Ralph Larson's
Baptized Paganism
~Sacred Names & Titles of Elohim Restored~
~Abomination Removed~
from old anon. Adventist Literature:
Public Domain~gender friendly version;
TARA's Little Leatherette Library:
Resurrection Books; for M&M's Mission~StarNet Ministry
~for Yahwist Disciples~
Introduction:
The controversy over religion started with Sun-worship. In our study of "Baptized Paganism" we will begin with the Origin of Sun-worship, then trace the History of Sun-worship, and finally point out the Place of Sun-worship today. And believe it or not, Sun-worship today is not only found in Paganism, it is likewise found in Catholicism and in Pseudo-Protestantism (bearing vestiges of Babylonian paganism, is thus rendered pagan).
Origin of Sun Worship:
1. Isaiah 14:12-15; "Lucifer, the 'day star': Dictionary says "Day Star" is "the Sun." Lucifer, the 'Day Star' wanted to be worshiped, started a rebellion in heaven, (Rev. 12:7-9), cast out, came to this Earth; Adam and Even succumbed to his subtlety, (Genesis 3:22-24); They were driven from the garden, and they worshiped at the East Gate of the Garden, with backs to the Sun. Later Satan deceived people into facing the Sun, and even worshiping it as the Deity.
2. "Sun worship was the earliest idolatry." (or Nature worship) Biblical Encyclopedia, AR Fausset, page 666. "The sun was worshiped by the ante-diluvians," ppp. pg. 91. Paul says, "they worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." (Romans 1:25). And the Flood came and took them all away.
History of Sun Worship:
Counterfeit Plan of Salvation came into existence after Noah's flood; basic Sun Worship; three characters involved in this plan:
Nimrod
Gen. 10:8-10;
Who was Nimrod? Husband of Semiramis: a priest-king (or pontifex-Maximus), instigator of Sun Worship, founder of the original religion known as paganism and builder of the Tower of Babel. "Babel" means "confusion." Isaiah 51:7, Religion of Babylon spread to every nation. Nimrod, known as Bel-Marduk, Ra, Surya, Sol, Baal, Apollo, and many other names. How do we know the Babylonian religion was built around Sun-worship?
(1.) Temples, sun carvings, sun statues (graven images), sun domes, etc.
(2.) Devotion to the sacred Bull, in Babylon; Bull was a symbol of Nimrod, or the Sun-God. (for instance, Apis Bull sects in ancient Egypt/Crete)
(3.) Many things dedicated to the Sun: Sun-House, Sun-Gate, Sun-Horses, Sun Chariots, Sun-Images, Sun-Worship, Sun-Day, (see Jeremiah 43:13/2-Kings 23:11/Job 31:26-28).
Nimrod is called "the father of the gods."
Semiramis, wife of Nimrod: a wicked and adulterous queen, worshiped in Shady Oak Groves (read "Golden Bough" by Fraser: oaks significant of "evergreen" trees) -- amidst scenes of lust and debauchery. Known as Astarte, Cybele, Diana, Venus, Ashtaroth/Ashtareth, Easter/Ishtar, and many other names. Called the "Mother of the Gods" and...
2. ...The "Queen of Heaven." (Judges 2:13) Israel "served Baal and Ashtaroth," or Nimrod and Semiramis. "Noted for her wisdom, beauty, her voluptuousness (fertility), but particularly as the mother of Tammuz."
Tammuz, the False Messiah ("Usurper"): son of Semiramis, and supposedly the son of the Sun god, (reincarnated) Nimrod, known as Bacchus, Osiris, Mithras, Vishma, /etc. (referred to as the Savior of Babylon)
His supposed Miraculous birth, on Dec. 25, the winter solstice. This is why we celebrate Christ-mass, an ancient pagan inheritance.
Why trees?, holly?, mistletoe? ("golden bough"), Santa Clause?, etc.? (read Jeremiah 10:3 to 5--about idol sculpting and worshiping). (read Fraser’s Golden Bough, more on mistletoe; and the Tree Spirit of mythology=ie. Tammuz)
What should be our attitude towards Christmas?
Story of Tammuz (birth, death, and 'resurrection'=actually "reincarnation") is nearly identical with that of Messias.(ie. as a "counterfeit" or "usurper")
What about the "Feast of Tammuz?"
Why Easter?
Death & 'Resurrection' of Tammuz;
Lent (Ezekiel 8:4),
Hot cross buns (Jeremiah 7:17-18; 44:18-19).
Religion of Babylon:
This was the religion of Babylon: the religion of Paganism. Ancient Babylon became a great empire (of "gold" according to Daniel's dream). In 538 BC. Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians (Cyrus the Great); today ancient Babylon remains a desolate waste (with it's crumbling "high place" of Marduk/Bel=Baal).
Ancient Babylon fell as the biblical prophets predicted (Isaiah 13:19-21, Jeremiah 51:26-7). But her superstitious system of pagan religion, i.e. Sun-worship, has conquered and poisoned Christendom and the rest of the world, having survived the millenniums of time.
After the fall of Babylon, the Chaldean Magi fled to Asia Minor, and history tells us that Pergamos became their religious headquarters. The Bible calls Pergamos "Satan's Seat" (Rev. 2:13). There we find the famed "Temple of Asclepius," the great "Alter of Zeus": and also the "Temple of Agustus," dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor as "Lord & God" (priest-king/god-king) or "pontiff-king."
In 133 BCE, the religious headquarters were merged in Rome, and the Roman Emperor then became pontiff-king, or pontifex Maximus, in Pagan Rome. Under Constantine who was a devotee of the sun-god before professing to be a Christian, pagan customs became Christian customs; and pagan practices, pagan ceremonies, and pagan festivals were permanently adopted into the Christian religion. (why StarNet differentiates betwixt Nazarene~Christians and Catholicism which is paganism)... (and "pontifex Maximus" became Pope's "holy Roman Emperor")
Place of Sun Worship Today:
Where did the worship of the Virgin Mary come from?
Not from the Bible, but from paganism.
Where did the idea of the Mass come from?
Not from the Bible, but from paganism.
Where did the Sign of the Cross come from?
Not from the Bible but from paganism.
Where did the Rosary come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did Purgatory come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did the teaching that there should be Monks and Nuns come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did Infant Baptism and sprinkling come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did the false concept of 'Immortality of the Soul';
the supposedly 'Conscious State of the Dead';
and the concept of an Eternal Hell; all come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did Sunday observance come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism.
Where did the plural-deity concept of the Trinity come from?
Not from the Bible, but from Paganism. (There is plenty of scriptural evidence to verify this false doctrine to be profane... see below)
There is abundant evidence to show that all these things and many other unmentioned rites and rituals came from paganism.
A comparison of Pagan Theology, Papal Theology, and pseudo-Protestant Theology, shows that popular Christianity as it exists today is largely what the historian called it during the Dark Ages, saying, "*Christianity as it existed in the Dark Ages might be termed Baptized Paganism." Wharey's Church History, page 24. (ie. Catholicism is NOT Christianity/ed)
Conclusion:
Rev.14:8; Yah's last warning message: This is talking about apocalyptic Babylon, i.e. Modern Babylon. Holy Writ saith, 'she' is a woman: prophetically a woman represents a church assembly (Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16). A fallen church is following the traditions and commandments of men. Yahshua says, vain worship (Mark 7:7-9). Yahweh's call to His people everywhere (Rev.18:1-5) is to come out of mystical Babylon, to flee from it; to forsake it; to follow plain and unadulterated Bible teachings (i.e. Saving Truth; even to remove the Abomination).
Cardinals, or Priests of the Hinge: The name "Cardinal" was given originally to the Pope, but now it refers only to those who assist him in opening and closing the doors of Janus. Thus the Pope's grand council of State which assists him in the government of the church came to be called the College of Cardinals.
The Cross: the papal cross is the cross of paganism. It is the grand charm and the universal sign of Catholicism. No prayer can be said or religious service performed without the sign of the cross. It is used in applying the 'holy' water at the entrance of the church, again before being seated and again before turning the back on the altar to leave. None can pass the altar without the sign of the cross (pointing to each shoulder and up and down over the heart).
The Pagan Cross is an outgrowth of nature (or creature) worship. It was originally the symbol of a Tree (asherah) which represented the Life and Generative principle of which the Sun was the supposed source. The tree with it's cross or lateral branches, and the branches again crossed, represented Life & Generation. The Maltese cross with the circle is a double emblem of the pagan sun-god. The cross was worshipped by the pagan Celts, and also in Mexico for ages before the Roman Catholics set foot there; archeological discoveries show the temples of Egypt, including the temple of Serapis in Alexandria, were marked with crosses; also, on Egyptian mummies.
Crosses have permeated paganism for eons.
The 'Sign of the Cross' was the 'mystic Tau' of the Chaldeans and Egyptians, the true original of the letter "T," the first initial of Tammuz. The mystic 'Tau' was marked in baptism on the foreheads of those initiated in the mysteries, and was used in every variety of ways as a most sacred symbol; called 'the sign of life,' used as an amulet over the heart, marked on the official garments of the priests, born by kings in their hands as a token of their supposed divinity. The vestal virgins of pagan Rome wore it suspended from their necklaces as the nuns do now. (evidently the nuns came from the pagan tradition of vestal virgins/Fraser/ed.).
The Christian Cross is the symbol of Death, not of Life; it is not found in the early church as it did not enter the early church for several centuries. This cross is a worldly symbol of the death-cult. (ie. the Christian Cross is not originally Christian)
(*StarNet ed. note: about usage of the word "tree" as opposed to "cross"; some are compelled to disdain the usage of "cross" in the New Testament references to the post upon which Yahshua was crucified. Certainly, even as history attests, for their morbid crucifixions in that sort of terrain, the Romans actually did use stakes made from trees, without the wasteful crossbar so popular in Christendom's lore. Nevertheless considering the history of crosses, traced back to rituals and relics associated with Tammuz of Babel, it really makes no difference which, "tree," "stake," "post," or "cross," as all are significant of the pagan "asherah" or "sacred stems" i.e. "sun-pillars" of ancient paganism. Thus, metaphorically, our Savior having been crucified upon that which is significant of humanity's infamous sun-pillar symbol, is significant of his purpose thereupon, even to free us all of the uncivilized "Great City Babylon," to bring us home into his civilized New Jerusalem./Visions/kmy)
Christmass or Christ's Mass, 25th day of December: On this winter day was held one of the leading pagan solstice festivals in honor of the birth of the sun god. This was the birthday of Osiris, the son of Isis; it was called 'Natalis Invictae Solis,' the birthday of the unconquered Sun, it being the period of the winter solstice when the sun first begins to regain it's power. It was the birthday of the sun god Mithras (of Crete). Burning of the "Yule Log" was the (symbolic) death of the sun god (in the person of the spirit of the tree=anthropomorphic nature deity), burned on the evening of Dec. 25, ...it was supposed to reappear with rejoicing on the next day, the birthday of the Sun-god, in the form of a young tree, loaded with presents. This pagan event entered the Christian church with the act of Julius 1, who presided as pope or bishop of Rome from 337-352 AD.
Messias was not born in Winter:
Luke 2:5-8; Shepherds abiding in the field, It is a historical fact that the shepherds never do this after the October rains set in. The Palestine winters are quite severe. See Matt. 24:20; The shepherds would not keep the sheep out in the open all night in this time of year.
Luke 2:1-5; This tax applied to all the Roman Empire. Traveling was then difficult even under the most favorable circumstances. Because of this, the religious festivals were all held in the spring and summer. No Roman Emperor would have issued such a decree in the winter.
Messias was born about the end of August
or the beginning of September.
The Confessional: Of pagan Origin; the Babylonians had to make confession to a priest before initiation into the Chaldean Mysteries. Every effort was made to frighten the worshipper into making a complete confession which gave the pagan priests complete power over them. One of the gods of Babylon was represented as having a pair of balances in his hand by which he weighed the deeds of men, to determine their destiny.
~finis~
The following is not modern Adventism (not Trinitarian), which modern Adventism is;
nor is this from the above anonymous SDA tract.
additionals by k.m.young '01~6 (c) from Visions of Eternity
The Pagan Trinity:
Three Deities of the so called 'Godhead'
In the ancient Sumerian pantheon of nature deities, there were three major gods (or deities) who ruled their entire pantheon.
The Head, or first, was called "Anki" or "An," who was considered to be the ruler of the Heavens, even the father of all deities; but this one became obscured by the fame of;
The Second head of their pantheon, who was called "Enlil" and by the Sumerians actually was referred to as a "Prince of the Air," an earth & air deity who reigned under the heavens (under Anki)... (read Samuel Noah Kramer's "Ancient Sumer");
The Third and not the least, was the 'powerful' "Enki," ruler of the Underworld, the Sea, and the Dead. He reigned in the waters beneath the Earth.
These three pagan deities were the original "trinity" or "triune godhead" of ancient Sumer and all Mesopotamia, and the Sumerian and Mesopotamian peoples made images of these, and served these images (howsoever).
Now in Yah's renowned Ten Commandments which He wrote with His own "Right Hand" (by Yahshua to whom Holy Writ refers oftentimes as Yah's right hand or arm/ed), the Second Commandment clearly states:
"Thou shalt have no other Elohim (Heb. for "mighty ones") before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them."
Such is the command of YHWH against idolatry, i.e. against the practice of pagan polytheist religions, and the worship of such. This Second is a very specific Commandment, pertaining to the ancient pagan "triune godhead" of the plural pantheon of nature deities of Mesopotamian antiquity:
"In the Heavens above" is a direct reference to Anki, who's domain was considered to be the heavens;
"Or that is in the earth beneath" undoubtedly refers to Enlil, the earth-air deity, who's domain was considered to be under the heavens, even under Anki's domain; and...
"In the waters beneath the earth" undoubtedly refers to Enki, his domain supposedly being under the earth, under Enlil's domain, in the sea, the underworld, the "waters beneath" the earth.
And so this Second Commandment is singularly and specifically against the idolatry of the "triune-godhead" concept of pagan polytheistic origin, (read "the Two Babylons" by Hislop, at least in part). Because of Yahweh's Second Commandment, we must not interpret any scripture through the eye of a pagan concept of plural deities (polytheism).
Last but not least, there is the biblical passage of Yahshua's (Matt. 24:36), and I quote, "But concerning that day and hour, NO ONE knoweth, neither the messengers ("angels")...., NOR the Son, SAVE THE FATHER ONLY." Now if the Son really is the Father "in the flesh," and divine, how is it he DOESN'T KNOW "that day and hour," if "ONLY THE FATHER KNOWS IT?" If Yahshua really is the Father, then he WOULD KNOW that "day and hour," absolutely! Or what part of "ONLY" don't we understand? Simply, as Yahshua is NOT the Father, therefore he does NOT himself, know this time or day/hour, for "only the Father" knows it. If Yahshua WERE the Father Deity, himself, he'd KNOW IT, of a certainty. Absolutely. (end kmy’s quotes)
~finis~