Airman you have to be careful with what hislops is actually claiming in his book. Hislops is unfortunately not anti trinitarian but his book is a full frontal attack on the RCC church and practices they have adopted ie statues etc.
He has many claims some that I have forgotten but one that he must prove adequately but only shows superficiality is that the worship of nimrod and Semiramis was adopted.
Just look at the worship of the Babylonian Nimrod he died and rose to life through the birth of his son.
The Catholics claim Jesus as God died and rose again a bodily resurrection as God.
Similar on the superficial level yes, the same No.
This is just common sense.
His claims are directed at the RCC specifically which I am not of so I must make this point clear. So it's not my place to fully defend the RCC
maybe snuff or another RCC could have a go at the specifics of his church.
Hislop is not an anti trinitarian he has stated that the Trinity is the sublime mystery of our faith. Yep ain't sounding too anti there. He has publically stated his bemusement that the Two Babs has been used to attack trinitarianism.
By this stage you will be starting to think that a certain poster is again shooting blanks.
So this book attacks the RCC, but remember when did the RCC actually begin. What was the structure of churches and worship throughout the known world. We had churches in rome to hermits living in caves and houses churches in the lavant.
hislops arguments must be proven that the RCC knowingly adopted pagan practice, this must be more than just superficiality that hislops provides you need specific times when doctrine was changed and proof of reason etc.
Hislops then goes on to claim that through Jesus the RCC was able to subdue and eradicate pagans.. A bit contradictory unless they were only keeping specific paganism tucked away. Anyway.
Now there are straw men like Jesus birthday and celebrating christmas.. Why was the date chosen I don't know because it doesn't fall in the month of Jesus birth. But it is smack bang in the middle of winter and a northern hemisphere based church such a message was a good time to adopt. Does it matter if you celebrate a public gazette holiday Christmas Day...does your faith rest on it. no religion is simply the mechanisms that are employed during worship. Can we link it to paganism sure then remove christmas as a celebration what does it do to the Christian message? Nothing just a lot of ticked of kids with empty stockings and parents with fuller wallets.
With regards to hislops specifically he has stated that
While overlaid with idolatry, the recognition of a Trinity was universal in all the ancient nations of the world, proving how deep mated in the human race was the primeval doctrine on this subject, which comes out so distinctly in Genesis.
The trinity is strewn throughout the Old Testament starting from genesis a claim made by Hislops himself.
