Mainstream Religion More Influenced By Pagan Philosophers Than The Bible:

INTRODUCTION:

Many who claim to be Christian are more influenced by pagan philosophers than the Bible and true teachings of Christ.   Mainstream so called Christian religion has adopted many false pagan teachings of pagan philosophers such as Aristotle and given them importance over the teachings of the Bible.   For example, the so called mainstream Christian religions readily accepted the pagan philosophers beliefs in the Ptolemaic system of astronomy and the Trinity rejecting Bible teachings.   They went so far in believing these pagan beliefs that they even had individuals who disagreed with this pagan concepts of the pagan philosophers burned at the stake and/or killed in other ways and also put under house arrest.   Of course many will say this fact is not believable, but let's look at the facts through one of many examples.

Let's consider the case of Giordano Bruno who was burnt-at-the-stake because he taught earth traveled around the sun, the Copernican system, in opposition to the system from pagan philosophers, the Ptolemaic system where the sun traveled around the earth, which the Catholic church and most of the protestant churches maintained in the 15 century was universal truth even though it came from paganism and NOT the Bible.   Here is what history says with regard to what happened to Giordano Bruno,

"The Inquisition burnt him at the stake on 17 February 1600. Bruno turned his head away from the cross shown at him in sign of disdain. He was executed, guilty of his beliefs, in Campo dei Fiori (The Field of Flowers). There is a statue in that place, reminding Italians and tourists of his incredible story. The Catholic Church was intolerant regarding his beliefs, but he on the other side was uncaring about the situation.... The Vatican had to do something. Giordano Bruno was tried, convicted of heresy, and then burnt at the stake. Killing Giordano Bruno [for teaching the Copernican theory] was not difficult then. While Martin Luther was well protected by the princes of the German states, Bruno was not." [source - A Yet to Be Pardoned Heretic: Giordano Bruno by Laert Dogjani].

ACCEPTANCE OF PAGANISM:

One may ask, how did pagan philosophy become accepted Christian doctrine by so called mainstream Christian churches.   Well in the case of the Trinity for example it was by way of compromise with a pagan Roman Emperor Constantine who needed to unite his empire religiously in order to strengthen it.   This pagan worshiper of the Unconquered Sun called a conference or council in which all known so called Christian bishops were invited, but less than half of those invited actually attended.  This council, known as the Council of Nicea of 325 AD,  went on for a long time with the pagan Constantine who cared naught for Bible truths presiding over it until he got most of the bishops in attendance to compromise [three did not] and accept several pagan teachings thereby bringing a fusion between the so called Christians and the pagans which resulted in bringing religious unity to most of his empire.   Of course as far as being true footstep followers of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, this was nothing short of gross apostasy; but only one of many apostasies to follow.

One pagan philosopher, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) had put forth a false theory that the sun traveled around the earth and the earth was the center of the universe, and this was known as the Ptolemaic system.   Let's learn more about this pagan philosopher.

"To the modern reader, Aristotle's views on astronomy, as presented in Metaphysics, Physics, De Caelo (On the Heavens) and Simplicius' Commentary, will most likely seem very bizarre, as they are based more on a priori philosophical speculation than empirical observation. Although Aristotle acknowledged the importance of "scientific" astronomy - the study of the positions, distances and motions of the stars - he nevertheless treated astronomy in the abstract, linking it to his overall philosophical world picture. As a result, the modern distinction between physics and metaphysics is not present in Aristotle, and in order to fully appreciate him we must try to abandon this pre-conception.
Aristotle argued that the universe is spherical and finite. Spherical, because that is the most perfect shape; finite, because it has a center, viz. the center of the earth, and a body with a center cannot be infinite. He believed that the earth, too, is a sphere. It is relatively small compared to the stars, and in contrast to the celestial bodies, always at rest. For one of his proofs of this latter point, he referred to an empirically testable fact: if the earth were in motion, an observer on it would see the fixed stars as moving, just as he now observes the planets as moving, that is from a stationary earth. However, since this is not the case, the earth must be at rest. To prove that the earth is a sphere, he produced the argument that all earthly substances move towards the center, and thus would eventually have to form a sphere. He also used evidence based on observation. If the earth were not spherical, lunar eclipses would not show segments with a curved outline. Furthermore, when one travels northward or southward, one does not see the same stars at night, nor do they occupy the same positions in the sky. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 14) That the celestial bodies must also be spherical in shape, can be determined by observation. In the case of the stars, Aristotle argued that they would have to be spherical, as this shape, which is the most perfect, allows them to retain their positions. (De Caelo, Book II, chapter 11)

.....Aristotle's hierarchical model of the universe had a profound influence on medieval scholars, who modified it to correspond with Christian theology. Saint Thomas Aquinas, for example, re-interpreted the prime movers as angels. Backed up by religious authority, Aristotle's model lasted for centuries. Unfortunately, this had the effect of restraining the progress of science, as few people dared to challenge the authority of the church. Nevertheless, we can say of Aristotle that he made a contribution to astronomy simply by starting to ask certain questions about the universe, thereby stimulating other minds to do the same." [source - Aristotle's Astronomy  by Thomas Fowler]

Now how did the pagan concepts of this pagan philosopher Aristotle come to be accepted as more pertinent that the Bible by the so called mainstream Christian church?   Well let's find out from history as detailed in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy which shows which so called church father, Thomas Aquinas, was responsible for the adoption of this, the pagan philosopher's the Ptolemaic system theory.    Let's see what history says with regard this apostasy by the so called mainstream Christian church's adoption of this pagan philosopher's theory by the person of so called Saint Thomas Aquinas.

"Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason, calling into question the modus vivendi that had obtained for centuries. This crisis flared up just as universities were being founded. Thomas, after early studies at Montecassino, moved on to the University of Naples, where he met members of the new Dominican Order. It was at Naples too that Thomas had his first extended contact with the new learning. When he Johnined the Dominican Order he went north to study with Albertus Magnus, author of a paraphrase of the Aristotelian corpus. Thomas completed his studies at the University of Paris, which had been formed out of the monastic schools on the Left Bank and the cathedral school at Notre Dame. In two stints as a regent master Thomas defended the mendicant orders and, of greater historical importance, countered both the Averroistic interpretations of Aristotle and the Franciscan tendency to reject Greek philosophy. The result was a new modus vivendi between faith

and philosophy which survived until the rise of the new physics. Thomas's theological writings became regulative of the Catholic Church and his close textual commentaries on Aristotle represent a cultural resource which is now receiving increased recognition. The following account concentrates on Thomas the philosopher and presents him as fundamentally an Aristotelian.

Thomas and Aristotle
As a philosopher, Thomas is emphatically Aristotelian. His interest in and perceptive understanding of the Stagyrite is present from his earliest years and certainly did not await the period toward the end of his life when he wrote his close textual commentaries on Aristotle. When Thomas referred to Aristotle as the Philosopher, he was not merely adopting a facon de parler of the time. He adopted Aristotle's analysis of physical objects, his view of place, time and motion, his proof of the prime mover, his cosmology. He made his own Aristotle's account of sense perception and intellectual knowledge. His moral philosophy is closely based on what he learned from Aristotle and in his commentary on the Metaphysics he provides the most cogent and coherent account of what is going on in those difficult pages. But to acknowledge the primary role of Aristotle in Thomas's philosophy is not to deny other influences. Augustine is a massively important presence. Boethius, Pseudo-Dionysius and Proclus were conduits through which he learned Neo-platonism. There is nothing more obviously Aristotelian about Thomas than his assumption that there is something to be learned from any author, if only mistakes to be avoided. But he adopted many features from non-Aristotelian sources.

This has led some to suggest that what is called Thomistic philosophy is an eclectic hodgepodge, not a set of coherent disciplines. Others, struck by the prominence in Thomas of such Platonic notions as participation, have argued that his thought is fundamentally Platonic, not Aristotelian. Still others argue that that there is a radically original Thomistic philosophy which cannot be characterized by anything it shares with earlier thinkers, particularly Aristotle.

The recognition that Thomas is fundamentally an Aristotelian is not equivalent to the claim that Aristotle is the only influence on him. It is the claim that whatever Thomas takes on from other sources is held to be compatible with what he already holds in common with Aristotle. And, of course, to draw attention to the sources of Thomas's philosophy is not to say that everything he holds philosophically can be parsed back into historical antecedents." [source - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy].

Thus the adoption by the so called mainstream Christian church, at the insistence of Thomas Aquinas, lead up to the burning-at-the-stake of  Giordano Bruno for teaching the earth traveled around the sun, the Copernican theory.  In addition, it lead to the eventual house arrest of the great scientist Galileo.   In fact, by the time of Galileo, says Wade Rowland in this book, "Galileo's Mistake,"

"the hybridized Aristotle in the theology of Aquinas had become bedrock dogma of the Church of Rome" [source - Galileo's Mistake by Wade Rowland].

Now keep in mind that is those days there was no such thing as a scientific community as education as such was largely in the hands of the so called mainstream Christian church.    Therefore, the authority on religion and science was often one and the same.

CONFRONTATION WITH GALILEO LEADING TO HIS HOUSE ARREST:

Now circumstances were primed for a confrontation between the leading scientist of the day, Galileo, and the so called Christian church.   In fact it was Galileo's steadfast promotion of the Heliocentric System and his assertion that it harmonized with the scriptures that lead to his arrest and trial by the Catholic Inquisition in 1633.   Here is what history says on this case, the case of GALILEO GALILEI.

"The case of Galileo Galilei not only had a different outcome from that of Bruno,  it was different.   Galileo was summoned before the Inquisition in 1616.  He had earlier stated his opposition to the Ptolemaic cosmology and the Inquisition had become suspicious of him in 1611.  He continued his public defense of the Copernician system as well as his own investigations of the heavens.

In 1613 he wrote an ecclesiastical friend Father Castelli, expressing his view that the theologian should attempt to reconcile Biblical phraseology with the results of science, instead of of attempting to restrict scientific investigation on Biblical authority.  A copy of that letter was given to the Inquisition in 1615.  The following year, the Pope warned Galileo to desist from his heretical teaching or face imprisonment.

When Galileo, in 1632, published a defense of the Copernican system, Dialogue on The Two Chief World Systems, the Inqusition again took notice.   Galileo was arrested and tried.  It was a wearisome and long trial.  On June 22, 1633, Galileo was condemned.  After threats of torture he solemnly abjured his scientific beliefs on bended knees before the tribunal.  The Inquisition sentenced him to indeterminate imprisonment.  That sentence was commuted to a continual residence at Sienna.... Unlike Bruno who defied the Inquisition Galileo acceded to its wishes and lived." [source - http://idcs0100.lib.iup.edu/scirev/newpage11.htm]

From the above we see several things which are:

First, the so called mainstream Christian church was more interested in maintaining the beliefs of pagan philosophers than Biblical truths.

Second, the so called mainstream Christian church cared NOT for truth and reality and the right to speak and write the truth, but for only the maintenance of its perceived so called correct and infallible beliefs which were anything but infallible.

Third, they cared not for the true Christian principle of love as expressed in the Bible many, many times, some of which are as follows,

1John 4:8 - [Revised Standard Version; RSV]
He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.
1John 4:10 - [RSV]
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
1John 4:12 - [RSV]
No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1John 4:16 - [RSV]
So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1John 4:20 - [RSV]
If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1John 5:3 - [RSV]
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

For if they had cared for the true Christian principle of love as exposed by Christ and his Apostles they would NEVER have burned Giordano Bruno at-the-stake or treated Galileo as they did.   Their treatment of these two scientist clearly shows that the so called mainstream Christian church is definitely NOT true footstep followers of Christ as clearly they can not be if they do not show love to one another, i.e., Giordany Bruno, Galileo, and many others.

WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM ALL OF THIS?

First, we learn that many who claim to be Christ' footstep followers are NOT what they claim to be.

Second, we learn that Galileo had no quarrel with the Bible, but instead questioned the teachings of the church.   He clearly showed he knew the Bible was correct, but NOT the church.

Third, all of this un-Christian activity by those claiming to be his footstep followers, but instead following the philosophy of pagan philosophers brings to mind the warning at Colossians 2:4-8, " I say this in order that no one may delude you with beguiling speech. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ." (RSV).   Pay particular attention to verse 8 as it shows clearly what the so called mainstream Christian church disregarded in favor of their false perceptions.

Yet, even with the 'telling' of history, many in Christendom continue to embrace pagan theories and philosophies that contradict the Bible.   Some such examples are Darwin's theory of the arrival of life which of course does not 'jive' with the account of creation given in Genesis.   In the acceptance of this, many churches have in effect made Darwin a modern-day Aristotle and evolution an article of faith; the Trinity God (YHWH) dishonoring false doctrine that came by way of paganism from ancient Greek philosophy; the false claim that Sunday is actually the Sabbath day proclaimed by God; when in fact, it was actually Saturday as anyone who knows the Spanish language would realize if he/she thought about it as Saturday in Spanish is Sabbado; the false doctrine of apostolic succession; that the Virgin Mary remained ever a virgin which is in sharp conflict with Matthew 1:23-25, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife. 25 And he knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus." (Douay Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB).   Here the word 'knew' refers to sexual intercourse; etc.

TRUE SCIENCE ALWAYS HARMONIZES WITH THE BIBLE:

Let's face it, true science always harmonizes with the Bible.   One great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, believed very strongly that true science always harmonizes with the Bible, but rejected false teachings from Greek mythology taught by the Greek philosophers as shown in "Sir Isaac Newton" Microsoft(r) Encarta(r). Copyright (c) 1998 Microsoft Corporation.   Let's look at what was said in this work on this fact,

" Newton also wrote on Judaeo-Christian prophecy, whose decipherment was essential, he thought, to the understanding of God. His book on the subject, which was reprinted well into the Victorian Age, represented lifelong study. Its message was that Christianity went astray in the 4th century AD, when the first Council of Nicaea propounded erroneous doctrines of the nature of Christ. The full extent of Newton's unorthodoxy was recognized only in the present century: but although a critic of accepted Trinitarian dogmas and the Council of Nicaea, he possessed a deep religious sense, venerated the Bible and accepted its account of creation. In late editions of his scientific works he expressed a strong sense of God's providential role in nature." [source, Microsoft Encarta on Sir Isac Newton by Copyright (c) 1998 Microsoft Corporation].

And in The Romance of Bible Chronology by the Rev. Martin Anstey, the following was said of him,

"In his great work The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended, which was published posthumously in 1728, the year after his death, he endeavoured to construct a system on new bases, independent of the Greek Chronologers, whose unsatisfactory method of reckoning by generations, reigns and successions he exposed, laying bare the foundation on which their Chronology rested, and thereby overthrowing the elementary dates of Greek, Latin and Egyptian Chronology. He reduced the date of the taking of Troy from B.C. 1183 to 965. He followed Sir John Marshall in identifying Sesostris with Shishak, whose date he thus reduced from B.C.1300 to 965. Newton cites Thucydides and Socrates, the musician Terpander, and the Olympic disk of Lycurgus, he uses his calculation of the procession of the equinoxes since the time of Hipparcus, and he substituted a reckoning of 20 years each instead of 33 for the succession of the Kings of Sparta. Newton . . . has certainly destroyed the possibility of regarding the Chronology of the Greeks as a stable foundation for any system of Chronology that can be used as a standard by which to judge, and correct, the testimony of the Old Testament. Yet this conjectural Chronology of the Greeks is the foundation upon which the Canon of Ptolemy rests, and the Canon of Ptolemy is the only obstacle in the way of the establishment of the Chronology of the Old Testament." [source - The Romance of Bible Chronology by the Rev. Martin Anstey, B.D. M.A. (London) Published by Marshall Bros. Ltd., 1913, page 49].

Sir Isaac Newton, probably the greatest scientist of all of time was also one of the greatest Bible scholars of all time as brought out by Professor Arthur B. Anderson.

"Isaac Newton was the greatest scientist who has ever lived. It is, in fact, generally accepted that he is the greatest scientist who ever will live, since no one, no matter how brilliant, will ever again be in such a unique historical position....

Isaac Newton believed that the Bible is literally true in every respect. Throughout his life, he continually tested Biblical truth against the physical truths of experimental and theoretical science. He never observed a contradiction. In fact, he viewed his own scientific work as a method by which to reinforce belief in Biblical truth.

He was a formidable Biblical scholar, was fluent in the ancient languages, and had extensive knowledge of ancient history. He believed that each person should read the Bible, and through that reading, establish for himself an understanding of the universal truth it contains.

Only one book of Newton's about the Bible was ever published. In 1733, six years after his death, J. Darby and T. Browne, published Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John.

With his prodigious knowledge of ancient history and languages and his unequaled mental powers, Isaac Newton is the best qualified individual in this millennium to have written about the prophecies. His study of the Book of Daniel began at the age of 12 and continued to be a special interest throughout his life. Moreover, he writes of the prophecies with a modesty that indicates that he, himself, is in awe of the words he has been given an opportunity to read.
Isaac Newton concluded that it is intended that Revelation will be understood by very few until near the end of history, the time of judgment, and the beginning of the everlasting kingdom of the Saints of the Most High. Here is an excerpt from that book:

This prophecy is called the Revelation, with respect to the Scripture of Truth, which Daniel was commanded to shut up and seal, till the time of the end. Daniel sealed it until the time of the end, and until that time comes, the Lamb is opening the seals: and afterward the two Witnesses prophesy out of it a long time in sackcloth, before they ascend up to heaven in a cloud. All of which is as much as to say, that the prophecies of Daniel and John should not be understood till the time of the end: but that some should prophesy out of it in an afflicted and mournful state for a long time, and that but darkly, so as to convert but few. But in the very end, the Prophecy should be so far interpreted so as to convince many. Then saith Daniel, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

For the Gospel must first be preached in all nations before the great tribulation, and end of the world. The palm-bearing multitude, which came out of this great tribulation, cannot be innumerable out of all nations unless they be made so by the preaching of the Gospel before it comes. There must be a stone cut of the mountain without hands, before it can fall on the toes of the Image, and become a great mountain and fill the earth. An Angel must fly through the midst of heaven with the everlasting Gospel to preach to all nations, before Babylon falls, and the Son of man reaps his harvest. The two prophets must ascend up to heaven in a cloud, before the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of Christ.

'Tis therefore a part of this Prophecy, that it should not be understood before the last age of the world; and therefore it makes for the credit of the Prophecy, that it is not yet understood. But if the last age, the age of opening these things, be now approaching, as by the great success of late Interpreters it seems to be, we have more encouragement that ever to look into these things.
If the general preaching of the Gospel be approaching, it is for us and our posterity that these words mainly belong: In the time of the end the wise shall understand, but none of the wicked shall understand. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy, and keep those things that are written therein

(Daniel XII 4,10, Apoc. i 3).
Sir Isaac Newton and all reputable scientists believed that today's scarred and marred earth was the result of the great Flood. This was the common opinion of the majority of educated people until around the year 1870!!
In conclusion: Sir Isaac Newton was totally correct in his Observations. If the greatest scientist who ever lived had no problem believing the Bible, what excuse will evolutionists, atheists, agnostics, or other so called men of science have on Judgment Day!! " [source - Sir Isaac Newton and the Bible by Professor Arthur B. Anderson.]

CONCLUSION:

The earliest Biblical reference to natural law is found at Job 38:33, "Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?" (DRCB), which was written about 1600 BCE.    Clearly showing that God (YHWH) was the author of the Bible and used faithful men as scribes to put his thoughts into the words of men under inspiration.   Therefore, the Bible should be followed all the way, not halfway, since when one truly comprehends it, the bible is entirely consistent - both the New Testament and the Old testament - and practical for our day.

Also, although not extensively covered in this writing, the Protestant attitude was/and is much the same as the Catholic.   Leaders of the Protestant Reformation also backed the Ptolemaic system of pagan philosophers in direct defiance of the Bible at previously quoted Colossians 2:8, " Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit: according to the tradition of men according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ." (DRCB). 

How so?   Martin Luther said of Copernicus, the father of the concept of the Copernican System that the earth revolved around the sun, the following, "This fool wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy." [source - Galileo's Mistake by Wade Rowland and Servetus & Calvin 1877].    Also, other Protestant Reformers such as Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) and John Calvin (1509-1564) agreed with Martin Luther (1483-1546) on this.   Thus the Protestant Reformation may have broke the papal 'yoke,' but it failed to 'shake the essential authority' of the pagan philosopher, Aristotle, and that of so called Saint Thomas Aquinas, since their views were accepted by Catholic and Protestant alike.

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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell."   Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today!