Pagan Rituals and Worship that came into the Catholic church.

[Hobie]

The Catholic practice of venerating saints grew out of the worship of pagan gods, what can only be called demon spirits, and the worship of the dead as we see with dead ancestors. We see the Pope doing this in the open, and yet Christians stay silent. The burning incense during worship comes from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian temples burning fragrant incense to please the gods with the smoke seen as purifying. Some think Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and rebirth, but take a look at the Easter symbols like rabbits and eggs which were from the pagan belief of fertility, and worship of the solar solstice and spring. The use of relics, or worship at shrines containing saints’ relics in hopes of being blessed, healed, or rewarded by the Gods is from the pagans worship of revered objects associated with their gods. It just goes on and on, to say nothing of worship of the 'Queen of Heaven', which comes of pagan goddess worship. The Easter “buns” were used in the worship of the 'Queen of Heaven' and is documented in history and the Bible. As early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, way before the Roman Empire and we see the prophet Jeremiah take notice of this pagan worship,

Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 44:19
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Jeremiah 44:25
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 ;Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth.

Who is the Queen of Heaven? - Answer The Bible

The term "Queen of Heaven" appears only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Jeremiah. The context shows that this refers to a pagan goddess named

www.answerthebible.com

The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

bigthink.com

 

[Tom Lee]

The Catholic practice of venerating saints grew out of the worship of pagan gods, what can only be called demon spirits, and the worship of the dead as we see with dead ancestors. We see the Pope doing this in the open, and yet Christians stay silent. The burning incense during worship comes from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian temples burning fragrant incense to please the gods with the smoke seen as purifying. Some think Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and rebirth, but take a look at the Easter symbols like rabbits and eggs which were from the pagan belief of fertility, and worship of the solar solstice and spring. The use of relics, or worship at shrines containing saints’ relics in hopes of being blessed, healed, or rewarded by the Gods is from the pagans worship of revered objects associated with their gods. It just goes on and on, to say nothing of worship of the 'Queen of Heaven', which comes of pagan goddess worship. The Easter “buns” were used in the worship of the 'Queen of Heaven' and is documented in history and the Bible. As early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, way before the Roman Empire and we see the prophet Jeremiah take notice of this pagan worship,

Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 44:19
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Jeremiah 44:25
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 ;Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth.

Who is the Queen of Heaven? - Answer The Bible

The term "Queen of Heaven" appears only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Jeremiah. The context shows that this refers to a pagan goddess named

www.answerthebible.com

The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

bigthink.com

Look up the origins of the name Easter and you'll find that it's the name of a pagan fertility goddess. She was known by slight variations of the name in neighboring Indo-European regions... Eastre, Eostre, Astarte, Ishtar, Ostara, etc.

 

[Yesua888]

The Catholic practice of venerating saints grew out of the worship of pagan gods, what can only be called demon spirits, and the worship of the dead as we see with dead ancestors. We see the Pope doing this in the open, and yet Christians stay silent. The burning incense during worship comes from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian temples burning fragrant incense to please the gods with the smoke seen as purifying. Some think Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and rebirth, but take a look at the Easter symbols like rabbits and eggs which were from the pagan belief of fertility, and worship of the solar solstice and spring. The use of relics, or worship at shrines containing saints’ relics in hopes of being blessed, healed, or rewarded by the Gods is from the pagans worship of revered objects associated with their gods. It just goes on and on, to say nothing of worship of the 'Queen of Heaven', which comes of pagan goddess worship. The Easter “buns” were used in the worship of the 'Queen of Heaven' and is documented in history and the Bible. As early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, way before the Roman Empire and we see the prophet Jeremiah take notice of this pagan worship,

Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 44:19
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Jeremiah 44:25
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 ;Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth.

Who is the Queen of Heaven? - Answer The Bible

The term "Queen of Heaven" appears only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Jeremiah. The context shows that this refers to a pagan goddess named

www.answerthebible.com

The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

bigthink.com

http://

 

[Yesua888]

The Catholic practice of venerating saints grew out of the worship of pagan gods, what can only be called demon spirits, and the worship of the dead as we see with dead ancestors. We see the Pope doing this in the open, and yet Christians stay silent. The burning incense during worship comes from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian temples burning fragrant incense to please the gods with the smoke seen as purifying. Some think Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection and rebirth, but take a look at the Easter symbols like rabbits and eggs which were from the pagan belief of fertility, and worship of the solar solstice and spring. The use of relics, or worship at shrines containing saints’ relics in hopes of being blessed, healed, or rewarded by the Gods is from the pagans worship of revered objects associated with their gods. It just goes on and on, to say nothing of worship of the 'Queen of Heaven', which comes of pagan goddess worship. The Easter “buns” were used in the worship of the 'Queen of Heaven' and is documented in history and the Bible. As early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens, way before the Roman Empire and we see the prophet Jeremiah take notice of this pagan worship,

Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 44:19
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Jeremiah 44:25
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
25 ;Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth.

Who is the Queen of Heaven? - Answer The Bible

The term "Queen of Heaven" appears only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Jeremiah. The context shows that this refers to a pagan goddess named

www.answerthebible.com

The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

bigthink.com

What do non-Catholic Christians believe about this verse:

Why Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood?​

Catholics do this because Jesus commanded it. In John 6:53–56, He said:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

For Catholics, this is not symbolic. It is a literal, though sacramental, participation in Christ’s life. The Eucharist is seen as:

• Spiritual nourishment for the soul
• Union with Christ and the Church
• Foretaste of eternal life
• Renewal of the New Covenant in His blood

 

[David]

Look up the origins of the name Easter and you'll find that it's the name of a pagan fertility goddess. She was known by slight variations of the name in neighboring Indo-European regions... Eastre, Eostre, Astarte, Ishtar, Ostara, etc.

I share that concern. What bothers me isn’t just the history angle, it’s what happens right now. You see people go all in on eggs, rabbits, candy, and everything else, and the one thing that actually matters gets pushed to the side. The resurrection of Jesus Christ ends up barely mentioned, if at all.

Scripture keeps the focus clear. “Christ died for our sins… and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” ~1 Corinthians 15:3–4. That’s the center. That’s what we’re supposed to be remembering and proclaiming.

So I understand why you’re questioning things. When symbols start taking over and Christ gets sidelined, something’s off. For me, I’d rather keep it simple and keep it centered. If something distracts from Christ, I don’t want it. I want the focus where Scripture puts it, on Him crucified and risen.

So I agree with your concern. The key is making sure we don’t lose the main thing while we’re talking about the side things. Christ has to stay front and center. Everything else either supports that or should get out of the way.

 

[David]

What do non-Catholic Christians believe about this verse:

Why Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood?​

Catholics do this because Jesus commanded it. In John 6:53–56, He said:
For Catholics, this is not symbolic. It is a literal, though sacramental, participation in Christ’s life. The Eucharist is seen as:

• Spiritual nourishment for the soul
• Union with Christ and the Church
• Foretaste of eternal life
• Renewal of the New Covenant in His blood

You don’t interpret John 6 by importing a system into the text. You let the text define its own terms. And in John 6, Jesus already told you exactly what He means.

Early in the chapter He says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” ~John 6:35. That is not vague. Hunger and thirst are satisfied by coming to Him and believing in Him. That is the controlling definition for everything that follows.

Then He states it even more directly, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” ~John 6:47. That is as clear as it gets. Eternal life is granted through faith, not through any physical act.

So when you arrive at “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood” ~John 6:53, you do not abandon the definition Jesus already gave. You interpret it through that lens. Eating and drinking are metaphors for believing. They describe the appropriation of Christ by faith.

And Jesus removes any confusion later in the same discourse. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” ~John 6:63. That is decisive. A literal, physical consumption of flesh would profit nothing. The life He gives is spiritual, and His words are to be understood spiritually.

This is consistent with how Scripture speaks elsewhere. Faith is the means by which we receive Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ~John 3:16. There is no secondary requirement added to that.

Even when you come to the Lord’s Supper, Jesus says, “this do in remembrance of me” ~Luke 22:19. The act is commemorative. It points back to a finished work. And Hebrews makes that unmistakable, “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” ~Hebrews 10:14. The sacrifice is complete, not ongoing.

So the conclusion from the text is straightforward. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is a vivid way of describing saving faith. It is the internal, personal reception of Christ. To turn that into a literal, physical requirement for life is to ignore the immediate context, redefine Jesus’ own explanation, and add something to the gospel that Scripture never adds.

 

[Yesua888]

, I share that concern. What bothers me isn’t just the history angle, it’s what happens right now. You see people go all in on eggs, rabbits, candy, and everything else, and the one thing that actually matters gets pushed to the side. The resurrection of Jesus Christ ends up barely mentioned, if at all.

Scripture keeps the focus clear. “Christ died for our sins… and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” ~1 Corinthians 15:3–4. That’s the center. That’s what we’re supposed to be remembering and proclaiming.

So I understand why you’re questioning things. When symbols start taking over and Christ gets sidelined, something’s off. For me, I’d rather keep it simple and keep it centered. If something distracts from Christ, I don’t want it. I want the focus where Scripture puts it, on Him crucified and risen.

So I agree with your concern. The key is making sure we don’t lose the main thing while we’re talking about the side things. Christ has to stay front and center. Everything else either supports that or should get out of the way.

The same goes for Christmas ... "St Nick" and presents that most children do not even relate to celebrating Christ's birth : (

 

[Yesua888]

You don’t interpret John 6 by importing a system into the text. You let the text define its own terms. And in John 6, Jesus already told you exactly what He means.

Early in the chapter He says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” ~John 6:35. That is not vague. Hunger and thirst are satisfied by coming to Him and believing in Him. That is the controlling definition for everything that follows.

Then He states it even more directly, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” ~John 6:47. That is as clear as it gets. Eternal life is granted through faith, not through any physical act.

So when you arrive at “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood” ~John 6:53, you do not abandon the definition Jesus already gave. You interpret it through that lens. Eating and drinking are metaphors for believing. They describe the appropriation of Christ by faith.

And Jesus removes any confusion later in the same discourse. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” ~John 6:63. That is decisive. A literal, physical consumption of flesh would profit nothing. The life He gives is spiritual, and His words are to be understood spiritually.

This is consistent with how Scripture speaks elsewhere. Faith is the means by which we receive Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ~John 3:16. There is no secondary requirement added to that.

Even when you come to the Lord’s Supper, Jesus says, “this do in remembrance of me” ~Luke 22:19. The act is commemorative. It points back to a finished work. And Hebrews makes that unmistakable, “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” ~Hebrews 10:14. The sacrifice is complete, not ongoing.

So the conclusion from the text is straightforward. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is a vivid way of describing saving faith. It is the internal, personal reception of Christ. To turn that into a literal, physical requirement for life is to ignore the immediate context, redefine Jesus’ own explanation, and add something to the gospel that Scripture never adds.

Ah! David, I have tears in my eyes, as each time you explain the Word, my understanding deepens, as does my Faith and Love of Jesis

 

[Tom Lee]

What bothers me isn’t just the history angle, it’s what happens right now. You see people go all in on eggs, rabbits, candy, and everything else, and the one thing that actually matters gets pushed to the side. The resurrection of Jesus Christ ends up barely mentioned, if at all.

This is just my personal conviction, but that's the reason I refer to it as Resurrection Day. I started a new job last September, and I noticed that when people in the office started talking about their Easter plans and I referred to it as Resurrection Day, two people in the office asked me why and one changed his plans to go to church. Now, that church happened to be a Catholic church, but just seeing the effect brought a blessing to me.