Anyone who says “paganism was already on the decline long before Christianity" has no clue how non-Abrahamic religions actually work.The cult of Sol Invictus was not monotheistic nor exclusive, Aurelian still worshiped traditional Roman gods alongside Sol Invictus (and Sol Invictus himself is just a syncretization of the Roman sun god Sol with the Syrian sun god Elagabal), he never sought to displace traditional Roman religious practices like Christianity did. The various mystery cults like Mithraism also heavily syncretized with Greco-Roman paganism as people still worshiped traditional gods alongside the gods of their mystery cult (and oftentimes equated traditional gods with theirs. For example, Mithras was equated with Sol). Historically, religious syncretism was the norm and outside of the Abrahamic religions, it is still arguably the norm. Look at modern Japan for example, according to several surveys Japan is both 70% Buddhist and 70% Shinto at the same time because historically Buddhism tended to syncretize with local religions and nobody ever saw any contradictions in that. Similarly in India, many other religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism heavily syncretize with Hindu traditions. Besides, “Paganism” itself is just a broad term for all non-Abrahamic religions, so by that definition, religions such as Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism, Shinto, etc are also all technically “pagan.”The Abrahamic religions with their insistence on “orthodoxy” and “heresy” are actually a historic anomaly. The idea that people can only belong to one religious tradition is an Abrahamic invention that never would have existed otherwise.
>>18247945None of this is contradictory and illogical either. Neoplatonists already answered why this isn’t illogical; in Neoplatonism, all pagan religions are different shades of the truth rather than standing on their own. There's also Interpretatio graeca/Interpretatio romana, the practice where the Ancient Greeks and Romans equated foreign gods with their own under the belief that all cultures worshipped the same gods under different names. It’s why Tacitus claimed that the Germanic peoples worshipped Mercury as their chief god; even though it technically wasn’t Mercury but a local Germanic deity we know as Odin, both deities are similar enough that Tacitus didn’t bother to differentiate them.
>>18247945LARP.
>>18247945>>18247946>The Abrahamic religions with their insistence on “orthodoxy” and “heresy” are actually a historic anomaly. The idea that people can only belong to one religious tradition is an Abrahamic invention that never would have existed otherwise.Just another evidence for Christianity being true, if you actually have the Truth why would you compromise and just believe everything is the same but different?
>>18247956Nope, it’s evidence the Abrahamic religions are illogical as no one religion can have a monopoly on the truth.
>>18247999Mine can.
>>18247945>Look at modern Japan for exampleDogshit example. Chriatians are the ruling class of japan
>>18247999You just claim that, but it makes no sense. Why is it illogical? Pagan religions have no real basis for their belief system, Christianity is based on God revealing himself and the Truth - if you believe it or not doesn't matter, the belief system is consistent within itselfWhat is really illogical is that contradictory systems would all have the truth. You know that's what globohomo foundations are pushing right now right? The previously christian Roman church is the one spearheading this, attempting to unite all pagan religions and christian sects under one world religion as if they all have equally valid nuggets of truth. It's just a globalism ploy to undermine legitimate Christianity, but it is being done under the guise of truth seeking
>>18248007>Christianity is based on God revealing himself and the Truth All pagan religions already claim the gods revealed themselves to them + if Christianity were the absolute truth, it would not deny the existence or divinity of beings such as Zeus, Aphrodite, or Apollo. But your intellect is far too low to understand that.Look up Interpretatio graeca. All polytheists worship the same gods. The names and figures change, but the archetype remains no matter the culture. That's why the Greeks and Romans had no problem accepting other people's gods or making parallels between their gods and foreign gods. That's also why Tacitus said the Germanic peoples worshiped Mercury. It was not exactly Mercury but a Germanic god (Odin) who was close enough to Mercury that Tacitus did not bother making a difference.One can worship Ishtar or Venus or Aphrodite or Freyja, they’re all just different interpretations/names of the same being.
>>18248001What is your religion?
>>18248021>it would not deny the existence or divinity of beings such as Zeus, Aphrodite, or Apollo. But your intellect is far too low to understand that.In Christian world view these are no necessarily false, I believe many of them were real entities, but they are simply demonic beings not gods to be worshipped>All polytheists worship the same godsWithin pagan system that's false, but within the Christian system that's actually true. They're all the same demons manifesting with different names all over. That's why you can draw parallels between modern day abortion and ancient child sacrifice ritual, pretty similar
>>18248033They are not “demons,” they are personifications of natural forces. Anyone who says that they are “demons” is a delusional idiot with a poor understanding of metaphysics.If they truly were “demons,” your “one true god” would not have tolerated it for thousands of years. If they truly were “demons,” they wouldn’t have taught people virtue and wisdom.They are not “dead” either, death cannot come near them and if they did somehow “die,” then the whole of reality would have collapsed and we wouldn’t be here discussing this. Oh, and I’ve had all of my prayers to them answered, that alone is enough proof they’re still here.A rhetorical tool used by early Christians has no basis in reality, and is also hypocritical considering Judaism originated from Canaanite paganism.
>>18247945>ElagabalI bet you're the same kind of person that also calls Aten a "Sun" god.Oh, what a coincidence you using a picture of Atena as an OP!
>>18248024It's a secret, but don't worry, you're going to the good place.
>>18247945None of this has anything to do with the reasons people say paganism was on the decline long before Christianity, it's to do with losing its moral authority. Things like accounts of temples being neglected, people not performing rituals as they would have before, and collapsing public morality. I don't know enough about the period to say whether or not that's actually true but this seems like a strawman.
