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98:6.1 Prior to the coming of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_cults mystery cults] and [[Christianity]], [[personal]] [[religion]] hardly [[developed]] as an [[independent]] [[institution]] in the civilized lands of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Africa North Africa] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Europe Europe]; it was more of a [[family]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_state city-state], [[political]], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_cult imperial] affair. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellene Hellenic Greeks] never evolved a centralized [[worship]] [[system]]; the [[ritual]] was local; they had no [[priesthood]] and no "[[Scripture|sacred book]]." Much as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Romans Romans], their [[religious]] [[institutions]] lacked a powerful driving [[agency]] for the [[preservation]] of higher [[moral]] and [[spiritual]] [[values]]. While it is true that the [[institutionalization]] of [[religion]] has usually detracted from its [[spiritual]] [[quality]], it is also a [[fact]] that no [[religion]] has thus far succeeded in [[surviving]] without the aid of [[institutional]] [[organization]] of some [[degree]], greater or lesser.

98:6.1 Prior to the coming of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_cults mystery cults] and [[Christianity]], [[personal]] [[religion]] hardly [[developed]] as an [[independent]] [[institution]] in the civilized lands of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Africa North Africa] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Europe Europe]; it was more of a [[family]], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_state city-state], [[political]], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_cult imperial] affair. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellene Hellenic Greeks] never evolved a centralized [[worship]] [[system]]; the [[ritual]] was local; they had no [[priesthood]] and no "[[Scripture|sacred book]]." Much as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Romans Romans], their [[religious]] [[institutions]] lacked a powerful driving [[agency]] for the [[preservation]] of higher [[moral]] and [[spiritual]] [[values]]. While it is true that the [[institutionalization]] of [[religion]] has usually detracted from its [[spiritual]] [[quality]], it is also a [[fact]] that no [[religion]] has thus far succeeded in [[surviving]] without the aid of [[institutional]] [[organization]] of some [[degree]], greater or lesser.

98:6.2 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occident Occidental] [[religion]] thus languished until the days of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhonism Skeptics], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynics Cynics], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureans Epicureans], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoics Stoics], but most important of all, until the times of the great [[contest]] between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism] and [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]]'s new [[religion]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Christianity Christianity].

98:6.2 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occident Occidental] [[religion]] thus languished until the days of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhonism Skeptics], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynics Cynics], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureans Epicureans], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoics Stoics], but most important of all, until the times of the great [[contest]] between [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism] and [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]]'s new [[religion]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Christianity Christianity].

98:6.3 During the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_AD third century after Christ], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraic] and [[Christian]] churches were very similar both in [[appearance]] and in the [[character]] of their [[ritual]]. A [[majority]] of such places of [[worship]] were underground, and both contained [[altars]] whose backgrounds variously depicted the [[sufferings]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savior savior] who had brought [[salvation]] to a [[sin]]-[[cursed]] [[human]] [[race]].

98:6.3 During the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_AD third century after Christ], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraic] and [[Christian]] churches were very similar both in [[appearance]] and in the [[character]] of their [[ritual]]. A [[majority]] of such places of [[worship]] were underground, and both contained [[altars]] whose backgrounds variously depicted the [[sufferings]] of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savior savior] who had brought [[salvation]] to a [[sin]]-[[cursed]] [[human]] [[race]].

98:6.4 Always had it been the [[practice]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism#Rituals_and_worship Mithraic worshipers], on entering the [[temple]], to dip their fingers in [[holy]] [[water]]. And since in some districts there were those who at one time belonged to both religions, they introduced this [[custom]] into the [[majority]] of the [[Christian]] churches in the vicinity of [[Rome]]. Both [[religions]] employed [[baptism]] and partook of the [[sacrament]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist bread and wine]. The one great [[difference]] between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism] and [[Christianity]], aside from the characters of [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mithra.html Mithras] and [[Jesus]], was that the one [[encouraged]] [[Aggression|militarism]] while the other was [[Peace|ultrapacific]]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism]'s [[tolerance]] for other [[religions]] (except later [[Christianity]]) led to its final undoing. But the deciding [[factor]] in the [[struggle]] between the two was the admission of [[women]] into the full fellowship of the [[Christian]] [[faith]].

98:6.4 Always had it been the [[practice]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism#Rituals_and_worship Mithraic worshipers], on entering the [[temple]], to dip their fingers in [[holy]] [[water]]. And since in some districts there were those who at one time belonged to both religions, they introduced this [[custom]] into the [[majority]] of the [[Christian]] churches in the vicinity of [[Rome]]. Both [[religions]] employed [[baptism]] and partook of the [[sacrament]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist bread and wine]. The one great [[difference]] between [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism] and [[Christianity]], aside from the characters of [https://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mithra.html Mithras] and [[Jesus]], was that the one [[encouraged]] [[Aggression|militarism]] while the other was [[Peace|ultrapacific]]. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism]'s [[tolerance]] for other [[religions]] (except later [[Christianity]]) led to its final undoing. But the deciding [[factor]] in the [[struggle]] between the two was the admission of [[women]] into the full fellowship of the [[Christian]] [[faith]].

98:6.5 In the end the [[Superficial|nominal]] [[Christian]] [[faith]] dominated the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occident Occident]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] supplied the [[concepts]] of [[ethical]] [[value]]; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism#The_Banquet ritual of worship observance]; and [[Christianity]], as such, the [[technique]] for the [[conservation]] of [[moral]] and [[social]] [[values]].

98:6.5 In the end the [[Superficial|nominal]] [[Christian]] [[faith]] dominated the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occident Occident]. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] supplied the [[concepts]] of [[ethical]] [[value]]; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraism], the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism#The_Banquet ritual of worship observance]; and [[Christianity]], as such, the [[technique]] for the [[conservation]] of [[moral]] and [[social]] [[values]].

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_98 Go to Paper 98]</center>

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_98 Go to Paper 98]</center>