning:  The following references are not meant for reading 
>by Muslims nor by Christianity.  These books are essentially 
>prepared by secularist or often atheistic circles which 
>attacked Christians and denied the Creator.  As Muslims, 
>our goal is to show some of the impurities and distortions 
>introduced into the true teachings of Jesus (AS).  
>Any argument with Christians should carry the information 
>in the document "The Call to the Christians" and other 
>materials introducing Tawheed (The Uniqueness and Oneness 
>of the Creator) before presenting this material.  This 
>material should only be presented if the person is 
>in dream of this "Redemption of Sins" story or similar 
>other blinding notions.
> 
>References:  (from a recorded casette tape of a lecture 
>given by Gary Miller)
> 
>1)  "Pagan Christs", and "Christianity and Mythology," 
>by J. M. Robertson.
>2)  "Symbolic Language of Ancient Art and Mythology," by Knight.
>3)  "Pagan and Christian Creeds," by Carpenter.
>4)  "Bible Myths and Parallels in Other Religions," by Don.
> 
>ATHUS:  Mediterranean Area.  2-3 Thousand years ago.  
>Born to a virgin with a name Nana.  Called only begotten 
>son and savior.  Born on March 24.  Bled to death at the 
>foot of the pine tree.  His followers believed that his 
>blood brought life and fertility to earth.  He rose from
> the death.  His death and resurrection are celebrated.  
>His followers fasten his image on a pine tree and mourn.  
>Then they lay it to a tomb.  The next day they would find 
>the tomb empty.  They would celebrate his resurrection with meal.
> 
>ADAMUS:  Known to Greeks, Babylonians.  Born to a virgin.  
>Called 'Savior of Syria'.  He suffered death for the
> redemption of mankind and rose again in spring.  
>His resurrection is celebrated by an annual festival.  
>Old Testament refers to weeping and whaling of men and 
>women over his idol. (see Ezekiel)
> 
>DYANISHES or BAKUS:  Greek god.  Born to a virgin with 
>a name Dematur.  Only begotten son of Jupiter.  
>Born on December 25th!  Called 'redeemer, liberator, 
>and savior.'  He said, "It is I who guide you, 
>it is I who protect you, it is I who save you.  
>I am the alpha and omega!"  In the celebrations 
>wine is important.  He is also called: 'the Slain one, s
>in-bearer'.  His passion play was celebrated every year 
>representing his death, decending to hell, and resurrection.
> 
>OSIRUS:  Egyptian god.  Born to a virgin with a name 
>'Virgin of the World'.  Born on December 25th.  
>Wine and corn is important in the celebrations.  
>He is betrayed, slain, and dismembered.  Came Back to life 
>after remaining in hell for 3 days and 3 nights.  
>After death, his followers kept his image in a box, 
>they would bring his image out at the time of cry and 
>worship.  He preached the gospel of gentleness and peace.  
>His death and resurrection were regarded as the judgement 
>of death and further life.  Called judge of the world.  
> 
>MITHRUS:  Mediterranean god, sun-god of Persians.  
>Born to a virgin.  Perfect prototype of Jesus Christ 
>(as in Christian Dogma) and the founder of international 
>Churches.  Christmas and Easter was two most important 
>festivals.  Called 'divine savior, 7th-day holy, mediator.'  
>Came as an infant (remember superman!) on December 25th.  
>First worshippers were shepherds.  His followers preached 
>severe and rigid morality, temperance, chastity, 
>renunciation, and self-control.  Middleday of each month, 
>a special feast of Mithurus, symbolizing his function as 
>mediator between god and men (students then should have 
>been happy!).  Among the rituals:  Baptism, confirmation, 
>yukurus, and supper in which communicants partook the 
>divine nature of Mithra under the species of bread and 
>wine (sounds similar!).  Mithrus was called the 'lamb 
>who takes away the sins of the world' (sound similar!)
> 
>BAL:  son of god.  Babylonians had passion play annually.  
>Mentioned both in the Qur'an and the Bible.  His death story 
>exactly parallels the story of Jesus (as in Christian Dogma).  
>Bal is taken prisoner.  Gets tried at a house on a mount.  
>Together with him was another prisoner who was also executed.  
>One another prisoner was let free by the rule.  After Bal had 
>gone to mount, a fighting breaks out.  The city was divided i
>nto two.  His clothes were taken away and divided among soldiers 
>who killed him.  He finally dies.  Gets buried under the mount 
>away from the sun and light.  Disappears.  In the 3rd day, 
>a weeping woman comes at the gate of burial, crying 
>'oh, my brother, oh my brother, oh my brother!'  
>Bal comes back to life out of the mountain.  Chief fiest 
>is the new year celebration on March, triumph of the 
>power of darkness.
> 
>Dr. J. D. Kelly, whose book "Early Christian Doctrine" is taught 
>in Christian divinity schools, says that the idea of redemption 
>is not well known, or well explained.  He says 'redemption of sins' 
>is the last element of paganism left in Christianity.  
>He says it was common among early Christians that they believed 
>Jesus (AS) was not crucified.  Actually, Basilians, Carpocreations, 
>Marcinites, and Dositists believed Jesus (AS) was not crucified.
> 
>	It seems to us that Jews wanted to kill Jesus (AS) and bury 
>his teachings as well as his news about the last Prophet,
>Muhammad (ASM).  They first accused him of blasphemy so that 
>they could kill him, and then they wrote a story compiled from 
>earlier paganistic elements and named their hero, Jesus.
>                                                        
> 
> 
>Know O Dear Friend!  If the creator of a thing were to be 
>in that thing, then there had to be complete fitness between them, 
>as far as their form and interaction are concerned.  
>This implies that the number of creators should be as many as 
>the creatures.  Of course, this is inconceivable.  Hence 
>the Creator is not and cannot be in the creatures.  
>For example, a book which is duplicated several times 
>in a printing press must have been written by a writer's pen.  
>The decoration of a book cannot appear by itself, and 
>the writer is not in the decoration of the book; 
>otherwise, the order would be broken.  Therefore, 
>the decoration of the creatures are not from themselves, 
>rather they are written according to the judgements (instructions) 
>of the Qader (destiny).
> 
>Know O Dear Friend!  Human beings cannot give any damage to Allah (SWA)
>with his sins and disobedience, but he only harms himself.  
>For instance, there is no partner to Allah in truth and in the reality,
>so that that partner does not have an external reality, and therefore,
>cannot interfere with the Arts and properties of Allah (SWA).  
>That partner is incapable of saving its followers.  
>The one who is thinking that Allah has partners thinks of those 
>partners only in his/her own imagination, and establishes this 
>as a fact in his/her empty mind.  There is no place for a partner 
>(be it nature, causes, self, idols) in reality.  Therefore, 
>that mindless person would destroy his/her own house by 
>his/her own hands.  The one who accepts disaster by his/her own-will 
>cannot be felt sorry for.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.celtic:5961 soc.culture.british:12390 soc.culture.french:6747 soc.culture.german:6521 soc.culture.europe:8337 rec.travel:13143 rec.travel.air:4535