Is Jesus Christ one of your favorite mythological Characters?

Question

What do you think about the idea that the Jesus cult was heavilly influenced by the cult of Dionysus?

Y'all need to expand your vocabulary, the word "cult doesn't always mean like the Branch Davidians:
1 : formal religious veneration : WORSHIP
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents

Ok they are both the sons of sky gods born of mortal women, they are both wine gods, and the cult of dionysus was based around ecstatic dancing which many people think was a big part of the early Christian church.

Answer 1

people are ignorant aren't they. its kind of sad. i read what you have written up there and it is interesting i will have to research that more. thank you for trying to make people think even though its not working.

Answer 2

Jesus isn't a myth, there is proof in writings from secular historians during the first century AD which is irreputable proof that he did exist. And the cult of Dionysus has very few similarites to Jesus's teachings, but religeons tend to take over holidays and practices from older religeons to make it more palpatable to the masses. Christmas is actually on the secular holiday of Sol Invictus and not truely when Jesus was born.

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure that I'm about to urinate in everybody's Wheaties with this one...

I find Jesus to be one of the most fascinating characters of myth and history. In fact, what we know of Jesus appears to come from both.

It seems to me that Jesus actually existed, as a philosopher and--rebel against the Roman occupiers of ancient Israel.

The story of Jesus, however, has been--during the course of the past two millennium--seeped in the myth of nearly every culture that has been exposed to Christianity since it's inception...Roman, Greek, Celtic, etc.

An other interesting theory about Jesus involves the division of his character into two distinct characters during the trial before Pilate. It's a lengthy one, so just check out these Wiki links, and the ones that are listed there.---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barabbas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus

I think that the style in which the Romans chose to dispatch Jesus is quite telling when it comes to the Jesus/Barabbas theory. Crucifixion was not an easy way of getting rid of someone quickly, as the Romans would have most likely wished to have done with a trouble-making preacher like the Christ of biblical canon. It was, however, an effective way of making an example out of a popular revolutionary hero.

Answer 4

OK, I'll be the only one to answer "Yes! He's my very favorite mythological figure."

I believe like J.R.R. Tolkien that all the pagan myths were man's attempts to reach out and see what the god-force behind the world was really like. The fact that Dionysus (and all the corn-king myths) allude to the death and resurrection that we see in Jesus should hardly be surprising since the pattern of death and resurrection is encoded in the very fabric of life - in the sowing and reaping we see every year. If the Incarnation is the Truth, then it is the greatest Truth of the universe, and all the attempts of man to find truth would somehow hint at it.

Peace to you.

Answer 5

He is not one of my favorite characters. I much prefer mythological heroes with major flaws. Dionysus was a lot more fun too. I do think that there was some influence but I'm not sure that it was anything more than people relating to concepts in familiar ways.

Answer 6

You are under the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth was mythological. There is sufficient historical evidence that such a man existed. Please consult the historian Flavius Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.3 §63-64: "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day."

Then there is the Arabic version of the Testimonium preserved by tenth-century Bishop Agapius of Hierapolis in his World History. Schlomo Pines, the Israeli scholar who rediscovered the Arabic text, translates the passage as follows: At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.

I am not aware of any evidence that this Jesus Christ was under the influence of the cult of Dionysus.

I would encourage you to move Jesus from mythology to a possibility.

Answer 7

Dionysus is a Greek Godess so I say no to your second
answer.
If Jesus Christ ever manages to get on that list, he'd be
at the very bottom.
Of course Jesus is a miff (annoying) and is a myth (not real)!

Answer 8

The cult that worships Jesus Christ (sorry guys, it fits the definition of a cult to a T, not trying to offend) was definitely influenced by Pagan beliefs. Look at christmas and halloween!

Answer 9

if you're asking if there became, once a guy whom we now call Jesus [he gained't were referred to as that precisely at the same time as he walked in the international, then i trust there is historic info that this individual existed. once you upload "Christ" on your question, you introduce some definitional themes that makes any answer mere conjecture and between those that are commonly in settlement as to the answer, on close exam, they too might want to have doctrinal transformations. it truly is a sophisticated question.

Answer 10

It's almost funny how the Sects of Christianity can't even agree with each other about what Jesus truly taught and what he was like, but they constantly want reinforcement from outside Christianity.

Christians have built themselves their very own tower of Babel.

Answer 11

Jesus Christ is the son of God and my Savior. My favorite mythological character is Zeus. Cults are for the misdirected.