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Did Christianity copy Mithrasism?

Some individuals on blog sites have made the statement that “Mithraism” (a mystery religion popular during the 2nd and 3rd century) was influential on the formation of Christian theology and doctrine. Is that true? You will find that this conclusion is taken primarily from a book entitled “The Christ Conspiracy” by Acharya, which lays out over a dozen things that Jesus supposedly has in common with Mithras and, by extension, Christianity allegedly has borrowed from. But actual study of the topic will reveal that Mithras, an Indo-Iranian god that dates back to 1400 BC has no connections to the Roman Mithras, accept in name and the similarities between it and Christianity were developed over a century after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The time frame and similarities also give credence to the completion and dissemination of the gospels by the end of the first century. For a detailed overview of the Mithraic beliefs, an analysis of each of these claims in terms of evidence and a brief explanation of the past few decades in the field of Mithraic studies go to: www.tektonics.org/copycat/mithras.html or you may e-mail me at this blog and I will forward you the study. Research sources include:

Beck.PO -- Beck, Roger. Planetary Gods and Planetary Orders in the Mysteries of Mithras. London: Brill, 1988.
Biv.PM -- Bivar, A. D. The Personalities of Mithra in Archaeology and Literature. New York: Bibliotheca Persica Press, 1998.
Cum.MM -- Cumont, Franz. The Mysteries of Mithra. New York: Dover, 1950.
Frek.JM -- Freke, Timothy and Peter Gandy. The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God? New York: Harmony Books, 1999.
Gor.IV -- Gordon, Richard. Image and Value in the Greco-Roman World. Aldershot: Variorum, 1996.
Lae.MO -- Laeuchli, Samuel. Mithraism in Ostia: Mystery Religions and Christianity in the Ancient Port of Rome. Northwestern U. Press, 1967.
MS -- Mithraic Studies: Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies. Manchester U. Press, 1975.
Spei.MO -- Spiedel, Michael. Mithras-Orion, Greek Hero and Roman Army God. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1980.
Ulan.OMM -- Ulansey, David. The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World. New York: Oxford U. Press, 1989.
Ver.MSG -- Vermaseren, M. J. Mithras the Secret God. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1963.
Wyn.MFC -- Wynne-Tyson, Esme. Mithras: The Fellow in the Cap. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1958.