why is the jesus's character so similiar to that of mithras and dionysus?

Question

why is that he is so much like fictional characters of greek mythology that was written like 200 to 300 years before he was even born

Answer 1

I often wondered the same since I have studied mythology for a long time and am familiar with the story of Mithra. But it seems that there are two stories of Mithra, one by the Persians and a much different and later version by the Romans!

"It should be emphasized that none of the alleged similarities between Mithras and Jesus can be shown to apply to the Persian Mithra, but only to the Roman Mithraic tradition, which did not really flourish until after the time of the New Testament. That said, the alleged connections are quite dubious, as I explained above. In fact, no archeological evidence for this tradition can be argued to exist from any earlier than A.D. 90. This seems to suggest that the re-emergence of Mithras in the Roman context preserved the name of the Persian deity, yet adopted a new set of traditions more closely linked to the many mystery religions of the time. In any case, the overall Mithraic tradition should actually be thought of as two distinct movements, having little to do with one another beyond having a god of the same name."

"The driving force of these comparisons appears to be a deliberate application of language resembling that used in Christian tradition to traditions that never actually used that language in the first place. For example, referring to the “birth” of Mithras to a “virgin” is absurd given that, according to Mithraic tradition, he was not “born” in the human sense at all, but came into being out of lifeless solid rock. Perhaps one might claim that the lifeless solid rock, having never before had an entity emerge from it, was “virgin-like,” but that would be an extreme stretch in language and meaning, and more akin to an intentional characterization of Mithraic tradition in Christian terms. Similarly, if Mithraic tradition could be shown to teach that Mithras instructed his followers to gather together in a fellowship meal, it would be misleading to refer to this as a Mithraic “last supper.” Even if Roman Mithraism did hold to traditions similar to Christianity, it would be false to assume that simply because the two traditions existed similarly and contemporaneously one must have preceded or caused the other." (1)

Answer 2

This series of articles will serve as detail-supplements to Glenn Miller's general essay refuting the pagan-copycat thesis. We will make specific studies of religions or ideas that the critics claim are the source for some Jewish or Christian belief or concept.

Some notes on alleged parallels between Christianity and pagan religions -- an introductory commentary by a classical scholar
Pharaoh Game: Did Akhenaten Influence Jewish Monotheism?
Accept No Imitations: Did the Stories of Apollonius of Tyana Influence the Gospels?
Mighty Mithraic Madness: Did the Mithraic Mysteries Influence Christianity?
Dealing Down Dionysus: Did the Greek God of Wine Influence Christianity?
Phrygian Phreakazoid Phare: Did the Legends of Cybele and Attis Influence Christianity?
Zamloxis Shazam: Is the Story of Zalmoxis a Parallel for Christianity?
Is the Christian fish symbol derived from pagan symbols?
Is Easter a pagan holiday? -- see here for the same question regarding Christmas
What's the Buzz on Tammuz?: Did the Ancient Sumerian Shepherd-god Influence Christianity?
Close But No Cigar: Did Zoroastrianism Influence Christianity?
Was the creation account "stolen" from the Babylonian creation account?
Give It Some Muscle: On Alcides of Thebes
Is That the Chattanooga Chu Chu? On Chu Chulainn
No Beddru, One Bath: On Beddru of Japan
Do the Dazhdbog: On a Russian Copycat Savior
Hesus Freaks: On Hesus of the Druids
Another Copycat Con Job: On Alexander of Abonuteichos
Fire and Ice: On Prometheus and Pratfalls
Crites! Another Fabrication? On Crite of Chaldea
Walk Like an Egyptian: Comparing Jesus, Osiris, and Horus
Have No Fear -- Sargon is Here!
Exodus Redux: Did the Story of Sinuhe Influence the Exodus Story?
On Krishna and this also
Balder Burgers with Freys
East Indian Giver: Salivahana as Copycat Christ
Baal of Hay
Don't Mourn for Adonis
Zoar Losers
Serapis Shazam
Querying Quetzalcoatl
Lining Up Against the Lotus -- on Buddha
I Tawt I Taw a Deva Tat! -- on "Deva Tat"
Raglan Reduced by "Justin Martyr"
On Napoleon as Myth translated by "Justin Martyr"
The More Things Change -- a humourous look at how we're just having to reiterate things over the centuries

Answer 3

Actually, Mithraic scholars do not find substantive relationships between the Mithra cult and Christianity until the third or fourth century, and that is in art. There are no documents that describe the beliefs of Mithraism by the followers themselves. All we know of the group is what critics said.

And there are two different Mithraic religions. On from Persia. The other primarily Roman in origin.

Answer 4

Wow. attempt to get extra effective aspects than the Zeitgeist movie. Nowhere do the scriptures say Jesus replaced into born in December. we've not have been given any info that Horus had twelve disciples. some nineteenth century author made this way of declare, yet with 0 info. Horus had like 4 semi-god followers and consistent with hazard sixteen human followers and a few blacksmiths who went into conflict with him or something. Isis had intercourse with the physique of her ineffective husband Osiris after she pieced his hacked aspects decrease back mutually. it is how she have been given pregnant with Horus. there's a narrative that Horus replaced into torn up and thrown into the river and Isis asked the crocodile god to fish him out...yet uncertain how that's somewhat like the story of Jesus.

Answer 5

because there all based on the story of the two commings of Adam. where Adam is put to death on the tree of life and resurrected as adam and chaooah(sorry her name was never called eve actualy in TheTorah Scroll, they don't even mean the same thing).

just as the story of romulus and remulus are based on the story of cain and able. they are altered versions of the same thing hence: they have become mythicized by distortions in time. there is some truth to it, but it is garbled. and in fact there is some truth in all myths. but sorting out the true facts, from the distortions, is very challenging to even the sharpest minds.

Answer 6

Certain parts of the Jesus story were based on earlier mythologies. You simply cannot have a man/god who was not born of a virgin in a cave, who cannot change water to wine and raise the dead and who refuses to resurrect himself.

Faced with a seemingly more 'powerful' mythology, Jesus' resume was juiced up a bit so more of us heathens would feel comfortable enough with the concept to convert. Remember, triune dieties, miraculous births and resurrections are old news to pagans. These are things we not only are comfortable with, we EXPECT them from at least one diety per pantheon.

I don't think this detracts from Jesus' basic message of love, however. It's just too bad that some of the later christians had such an inferiority complex about it and had to confuse the issue.

~Morg~

Answer 7

I think you have been reading some bad press. Try checking out the following article:

http://www.geocities.com/metagetics/JCMyth_1.html

I typed the two names you gave into my search engine and found this article. It is lengthy, but very thourough in nature, and may answer your question very well.

Answer 8

Because the Bible is a historical text based upon the writings of many books of virtue.

Answer 9

And also since then, like Ghandi & Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer 10

If there is truth to this, I imagine it is because Satan loves to immitate Christ...and pervert the immitation just enought to lead us away from Christ. Satan too had the books of the Old Testament, so he knew what was foretold of the Messiah...