Gab@StFerdinandIII - https://unstabbinated.substack.com/
Plenty of cults exist - every cult has its 'religious dogma', its idols, its 'prophets', its 'science', its 'proof' and its intolerant liturgy of demands. Cults everywhere: Corona, 'The Science' or Scientism, Islam, the State, the cult of Gender Fascism, Marxism, Darwin and Evolution, Globaloneywarming, Changing Climate, Abortion...
Tempus Fugit Memento Mori - Time Flies Remember Death
Many Greek philosophers and writers proposed world-views which were in harmony with the later historical development of the Christian church. Plato and Aristotle are two obvious examples. Not all of their writings comport with Church theology, but a good amount certainly does. Consider Plato whose ideas were Christianized by Saint Augustine, or melded into Church doctrine to support Catholic theology.
Similarities between Plato and Christianity:
-Rejection of Atheism and Materialism
-Belief in mono-theism
-Design of the physical universe by a creator
-Consciousness after death
Differences between Plato and Christianity:
-Platonic metaphysics is unclear about the nature of the one supreme creator
-Plato is unclear [unlike Christianity] about the nature of reality, proposing 'forms' or the form of 'the good' as the ultimate reality, and the 'Demiurge', or craftsman approach to the formation of the material universe, wherein a lesser divine being was the builder of the natural world, and was subordinate to the ultimate 'good' form.
-Gnostic Christian heresy proposed a Platonic version of Christianity, with the Demiurge [sometimes named Satan], responsible for the material world, and God for the soulful, mindful, 'good'. The two were in opposition.
-Platonic Form and Demiurge are impersonal concepts unlike Christianity which proposes a personal relationship to the Creator.
-Plato believed that souls are indestructible. Christianity believes that God would have command over all souls including their destruction.
-Christianity believes in the resurrected Christ. For Plato the ultimate destination after death was in a disembodied state so he would have rejected the recreation of Christ.
Some Atheists and 'historians' will try to make the claim that Christianity is simply an offshoot of Platonism. This is obviously incorrect. Gnosticism is a Christian heresy and was rejected by the early Church for good reason. Plato's concept of the 'Good' does work within a Christian context, but there are many differences with his metaphysics and that of the Catholic Church.