The Origin of Evil and the S= pread of False Religions

Introduction to Lesson 7

What are mystery religions? What is the legend of Semiramis? As we trace the spread of mystery religions from Babel, we consider how mystery religions relate to Christianity. Were pagan practices incorporated i= nto Christianity?

JE= R 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fath= ers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the q= ueen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Apostasy

Apostasy (meaning a defection= or revolt) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of one's religion, especially = if the motive is deemed unworthy. One who commits apostasy is an apostate, or one who apostatizes. The difference between apostasy and heresy is that the latter refers to rejection or corruption of certain doctrines, not to the complete abandonment of one's religion. Heretics claim to still be followin= g a religion (or to be the "true followers"), whereas apostates reject it.[1] The revolt against God at Babel is consider= ed apostasy since they chose to worship false deities. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Morm= ons are heretics since they still purport to be Christian but follow aberrant doctrines.

Mystery

The Greek word Mysterion (English – Mystery) refers to a mystery of divine nature that remains hidden f= rom human beings because their normal powers of comprehension are insufficient.= [2] In certain aspects Christianity co= ntains mysteries (e.g. The Trinity).

Mystery Religions

Mystery religions, as contrasted with p= ublic state religions, were secret religious cults that flourished during the Greco-Roman period. They invo= lved worship of deities from Greece, Anatolia (Turkey), Egypt, Per= sia, and Syria.[3] We will look at certain of these m= ystery religions.

There can be seen certain similarities between the Ancient Mystery Religions and Christianity. These similarities may be from the corruption of the embryonic Messianic and salvation message found in the sa= lvation theme of the Old Testament. I= t is also clear that from the 4th century AD on, Christianity adopted a signific= ant number of non-Christian practices. We will look at these practices in some detail. It is entirely possible, and proba= ble, that the religious practices that entered the church were reflections of religious practices originally carried away from Babel, that had taken hold in the myste= ry religions and religious practices of whatever land the people settled. We will study the legend of= Semiramis to better gain an understanding of the origin of false religion and the spr= ead of these corrupting religious practices throughout the world.

&nb= sp;

GEN 11:7-8 Go to, let us go down,= and there confound their language, that they may not understand one anotherR= 17;s speech. So the LORD scattered= them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to bui= ld the city.