not really...remember, at the time there were only Catholics and pagans....to entice the pagans to investigate the Christian way of doing things, the church adapted a few of their harmless but beautiful practices...holly wreaths, decorations, etc. had no anti God meaning, but were inviting to the pagan throngs to come visit the church and see what was happening.
Ignorance is bliss, I guess... It is obvious that little to no research went into that statement.
Deu 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deu 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
e-Sword:KJV
Only in Catholic mythology.
>>to entice the pagans to investigate the Christian way of doing things, the church adapted a few of their harmless but beautiful practices.<<
God specifically said not to and that it was an abomination to Him.
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God:
Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go.
It really doesn’t take a lot of research to find that most of the RCC practices, vestments, and traditions come from the pagans.
If the message that the Catholic church preaches can't stand on its own merit as being worthwhile in and of itself, then it's not worth listening to.
There is no need to adopt pagan customs to make Christianity more palatable to the heathens.
If you do that, it ceases to be Christianity.