Why Yahweh? (Or Allah, or Zeus, etc.)

[John V]

I agree completely. Things might be different if Mithraists weren't so selective as to who could join though.

A major contrast to Christianity.

I mean, going from what Justin tells us, it seems like Christianity literally borrowed from Mithraism.

Justin said they gave initiates bread and water. Christianity gives wine and water on a continuing basis. Justin may have seen a significant parallel. I don't.

Of course, Justin being the Super Apologist that he is gets around it by saying "Satan was behind it in order to decieve from the true God" which then unfortunately means he lost the battle for Christianity, as he is explicitly saying Mithraist practices pre-dated Christianity, and there's good reason to believe that.

Mithraism in some form probably predated Christianity. The Roman form you refer to may predate Christianity, or may have come about at the same time or shortly after. There really isn't a consensus on it. Even if it predates Christianity, though, it doesn't affect Christianity. As we've noted, it was a mystery religion which was very selective about members, and those members were typically Roman soldiers, not Jewish fishermen or theologians. Justin attributes parallels to Satan. Maybe he's right, but the parallels are so weak it's more easily explained as just coincidence.

Again, I point out that the bull was the central figure of it all, which not surprisingly matches the astrological age.

Again, I find the zodiac position so ridiculous that I respond with ridicule: How was that bowl of Cocoa Puffs you had for breakfast this morning?