1. The metaphor of Jesus's Death/Rebirth (becoming eternal).
2. The metaphor of a Vampire's Death/Rebirth (becoming immortal)
Thoughts?
2007-05-15 08:24:29 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes. Both involve 'drinking blood'. Both are based on ancient forms of Initiation into the 'death experience'.( Paul speaks of being Baptized into the 'death' of Christ.)
Both can trigger similar mystic experiences of heightened or accelerated sensory awareness. (including the inner senses)
The body's response time becomes
(more?) instantaneous. The ability to notice, focus, and attend are also 'sped up'.
To me, the 'Christ' experience is a more advanced level of initiation. Sometimes I think vampires are gifted Mystics who achieve a certain 'skill level' but never took it to the next level, (I'm no expert) Sometimes I think a vampire is a gifted Mystic who becomes a predator. (There are many ways to prey on humans)
-----OK I'm remembering something that's kind of weird, so please take it with a grain of salt. There's some association about 'drinking the Blood of Christ' before you're ready(worthy) and there's another association with a story about some Catholic priests who performed an exorcism on a fellow priest against his will and created a vampire.
2007-05-15 14:05:37 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not by any stretch. Christ's death is victory over death. He leads it captive,strips it, and leaves it alone, lonely with only the Devil as captive. The victory is absolute, and the final end of death is now assured.
The vampiric death and rebirth is the victory of death. The vampire is "immortal" not that he is alive, but that he moves though dead. Death has total victory, and he must abide ever at night, never able to love or connect always feeding off of others.
The two are almost complete opposites. I can't see vampires at all being synonymous with Christ.
2007-05-15 08:31:45 · answer #2 · answered by Innokent 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Jesus died and brought himself back to life as an immortal, by his own power, and thereby makes it possible for us to also be raised from the dead to immortality.
A vampire becomes immortal through killing (not dying), taking power from others, and continues to live by continuing to kill.... he doesn't bring eternal life to anyone but himself.
To me that would indicate that the two "metaphors" are completely at odds.... I guess that is what you mean by "paradoxically synonymous", ie, diametrically opposed, yes?
2007-05-15 09:40:46 · answer #3 · answered by MumOf5 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Oooh... I think Innokent gave a very good answer. I just want to add that vampires seem to have a distinctly "christian characteristic" to them. By that I mean that there IS something about the vampire myths which resonates more in Christian and post-Christian societies than in purely pagan societies. I think they are not synonymous, but they are complementary: one is darkness, one is light; one is Truth itself, one is Falsehood itself - a mockery of the Truth.
2007-05-15 16:50:29 · answer #4 · answered by dreamed1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting, but I would disagree. The first is resurrection unto life, the second, is not a rebirth, but the continuation of death. Furthermore, you can destroy a vampire, but not Jesus.
2007-05-15 08:33:44 · answer #5 · answered by Deof Movestofca 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Theses two metaphors are paradoxically synonymous...
But they are exactly opposite by meaning....
The God and Evil are two faces of a coin
Their war have no end
2007-05-15 11:31:39 · answer #6 · answered by Shripathi Krishna Acharya 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Number two is a myth. So no.
2007-05-15 08:28:07 · answer #7 · answered by Lakin J 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Both are myths, but the meaning of myth has been lost to most. ~ : )
2007-05-15 08:30:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I think 'belief' in them can be syn-chronous, but they're not syn-nonymous. :-)
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agvjf_foMwr3gdluvT5Q3F8hBgx.?qid=20070514211719AAoe8gN&show=7#profile-info-2JVl0VNaaa
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApfeXLTI.56YeBs4ESlRNL0hBgx.?qid=20070515074048AAeKnew&show=7#profile-info-YMmgoo1Saa
2007-05-15 11:53:00 · answer #9 · answered by goodfella 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
where's the paradox?
2007-05-15 08:29:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋