Critics of Christianity have charged that we've lifted a lot of our beliefs from the pagans. Is this true? Is this bad?
I've heard that that certain denominations do. As far as having things in common with other faiths it can't be denied.
I did a little research to answer my own question about the Trinity. To start off, I'd better clarify what I mean by "sources". Just because some similar beliefs to Christian beliefs can be found in pagan religions doesn't necessarily mean that they influenced Christianity. They could have been onto the same thing Christians have accepted as a result of their independent studies and revelations. I've come up with a couple of triune deities that have some things in common with the Trinity. There is the Hindu Trimurti, consisting of Creation (Brahma), Maintenance (Vishnu) and Destruction (Siva), but Trimurti, itself, doesn't seem to be regarded as very important by believers as a god to worship in its own right. And while it's possible that knowledge of this god filtered over from India to the Holy Land by the early Christian era, I don't know of any evidence of this. There's also Plato's concept of God consisting of The Unknown Father, the Nous/Logos, and the World Soul. Plato, of course, was a philosopher but his ideas were influential among intellectuals in the early Christian period. Of course he might have used his intellect to discern the same thing Christians arrived at by study of Scripture. Any others?
yes, it is true....no, it is not bad. I believe that there is truth in all religions....one singular truth. Historically speaking, pagan beliefs were picked up in order to make the trasition to christianity make more sense to pagan cultures. Spiritually speaking, do we now that these pagan religions were holistically false?? I like to think no. For example, pagan religions were mostly animist (all beings on the earth, like trees, rocks, rivers, animals, etc. have a spirit.) Well, the Bible says that the Earth was created by God. That God is in all things. I think the pagans were more in tuned with God's creation, and knew that it was special and needed to be revered, and I am glad that it was incorporated into the Chrisitan faith.
