Re: Conciliatory moves over Easter

bjm10 wrote,

> Wellllllllllll, yes and no (as the Orthodox say
> so often). There were others who were beginning
> to transcend national divisions (Isis, Mithras,
> et al), but they were either closed Mysteries
> and/or otherwise restrictive in membership (no
> women for Mithras).
Well then they weren't transcending very many
divisions, were they?

> While Christianity is a Mystery faith,
What exactly do you mean by a mystery faith?
You're right if you mean, simply, a faith that
claims its foundation in some divine revelation
or message. From Ephesians 1 : "For God has
allowed us to know the secret of his plan and it
is this ..."

__But__ the word 'mystery' has other connotations,
which are often antithical to Christian teaching.

I'm thinking primarily of that verse of St Pauls -
I don't have my Bible on me right now - that says
"We speak the plain truth. If our message is
'veiled', then the 'veil' must lie in the minds of
those who are spiritually dying".

And the New Testament is full of _very_ strong
condemnations of anyone who considers themselves
part of some small enlightened group.

> it never appears to have promised death or
> similar punishments for those who revealed the
> Mysteries to outsiders.
. in fact it makes such external revelation
compulory :-)

Adrian.
http://www.flinders.edu.au