Hi.

Just some brief notes to get you started.

Christianity as spruced up paganism. It depends on what one means by paganism of course.

We're not talking about primitive tribal people believing that thunder and lightning are deities in disguise, and so on. It's about some of the more sophisticated beliefs and practices of the ancients, namely the Mystery traditions of Greece and elsewhere. The theme of a dying-and-resurrected saviour god is a prominent motif in such traditions and their associated mythologies, but nowhere to be found in Judaism.

Such considerations led Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (who believe that Jesus didn't actually exist) to write The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? (Worth a read, although they are a bit too sure of their conclusions.)

Various commentators have also noted the strong correlations between Christianity and the mystery cult of Mithras. Jews and Muslims are strong on this point, for example the two authors I mentioned in a recent post, Maccoby and Maqsood. Maccoby points out that no Jew could possibly have said what Jesus is claimed to have said at the Last Supper, although such ideas would have normal in Mithraism.

Others have suggested that Paul, the source of much Christian theology, was an initiate of such a Mystery tradition, and I agree.

As an aside, a few weeks ago I speculated in an article that a likely scenario was that Jesus was a spiritual teacher, probably an Essene, who was turned into a god by the Catholic Church. One respondent said that his was the best description of Christianity that he'd come across. Not that that makes it true of course. But shocking to Christians.

Hope that's helpful. I will deal with your other question separately. Best wishes.