The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-18

AEANY another Christian feast
1V1 was wisely placed to synchon-
ize with ancient holy days, so Eas-
ter was the Jewish passover,
mingled with memories Of Adonis,
the Babylonian celebration of Ish-
tar, and the old vegetation festivals
that heralded the awakening OF
spring.
Candles and affairs were inherited
from Persians and Jews; the mag
niflcent drama of the mass was
gradually put together from the
chants ceremonies of the old
Hebraic ritual, and the first
churches we're converted syna-
gogues.
The idea of sacrifice, common to
almost every ancient faith, was
taken over from the Mithraic Sacri-
flee of the sacred bull, and the
Jewish sacrifice of the paschal
lamb; hence Christ was the Agnus
Del, the lamb of God. The euchar-
list was an adaptation of the old
custom of eating an image Of the
Deity, on the theory that men abb
sorbed the powers of what they ate.
Baptism was a primitive rite that
had once Signalized the initiation
Of youths into adult life and privi-
leges. The idea of a trinity had
long been prepared in the theology
of Egypt and the East; the As
syrians and Persians had known it.;
the Hindus had divided God into
Brahma, Vishnu and silva; the
Egyptians had worShiped triad of
Osiris, Isis and Horus; temples had
been raised to Isis and her divine
child in all the largeracities of the
empire; and to this day the ex-
plorer finds images of these gods
along the Danube, the Seine and
the Rhine.
The Christian faith transformed
the worship of Isis, Astarte and
Venus into the worship of Mary
("the fairest flower Of all poesy') at
the same time that the Christian
clergy took over the garb and ton
sure OF the Egyptian priests.
- n
MEANWHILE at Alexandria a
1V1 generation of neutrality-suspicious.
was celebrating a theology for the
new religion. Philo Judaeus began
by attempting to reconcile, through
symbolism and allegory. the the
cries Of Plato and the religion of
the Old Testament; here rose that
doctrine of the Logos, or Word, as
the incarnate wisdom of God which
so appealed to the author of the
Fourth Gospel.
Gradually the founder of Chris
tianity the most human figure in
history, was transformed from the
gentle lover of the poor, and the
passionate scorner of the rich into
a God which had descended from
heaven to die for the original sim
of Adam and Eve
The figure of the great teacher
disappeared and became remote and
inaccessible in a mist Of unintelligi-
BILE myth. Religion ceased, and the
ology began.
Doubtless it was their poverty that
made riches seem so sinful to the
early Christians. But there was no
envy, and much bravery, in their
hostility to oaths, to idolatry, to
capital punishment, and to war; it
was in fighting these that they
dared to oppose an empire, and
brought persecution down upon
their heads.
Rome tolerated them SO long as
they seemed a small and harmless
sect; but when it was found that
Christians would not bear arms, and
that soldiers who had been con-
verted to the new faith deserted
from the army; when it appeared
that most of the Christians we're of
the lowest ranks of society, that
they preached and practiced COM
munism, and condemned every
form of war-then the government
began to doubt the expediency of
liberation.
Orders were sent out that though
every faith, however strange, was
to be left free, the practitioners of
every faith must swear allegiance to
the Emperor, and sanction their
pledge by an Offering to the gods
of Rome.
The adherents of other ereeds
were willing to make this conces-
sion, thinking it only a matter of
form; but the Christians, abhorring
oaths. and secretly hating the State
as the source of all violence and
exploitation. refused to obey the or
der, and stood by their refusal