Saturnalia may have been responsible for the pageantry of our midwinter festival, but it's Mithraism
[www.uvm.edu/~classics/life/holiday.html] that seems to have inspired certain symbolic religious elements of Christmas. Mithraism arose in the Mediterranean world at the same time as Christianity, either imported from Iran, as Franz Cumont believed, or as a new religion which borrowed the name Mithras from the Persians, as the Congress of Mithraic Studies suggested in 1971.
Mithraism radiated from India where there is evidence of its practice from 1400 B.C. Mitra was part of the Hindu pantheon and Mithra was a minor Zooroastrian deity, the god of the airy light between heaven and earth. He was also a military general in Chinese mythology .
The soldiers' god, even in Rome (although the faith was embraced by male emperors, farmers, bureaucrats, merchants, and slaves, as well as soldiers), demanded a high standard of behavior, “temperance, self-control, and compassion -- even in victory”. Thus, Tertullian chides his fellow Christians for unbecoming behavior: “Are you not ashamed, my fellow soldiers of Christ, that you will be condemned, not by Christ, but by some soldier of Mithras?”
The comparison of Mithraists and Christians is not coincidental. December 25 was Mithras' birthday before it was Jesus'. The Online Mithraic Faith Newsletter [no longer available] says:
“Since earliest history, the Sun has been celebrated with rituals by many cultures when it began it's journey into dominance after it's apparent weakness during winter. The origin of these rites, Mithrasists believe, is this proclamation at the dawn of human history by Mithras commanding His followers to observe such rites on that day to celebrate the birth of Mithras, the Invincible Sun.”
But the actual choice of December 25 for Christmas was made under the Emperor Aurelian because this was the date of the Winter Solstice and was the day devotees of Mithras celebrated the dies natalis solis invicti (birthday of the invincible sun).
Mithraism, like Christianity, offers salvation to its adherents. Mithras was born into the world to save humanity from evil. Both figures ascended in human form, Mithras to wield the sun chariot, Christ to Heaven. The following summarizes the aspects of Mithraism that are also found in Christianity.
“Mithras, the sun-god, was born of a virgin in a cave on December 25, and worshipped on Sunday, the day of the conquering sun. He was a savior-god who rivaled Jesus in popularity. He died and was resurrected in order to become a messenger god, an intermediary between man and the good god of light, and the leader of the forces of righteousness against the dark forces of the god evil.”
- Pagan Origins of Christmas
Nonsense, this is not factual information. Hint - never ever consider a site reputable that uses an "online" newsletter "no longer available" as a source, lol.
Basically most of the information on "Mithras" you posted are factually inept with poorly hidden agendas. Your first link in your last post actually says " The birth of Mithras from the rock, therefore, would appear to represent the idea that he is in some sense greater than the cosmos. ". And I don't even count that link as reputable. Nor do I consider your second link in last post trustworthy, the "comparisons" strain credibility in many instances, and a couple of clicks leads you to here on the same website :
http://www.mystae.com/restricted/reflections/messiah/jesusx.html
The site you source has an agenda, as my link above shows.
Here are a couple of links to your "Mithras" character that are a lot more accurate and intellectually honest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithras
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism
The mythology of Mithraism - In the absence of any Mithraist scripture, all we know about Mithras is what can be deduced from his images in the mithraea that have survived.
Even this Catholic site provides a great deal more scholarly information than the links you provided:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10402a.htm