If true, why would the church steal pagan traditions, and then label pagans heretics?

Question

What need would they have of labeling pagans heretics if they copied their rituals and beliefs and stuff?

Answer 1

duh lion of, its BECAUSE they stole them, so they had to make their reputation better and pagans worse

rather simple

Answer 2

To seize the power from the hands of the pagans.

Answer 3

That's what christians do.  they steal everything from others and then label them as being the evil ones

Answer 4

Hello,

Ditto to Karen Batosai.

Also pagans were just called that, pagans. Heretics were Christians themselves who wandered off from the teachings. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief, especially a religion, that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief.

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Answer 5

Lets not forget that in the beginning of christianity the majority couldnt read or write.  They were were simple minded people.  So in order to convert them the church made it appear like it was an upgrade to the faith they already had.  HA  Well as you can see today not everyone bought that line.  Some said I dont think so and were labeled heretic or witch.

Answer 6

Because the church is about power, and power demands exclusivity. To offer the masses a similar pagan "alternative" to church doctrine would be to weaken the church's authority and control.

Answer 7

They adopted some of their rituals, ideas, and holidays to facilitate conversion. After all its easier to get someone to adopt your system if they don't have to give up all the things they were previously accustomed to including their holidays they enjoyed. They labeled people who refused to adopt their exclusive beliefs heretics and persecuted them however, because they wanted to enforce some conformity and exclusivity to consolidate power and minimize the threat that they would lose too many to competition. Some no doubt earnestly believed just as some do today and those who persecuted Christians before they rose to power also did that they were doing it to save the souls of the misguided and thought the world would be better and evil eliminated if only every one joined their "team" and adopted their beliefs.  

Answer 8

Christians in the 5th to 7th centuries, when the festivals were positioned in the calender, didn't as such steal the traditions but overlaid a different spirituality on to them.  By attributing similar powers to saints as the the particular gods/goddesses of each festival nothing had to change only the names.  There was very little difference between pre-Christian and Christian society during this transitional period.

It was from the 11th century onwards that the overt persecution of non-Christian faiths i.e. pagans, Jews and Muslims stated; pagan gods were described as devils and by the end of the Middle Ages their followers condemned as witches, Jews were banned from most trades and expelled from London and a number of crusades were waged against Muslims in the Holy Land.  This was the flexing of the church's political and financial muscle and almost crucial to the preservation of feudal systems of Europe. Kings and other nobles used the church to prop up their political positions, oppressing alternative faiths with different ideologies was just one way of maintaining the status quo.

Finally it is wrong to assume that during this period most people couldn't read or write, and they were far from simple minded.  The translation of the Latin bible into Old English bookhand by Alfred the Great was extremely controversial with many Christian leaders as it meant that the common man would be able to read it and that the numerology contained within the original text (the Holy Writ) would be lost; however Alfred considered it important to have this translation as part of his programme of widespread literacy and educational reforms which he instigated during his reign.

Answer 9

An attempt to win converts.

Answer 10

Because borrowed rituals/practices have been Christianized -- to enhance Christian worship.  Same in Judaism.  The Jews were far from the first group to offer animal sacrifice or to circumcize.  They made both into formal religious rituals to offer to the One True God.  Pagans offer their worship to unknown gods that do not exist and therefore cannot save or enter into relationship with subjects.  

Answer 11

The church based their holidays and practices on ideas and concepts from Paganism so as to encourage Pagans to convert to Christianity.

Answer 12

In order to convert some Pagans, and outcast the ones who refuse to convert.  Sort of a carrot and stick scheme.

Answer 13

LABEL     That's a good word to describe the main means of deception used in false Christianity. Just put the "label" "Christian" on a belief, practice, or person. If someone accepts the "label" about that belief, practice, or person, then that person is deceived. There are a lot of beliefs, a lot of practices, and a lot of people. How is one to verify the truth of the labels? The logical step is to verify the beliefs first, since those are what one will use to verify the people and practices. So few are doing the necessary work. It is much easier to accept the label.

In your question you use the words "the church". There is where a lot of deception occurs. Many millions of people believe the Roman Catholic to be the church founded by Christ. But its tradition of labeling pagan observances as "Christian" proves that it is not! But through so many centuries it has been the only church "visible". If its practices and doctrines prove (and they do) that it is NOT Christ's church, that shows that Christ's church has been small enough to go unnoticed in history, being overshadowed. Because He said His church would not die we know it still exists.

How will you check the pedigree of someone huge, wealthy, and politically powerful enough to destroy you for doing so?