What is uniquely Christian?

[Darth Wong]

Simple enough question: what aspects of the Christian mythos, if any, are unique to it, as opposed to being copied from other religions that were pre-existing or concurrently developing at the time?

[NecronLord]

Sexual shame/guilt? Though I think Judaism might have had that.

[The Guid]

Simple enough question: what aspects of the Christian mythos, if any, are unique to it, as opposed to being copied from other religions that were pre-existing or concurrently developing at the time?

The standard issue response is that it is the only one to have actually got a monotheistic God on Earth -Jews said he was coming - Christians said - there he is! Looky looky!

I also happen to believe that pacifistic element to Christianity wasn't something copied from elsewhere - though it is now largely forgotten.

[Captain Cyran]

I think the extreme pacifism preached (only when it's really good for the church to do so now) was rather uniquely Christian, or were there some Eastern religions that did that first?

[Jew]

Here is the major tenet that is perhaps unique to Christianity.

"Perhaps the greatest difference of all [among religious views] lies in the Christian assertion that none of us can save ourselves and make ourselves acceptable to God, try as we may: all the other faiths assert that by keeping their teachings a person will be saved, fulfilled or reborn."

I nicked the quote from ChristianAnswers.net but it is a commonly-expressed thought in Christiandom.

[LadyTevar]

that's a good question: Do any other religions preach the "You must be born again/washed in the Blood/take Christ into your heart" line of redemption?

[CoyoteNature]

I'd say the whole Christ on the cross automatically redeems everybody thing might be uniquely Christian.

Otherwise pretty much everything else is Apocrhypra (i.e. the stuff the Rabbis left out of the original Bible) or taken from other civilization's stuff from the beginning all the way up to now.

[NecronLord]

All I'm going to say is Jesus threatens to destroy cities that refuse to hear his followers. Some pacifism. Christianity doesn't apologise for or promise an end to the barbarities of the OT god. And let's not forget Jesus' wonderful pacifism of: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

[NecronLord]

I'd say the whole Christ on the cross automatically redeems everybody thing might be uniquely Christian.

Mithras did it on an annual basis.

[Jew]

I'd say the whole Christ on the cross automatically redeems everybody thing might be uniquely Christian.

Mithras did it on an annual basis.

Mithraism was a religion before Christianity, but many of the similarities between Mithraism and Christianity did not surface until after Christianity was an established religion. Specifically, the whole "salvation by eating of my flesh and drinking of my blood" bit has no historical evidence of being a part of Mithraism until after it was already a part of Christianity. Thus it is quite possible that Mithraism borrowed these elements from Christianity, not the other way around.

The basic problem is that there is little or no written record of Mithraism, and the records that do exist are spotty and incomplete, and generally written by outsiders, not by worshippers of Mithras. Thus, while we know that Mithraism is an older religion than Christianity, the records suggest that Mithraism changed and by the 2nd Century had adopted many Christian rituals. Those rituals and teachings did not predate Christianity.

[Jew]

On the other hand, if you're referring just to the concept of a deity dying and being resurrected, then yes, Mithraism certainly predated Christianity. There are many religions with stories of resurrected gods that predate Christianity. Virgin births were also common themes.

[The Grim Squeaker]

I think the extreme pacifism preached (only when it's really good for the church to do so now) was rather uniquely Christian, or were there some Eastern religions that did that first?

Wasn't Zorastrianism first?
(The indian religion that has it's followers wearing veils to avoid inhaling a fly)

[chaoschristian]

Our only theology is the cross – Martin Luther

Sorry, I couldn’t find the direct Latin quote but I’ll give it another shot when I have more time tonight.

Here is an explanation of what Luther means:

The "theology of the cross," as this phrase is used in Lutheran circles, usually refers to Martin Luther's insight that God reveals himself most clearly, graciously and "gloriously" not through obvious outward "blessings" or "spiritual experiences" or the "wisdom" of human reason (this is how a "theology of glory" seeks after God) but in the "hiddenness" and lowliness of the cross and sufferings--first and foremost, through the cross of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:18-25), and then also through our identification with Christ's cross through faith (Gal. 2:20) and through our sharing in his sufferings as cross-bearers for him.


My take on this, for what it is worth: that Christianity is about accepting and shouldering citizenship into a ‘lowerarchy’ in which the pursuit and accumulation of power, prestige, influence, and wealth is rejected. Instead the individual in community strives to bear witness to the world through faith, character and works.

[General Zod]

I think the extreme pacifism preached (only when it's really good for the church to do so now) was rather uniquely Christian, or were there some Eastern religions that did that first?

Didn't Buddhism and various eastern religions have it beat by at least 500 years?

[weemadando]

I thought that the "You must be born again/washed in the Blood/take Christ into your heart" came from Mithraism and the sacrifice of the bull and rituals associated with the use of its blood...

[SirNitram]

I would say the original unique point would be actively recruiting beleivers, but it's no longer unique.

[Darth Wong]

Arguing about whether Mithraism copied from Christianity or Christianity copied from Mithraism is pointless from the POV of this discussion; if the human sacrifice/salvation idea developed in both religions at the same time, then it is not unique to Christianity. The only way it would be unique to Christianity would be if it pre-dated the Mithraian version by a sufficiently long timeframe to establish a clear precedent rather than co-development.

[Elheru Aran]

I think the extreme pacifism preached (only when it's really good for the church to do so now) was rather uniquely Christian, or were there some Eastern religions that did that first?

Wasn't Zorastrianism first?
(The indian religion that has it's followers wearing veils to avoid inhaling a fly)

I believe that would be Jainism.

[Akhlut]

I think the extreme pacifism preached (only when it's really good for the church to do so now) was rather uniquely Christian, or were there some Eastern religions that did that first?

Wasn't Zorastrianism first?
(The indian religion that has it's followers wearing veils to avoid inhaling a fly)

You're thinking Jainism for the viels, and that's only the monks/nuns who do that.

Zoroastrianism was completely different. Link: http://www.zoroastrianism.com/

[The Guid]

Can I just also ask what the importance of the questions is? If it is deemed important?

[Ariphaos]

Simple enough question: what aspects of the Christian mythos, if any, are unique to it, as opposed to being copied from other religions that were pre-existing or concurrently developing at the time?

Originally I thought it was the beatitudes, but apparantly those come from an earlier Cyprus cult. So, unless you want to count certain parts of Judaism (and not the monotheism part, that comes from Akhenaton IV - King Tut's father), they got nothing.

[Ariphaos]

Arguing about whether Mithraism copied from Christianity or Christianity copied from Mithraism is pointless from the POV of this discussion; if the human sacrifice/salvation idea developed in both religions at the same time, then it is not unique to Christianity. The only way it would be unique to Christianity would be if it pre-dated the Mithraian version by a sufficiently long timeframe to establish a clear precedent rather than co-development.

By 'nothing' I'm also not really counting Gnosticism amongst Christianity, as most modern Christians would identify with it less than they would with Islam.

Gnosticism, on its own, has some rather unique, and extremely awesome ideas. But none of them made their way into Unitarian or Trinitarian Christianity except for a few parts that may have slipped into the Gospel of John.

[Molyneux]

Sexual shame/guilt? Though I think Judaism might have had that.

*growl* Think again.

Judaism is big against adultery, and fairly strongly against premarital sex (as far as Orthodox Judaism goes, at least); between a husband and wife, however, sex is a beautiful thing and a mitzvah. That's right, if you bang your spouse you're making God happy.

The standard issue response is that it is the only one to have actually got a monotheistic God on Earth -Jews said he was coming - Christians said - there he is! Looky looky!

...According to the Jewish faith, God exists everywhere and in everything. The bit of God that exists in you is your soul. Kinda like the Allspark in Transformers. God doesn't have to come here, because He already exists in all of reality.

You may be thinking of the Messiah; that is NOT the same thing as God, by a long shot. The Messiah merely ushers in (not causes; the Messiah won't come until we're ready, not the other way around) an age of peace and justice and goodwill and all that good stuff. When humanity perfects itself, the Messiah will come (according to Judaism).

[Jew]

I thought that the "You must be born again/washed in the Blood/take Christ into your heart" came from Mithraism and the sacrifice of the bull and rituals associated with the use of its blood...

The Christian idea of salvation through the blood of Jesus comes from Judaism: blood as an atonement for sins is a central component of Judaism. Other religious sects at the time practiced animal sacrifices as well, but I recall those being more as offerings to appease gods, not as offerings to atone for sins as in the Jewish tradition.

The only way it would be unique to Christianity would be if it pre-dated the Mithraian version by a sufficiently long timeframe to establish a clear precedent rather than co-development.

I have to disagree with you there. Mithraism existed long before Christianity, and for these rituals to suddenly appear in Mithraism in the 2nd Century is pretty good evidence that those elements were borrowed from Christianity. That's not proof, but you have to go with what's most reasonable. If you want to erect a higher burden of proof that's your choice.

Personally I think it's more instructive to look at doctrine rather than rituals and symbols. The ritual and symbol of the bread and wine (flesh and blood) is less important than the underlying meaning, the doctrine behind it. Which doctrines are utterly unique to Christianity? That's a more intriguing question to me than a debate on the historical origins of rituals and symbols.

[HemlockGrey]

And let's not forget Jesus' wonderful pacifism of: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

I'm fairly certain that doesn't mean that Jesus is asking people to go kick some heathen ass, but that people must follow him even though it will divide and cause conflict. The Gospels do have some strongly pacifistic stuff, although that's not really evident elsewhere in the Bible.

Anyway, I can't really think of anything that's terribly unique to Christianity. Maybe excommunication.