Rome, The Mithra Cult and Early Christianity

I went to Rome during a study trip in winter 1994. We took a flight from Gatwick, London to Rome.  I took lots of photos of Rome including Vatican, the smallest country in the world.

Apart from traveling, I have other  interests and one of it  is comparative religion studies. My interest started when  I went to a lecture given by   Sheikh Ahmad Deedat  the famous Muslim scholar, preacher and debater   at Masjid Sultan Sallahuddin Shah Alam.  One of his most famous debates was “Was Christ Crucified?” when he debated Bishop Josh McDowell in Durban in 1981. He passed away in 2005 at 89 years old. I forgot when the lecture was held  and it probably  in early 90's and I was  in college It seems  senility is  catching up  with  me.  I still have all his softcover  giveaway books in my bookshelves . Since then I have always interested to read about differences and similarities in religions. Click here to listen to his debates. 

Today's post is about Mithra. I guess many people have never heard about it.  Mithra was one of most successful religions besides Christianity and other pagan religions  during the second century during the Roman Empire in Rome. Mithrism was far older and more venerable at the  time having been practiced as early as 1500 BC and preceded Christianity .  Mithra was derived from the ancient Persian (Iranian) God of light and wisdom. In the course of time, the religion developed and become very influential particularly on Rome’s army officer and legionaries. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Mithra religion was equal in strength to Christianity, and both sects competed with Rome’s many traditional divinities. To obtain influence  and protection from Roman emperors, both sects resorted to denunciation, accusing each other of blasphemy and of imitating sacred ceremonies. The conflict went on for decades until finally Emperor Constantine    converted to Christianity  (who was the sole ruler in the Western Roman Empire) and declared Christianity in favour of Mithra to be the state religion.

We often hear that many of the  essential elements and tradition  in Christianity are  similar with  Mithriasm. Mithriasm religion  had  sacraments  the same as the Catholic Church such as  baptism, and communion with bread and water. Some 19th-century historian scholars like Ernest Renan held the opinion that "had Christianity fallen victim to a deadly disease soon after its birth, the world would now worship Mithras"

Mithra

He was called son of God

He was crucified.

He was born of a virgin on December 25th.

He was considered a great travelling teacher and master.

He had 12 companions or disciples.He performed miracles.

He was buried in a tomb.

He was atoned for the sins of mankind

After three days he rose from the dead .

Mithra was called "the Good Shepherd."

He was considered "the Way, the Truth and the Light, the Redeemer,the Savior, the Messiah."

He was identified with both the Lion and the Lamb.

His sacred day was Sunday

Paul, is he the founder of Christianity? Paul was born and raised in the city of Tarsus,  a region in SE Asia-Minor where Mithras was well known. Paul, a Jew, bore Hebrew name Saul , the apostle to the Gentiles was an expert on Pagan religions.  Many believe that he was the real founder of Christianity and not Isa ( Jesus p.b.u.h). Paul never met Jesus in flesh. He only claimed some strange vision of Jesus.   The doctrines of Christianity come mostly from the teaching or influence of Paul.

The Christians view of Jesus is that Saul of Tarsus met  resurrected Messiah on the road to Damascus through  visions. The event is described as a bright-light that blinded Saul of Tarsus along with a voice giving spiritual instructions. Saul of Tarsus changed his name later and became widely known as the Apostle Paul.  He  had written about half  of the New Testament. 

Islam teaches that As-Salaf as-Saalih are superior in their understanding of the Revelation of Al-Qu'ran. Generally  speaking, the people present during  any event (such as the revelation of the Quran) will understand it better  than those who read about it later. These people of the past, namely the first generation of pious Muslims during and after the revelation of the Quran, i.e tha Sahabah or companions of the prophet (saw)
the tabi'ee (followers) and Taabi Taabieen (followers or the followers) They are the  best generation of Islam and they understood  Qur'an and Sunnah the best and those who personally knew Muhammad are accorded the highest category of Sahabah.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation)"

Jews do not believe that Jesus was divine, the Son of God, or the Messiah prophesied in   Jewish scriptures.
He is seen as a "false messiah," who did not meet the requirements laid out in Jewish beliefs. The Romans executed him, as well as many other nationalistic and religious Jews,  for speaking out against Roman authority and abuses.

The Christians  would say the Muslims borrowed from the Christians because the Quran is 600 years after New Testament  and the Jews would say the Christians borrowed from them. Meanwhile the Hindus would say that the Christians copied from them. Hinduism is the oldest religion according to many scholars approximately  2500 years ago and came 500 years earlier than Christianity. Hinduism also has similar trinitarian doctrine like  Christianity. The Hinduism trinity is known as Trimurti. They believe their three major gods ;   Krishna, Vishnu and  Shiva as one entity. There are many similarities between Christianity and Hinduism  such as both i.e. Jesus and Krishna were miraculously conceived, both were threaten with death by their rulers, both worked miracles and temped by devils and   both  were human incarnation of triune God.

Nearly every ancient nation such as   Sumeria, Babylonia and Egypt  also adopted trinitarian  beliefs and long predated  Christianity. They worshiped their gods of goddess in trinities. Rome worshiped Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. In Greece there were Zeus, Poseidon and Adonis. There was trinity of Osiris, Isis and Horus and so forth. 

   As   Muslims   we believe in Jesus(pbuh) and the Moses(pbuh)  and they are our prophets and Islam did not start  with Muhamad (saw).The chain of prophets began with Adam and included Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, David, Jesus and  the last  was Muhammad.What do Muslims think of Jesus (pbuh).Click here. 

"Say (O Muslims): "We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Isahq (Issac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob), and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and 'Isa (Jesus) and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)." (Quran 2:136)

When Allah will say: O Isa-Jesus Son of Maryam, Remember My favors to you and your mother, when 1 strengthened you with the Holy Spirit and you spoke to People in cradle and in maturity, and when I taught you the book wisdom and Torah and Injeel, and when you made figures from the clay shaping like birds by my permission then you did breathe into them and they became the birds by My Permission, and when you healed those born blind and lepers by My Permission, and when you did raise the dead to life by My Permission, and when I withheld the Children of Israel from harming you after to them with clear Signs, then the Disbelievers of them said: This is nothing but a clear magic.(Al Quran. Al-Maeda 7:110)

Did you say to the people ; Worship me and my Mother as two gods beside Allah? He will say; Glory to You. It did not befit me to say for which I had no right to say. If I had said that surely you would have  known it.You know all what is in my mind and heart, while I cannot know what is within your mind Yourself. indeed You alone is knowing of all the unseen and the hidden things. ( Al Quran, Al Maeda  7:116)

I said nothing to them except what You commanded me to say, that worship Allah, My Rabb and your Rabb, and I was witness over them as long as I lived among them. And since You raised me up, then You yourself were the watcher over them. And You are the Witness of every thing. ( Al Quran; Al Maeda,7: 117)

Those have indeed disbelieved  who say: Allah is the Messiah, son of Mariam, Say: "Who,  then has the least power against Allah if He wills to destroy the Messiah, son of Mariam and his mother, and all those who are on earth? To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heaven and the earth and all that is between them, He creates what He wills, And Allah has power over all things" ( Al Quran, Al Maeda  6: 17)

The Quran explains the miraclious creation  of Adam(pbuh) and Jesus(pbuh).

The likeness of Isa (Jesus as ) is like Adam as. Allah creates what He wills"Verily, the likeness of Jesus in Allah's sight is like the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, Be!, and he was."(Quran Al-Imran 3:59).

The Muslims believe Jesus  (p.b.u.h.) was sent by God exclusively to the Bani Israel or Children of Israel and he was not the last prophet and his mission was exclusively to the Jews people at the time and not to all human races. 

In the Gospel He Isa [Jesus (p.b.u.h)] replied, " I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24)" These twelve ( Isa' disciples) Isa [Jesus(p.b.u.h)] sent out with the charge: Do not go to the Gentiles nor enter a Samaritan city, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."( Matthew 10:5-6)
In the Qur'an"We granted Our favor to him [Isa (as)] , and We made him an example to the Children of Israel."( Qur'an 43:59) "And Allah will teach him [Isa(as)] the Book and Wisdom, The Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Bible) , And appoint him a Messenger to the Children of Israel.

Where was Jesus(pbuh) crucified? Click here and here, Did Paul abolish the Law which was followed and preached by Jesus(pbuh)? Click here. Read Islam  points of view supported by the Bible. 

This is one beautiful verse from the Quran for everybody to ponder. 

Follow not what you have no knowledge And follow not ( O man, i.e. say not or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned.(Al-Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:36) 

Unto Allah belong the Sovereignty of the heavens ad earth and whatever between them; And He is powerful to do everything (Al-Quran  Al Maeda  7: 120)

Sometimes the truth is simple and logical. He only says to it "BE" and it is. (Al Quran 2: 117) When he commanded to create the universe, he said 'Kun fayakun" and the universe came into being. 

The many pagan Gods during Roman Empire including Neptune, God ot the seas.