Borrowing from Earlier Religions

The importance of borrowing from earlier religions cannot be overstated. It allows for a continuance of culture, which is essential to the acceptance of new thought.

The importance of borrowing from earlier religions cannot be overstated. In all religions the message of God is Love, Peace and Harmony. Ironically today the world is bitterly divided among religious lines, whether between different religions or between different sects of the same religion. It has become essential that we break down the fortresses that we have built around our respective religions and allow intermingling and even acceptance of ideas from different faiths. But before we can do that we have to introspect and acknowledge the contribution earlier religions have made to the faith we profess.

Borrowing from earlier religions is a natural process. After all time is a continuum and the cultures of our ancestors cannot be erased from our lives overnight. Most religions existing today have borrowed concepts, icons or personalities from religions that preceded them. In the article Hinduism and the Aryan Influence we saw how the early Vedic deities were those the Aryans brought with them. Some of them exist even today as demi-Gods in Hindu mythology. Varun is the demi-God of the Sea, Usha is the demi-Goddess of Dawn and Yima, the king in the ancient Aryan mythology, is Yama, the demi-God of death.

The Romans adopted the entire Greek pantheon, simply by changing the names. The king of the gods, Zeus, became Jupiter. His wife, Hera, became Juno. The goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, became Venus and the god of war, Ares, became Mars. The entire Roman mythology was borrowed from the earlier Greek one.

Perhaps the most popular image in Christianity is that of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms. The Egyptian Goddess Isis nursing the infant Horus bears a striking resemblance to the images of Madonna and Child. Festive celebrations are events people find difficult to give up, even when they adopt a different religion. The solstices and equinoxes were important festivals on the pagan calendar, being important points in the earth’s revolution around the sun. Some of the important Christian festivals take place very close to the dates of the equinoxes and solstices. The birth of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated in midsummer and Christmas in midwinter. The Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin is on the 25th of March close to the spring equinox and Saint Mathew’s Day is celebrated close to the autumn equinox.

Before Allah revealed the mission of spreading His message to all humanity to the Prophet Muhammad, He had sent other prophets to preach to a specific group of people. These prophets include most of the religious figures from the Old Testament such as Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon. The last of the prophets before Muhammad was Jesus according to the Islamic belief.

Borrowing from earlier religions serves two important purposes. It allows for a continuance of culture, which is essential to the acceptance of new thought. It demonstrates that positive interaction between religions is possible.