Vine's explains: "The shape of the [two-beamed cross] had its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name) in that country and in adjacent lands, including Egypt. By the middle of the 3rd cent. A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith.
"In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches ...and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau, or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the 'cross' of Christ'" (ibid.).
Thus we see that the most common symbol of Christ and Christianity was a symbol that long predated Jesus and biblical Christianity.
"The Chaldean Mysteries can be traced up to the days of Semiramis, who lived only a few centuries after the flood, and who is known to have impressed upon them the image of her own depraved and polluted mind. That beautiful but abandoned queen of Babylon was not only herself a paragon of unbridled lust and licentiousness, but in the Mysteries which she had a chief hand in forming, she was worshipped as Rhea, the great 'Mother' of the gods, with such atrocious rites as identified her with Venus, the Mother of all impurity, and raised the very city where she had reigned to a bad eminence among the nations, as the grand seat at once of idolatry and consecrated prostitution. Thus was this Chaldean queen a fit and remarkable prototype of the 'Woman' in the Apocalypse, with the golden cup in her hand, and the name on her forehead, 'Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.' The Apocalyptic emblem of the Harlot woman with the cup in her hand was even emodied in the symbols of idolatry derived from ancient Babylon, as they were exhibited in Greece; for thus was the Greek Venus originally represented" (The Two Babylons, pp. 5-6).
This Babylonian system of idolatrous worship spread all over the world as the inhabitants of the city itself were scattered (Genesis 11:9). As they went from Babylon, these men took their worship of mother and child, and the various "mystery" symbols, with them. Herodotus, the world traveler and historian of antiquity, witnessed the mystery religion and its rites in many countries, and wrote of how Babylon was the prime evil source from which all systems of idolatry flowed. In his noted work, Nineveh and Its Remains, Layard wrote that we have the united testimony of sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the area of Babylonia. Alexander Hislop quotes these historians and others confirming this point in his remarkable treatise mentioned above.
Later, the Roman Empire assimilated into its system the gods and religions of the countries over which it ruled. Since Babylon was the source of this paganism, we can easily see how Rome's early religion was a form of Babylonish worship that had developed under different forms and different names in the countries to which it had gone. In his well-documented book, Pagan and Christian creeds, Edward carpenter wrote: "The similarity of ancient pagan legends and beliefs with Christian traditions was so great that they excited the attention and undisguised wrath of the early Christian... not knowing how to explain it, they fell back to the theory the devil, centuries before, caused the pagans to adopt certain beliefs and practices" (p. 25).
Carpenter also quoted Tertullian, and early "church father" living between 160-220 AD, as saying: "The devil, by the mysteries of his idols, imitates even the main part of the divine mysteries" (ibid.).
Also, Carpenter, noted: "Cortez, too, complained that the devil had possibly taught the Mexicans the same thing that God taught Christendom" (ibid.). The famous Spanish explorer found that the originally pagan inhabitants of Mexico were already practicing he same pagan rites, and had many of the same pagan beliefs, that the Roman Catholic church had assimilated!
Since the practices of today's churches are not the same as the early true church recorded in the New Testament, it is vital to know whether there has been a purposeful mixing of false pagan practices with the true teachings of Christ, the apostles and the Bible. Many historians, such as Edward Gibbon, have noted the change brought about by great numbers of pagans flocking into the early Christian church and mixing their pagan customs and beliefs with those of the church (see Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1 chapter 15).
Notice how today's churches have sprung from the same root as paganism! Satan has created an entire system of "counterfeit Christianity." He has cleverly guided vain religious leaders to introduce completely pagan ideas, concepts and practices into "Christianity." Since the world "Christianity" is stamped on the outside of the package, most people assume that the religion of Jesus Christ is being offered. Little do they realize that totally false concepts of god, of Jesus Christ and His message, of the purpose of eternal life and of the way to eternal life—have been wrapped up in a package called "Christianity." But theirs is a "counterfeit" Christianity that has cut most of mankind off from the true God, and has caused enormous confusion, suffering and death! Martin Luther's earliest New Testament translations include many illustrations picturing the "Whore of Babylon" as the Roman Catholic Church. Describing this widely understood interpretation, Roland Bainton tells us: "Fallen Babylon is plainly Rome" (Here I Stand, p. 258).
Countless Protestant books, pamphlets, and tracts make that same identification today. They brand the Roman Catholic Church as the "great Whore" of Revelation 17.
But, it must be admitted, most Protestant denominational writers have stopped making this identification. After publishing those editions of the Bible, and pamphlets and tracts, they suddenly came to the embarrassing realization that they were telling on themselves!
For the corrupt Roman "mother" church has given birth to harlot daughters! If the clear, consistent principles of scriptural identification are to be honestly applied, the Protestant churches are "harlot daughters" of a paganized, apostate Rome!
They came out of her in protest. But, as we have clearly seen, they retained most of her pagan doctrines and concepts. They are still following Rome's example of mixing in the politics and wars of this world. And we have seen abundant Protestant testimony that they recognize she is their "mother" church!
Protestant historian Rufus Jones wrote that Luther "started out to inaugurate a Church composed of those who had faith and spiritual vision, and who revealed an ability and power to proclaim the Word of God. But, in reality, he left in full operation a large relic of the ancient creeds, an extensive 'rump' of superstitions, traditions and magic, and a heavy inheritance of external authority" (The Church's Debt to Heretics, p. 228).
In other words, the Protestants still retain many pagan doctrines and traditions inherited from Rome. We have seen that some of these false traditions involve the pagan holidays that the early Catholics adopted and gave Christian-sounding names. We ought to look into these things!
The Protestant churches stand clearly identified by God Almighty as the "harlot daughters" of apostate Rome!
Speaking of this entire Babylonish system, God commands: "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4).
The question is whether or not we will obey our Maker!..........http://www.ucg.org/booklets/JC/dieandlive_romanforms.htm