How should we respond to alleged parallels between Jesus' miraculous birth, life, and resurrection with ancien

Question

How should we respond to alleged parallels between Jesus' miraculous birth, life, and resurrection with ancient pagan religions?

Answer 1

That prophetic archetypes have been planted into the concious of all human-kind. Really..it wasn't just the hebrew religion. It should really only bolster faith...also" mithras DID come after Christianity....What about about persian zorarosterist seers who told that a star in the west would bring about the coming of a mediator between God and man?....what about Paul's use of Greek classical poetry and references to one play "evil communication spoils good manners" [1 Corinthians 15:33] from THAIS, menander's Comedy? Only the Corinthians would have valued this insight. What about his use of qouting cretian poets [Titus 1:12]?

Yes the Bible came in hebrew and greek, but God has not left the rest of the world without his testimony; not even in ancient times...Truth has always been there.

Answer 2

I don't think it requires any "response"... but we should alll be aware of the basic facts. Jesus was a unique individual with a particular personal history. However, after his death, others, seeking to create a religion around him, made use of many popular Pagan beliefs to make the worship of Jesus more attractive to new converts.

For example a few things about Jesus were taken from the worship of Attis... Attis was born on winter solstice, died on spring equinox, and was resurected from the dead after 3 days. His symbol was the pine tree... thus we have Christmas, Christmas trees, Easter, the resurection, etc. So all the celebrations for Attis could remain the same, and people would just replace him with Jesus.

There are many more parallels if you'de care to do some research and read about them. But of course they don't really shed any light on who Jesus was as a person. They are just examples of some of the methods others used to promote and facilitate his worship, centuries after his death.

Best wishes,

Jeanie

Answer 3

Like Arthur, the original Once and Future King, or Odin, Or Dionysus, or Mithras or.....

There is nothing original in the Abrahamic religions except patriarchy, and that was a bad, bad idea. Look at the mess the world is in from the Abrahamists trying to kill each other.

Answer 4

There are two possibilities:

We know that the devil knows scripture. He quoted it at Jesus. He anticipated Jesus' birth.
Therefore, is it unnatural that he would plant it in false religions to discredit the real version.

and

In the beginning there was only one family. They had the same religion. Over time, kids (Cain) and grandkids (Nimrod) changed the religious observances and taught the changes to their families. However, all religious come from the same truth, though it was a truth that was corrupted over time in some cases.

Answer 5

The whole "parallel" is contrived and not even based upon correct ancient pagan beliefs!

Link below, for some examples.

Answer 6

How very curious that different culture groups at different times in history attempted to explain their relationship to the supernatural (read: unexplainable) using similar metaphors and words and constructs and events? Is there, perhaps, some universal truth that they (and others) were attempting to convey?

Answer 7

You should respond with curiosity, and start investigating whether your religion might just be a syncretization of other ancient ideas.

Answer 8

Perhaps you will be inspired to look into those ancient religions more!

Answer 9

Plagiarism.

Answer 10

You should accept the fact that the Jesus story is a myth.