rich442

“Disco Jesus, Hot Pants Jesus �

Here is my best conjecture at the real origin of one of the most missionary religious groups in the world. The reference to passion and unique dance culture will reveal itself as the paper nunravels itself.

Cherry-picking or outright plagiarism, is often an unfortunate even in the life of a student who accidentally quotes something from a book from the library the work of another student or scholar. Although the intentions of minor cherry-picking (copying) are often quite innocent and often well-intention for “getting a good grade.,� it is often dealt with harshly in all forums of academia. Still, it is a usually honest student in the midst of the affair who suffers for a brief indiscretion In spite of all of this, it is simply not acceptable for the largest and most condemnatory religion in the world to base all of it myths in plagiarism, and all of its curses and sermons in faked up condemnations to make the religion interesting.

The cherry-picking practices of Christianity are easily recognized after just a passive, relaxed reading of the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus’ early work, Prometheus Bound. The plays of Aeschylus date roughly between the times of 467 and 472 B.C.E. and therefore predate the bible writers by about 300 years

The date of the “gospels,“ has been established from roughly 72 A.D. until roughly 120A.D. As a result of this, It is possible see the need for plagiarism in a new religion. It was not until the missionary journeys of Peter and Paul that these polytheistic religions were discovered and then pronounced as pagan, heathen and unwholesome to the “new� Christian religion. Paul came, saw, and then cursed everything that crossed his path. In Ephesus and Athens, Paul saw the polytheistic religion and obviously copied it as his own; After it was sanitized by a mishmash creative editing. The new poly theism was ready for production to all good Sunday school children.

The Christian combination of gods does little to separate it from the religions that were cursed by Paul and his band of merry men The problem is, though, everything in the Christian religion had been copied from the isles of Greece


Prometheus, on the other hand, was a god himself who interceded for the race of men and women, first creating them from clay an later providing them with the gift of fire. About his gifts, Prometheus says:
…in former times if a man fell sick, neither healing food nor drink, nor unguent; but through the lack of drugs men wasted away, until I showed them the blending of mild simples wherewith they drive out all manner of diseases…also I taught of the smoothness of the vitals and what color they should have to the pleasure of the gods…all arts that mortals have come from Prometheus. (Grene, 475-83, 493-96, 505-6)

The accomplishments and care for the human race that Prometheus shows is well, if not out rightly, transcribed in Christian literature to be the characteristics of the Christ figure. Jesus’ claim of godhood came not through his own works, but through claims and veiled references to the bigger god, “You are My Son, whom I love, with you I am well-pleased,� (Luke 3:21) Unlike Prometheus, It is established early in the gospel story that Jesus will rely on his god-status alone to provide the justification for his works. Prometheus, not proud or selfish of his place, became a lover of the mortals, first and then was punished by Zeus.

Prometheus was ultimately punished and doomed for his love of humanity. Even Zeus his patron father eventually rejected and chained him. We see in the Christian gospel that Jesus was lucky enough to have a added in story about the big god leaving him in a tenuous situation ( hanging in a tree). The obvious reference to Prometheus is inescapable. Prometheus, the curiously made savior of the common man explains the entire purpose and excuse for Christianity everywhere

It is clear, then why the Christian writers have recreated the tension between Jesus and the other “Christian gods.� In Prometheus, the reader sees the original belief from which the “gospel� was fabricated. Prometheus was the first and only hope for mortals until Paul cursed the Greek religion at Athens and then afterward, pronounced the polytheistic Christianity to be uniquely valuable. That is why it is interesting that the Christians used the ancient polytheistic culture to create their own concept of a triple-god, the use of ceremonies and also why the “New Testament� seems so laced with plagiarisms and cherry pickings from the popular Greek literature of the time (i.e. Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, to name a few).

Perhaps Paul’s greatest achievement in the creation of the Christian religion was his manufacturing the Christian theory from old tales of Greek mythology. The Greek veneration of Athena as it was practiced in the Grecian town of Ephesus. Paul rails against the Greeks that their, “…man-made gods are no gods at all(Eph. 19:26).� The problem with Paul’s deal and with Christianity in general was that a free and social god was not enough for him. Punishment and fear had to be a major part of the new religion. Thus, the constant harangues of Christians against gays, smokers, social drinkers and non-churchgoers. Paul explains his special preferences by saying further, “…he gave them over to a depraved mind they [the common people of Rome] are full of envy , murder, strife, deceit and malice…Now we know that God’s punishment against those who do such things is based on truth�(Romans 1:29, 2:2). How convenient it is that Paul

The world of the Greek gods was much different than Paul’s first idea of a perfect world. Later, much of the Greek systems and Greek Prometheus was punished for helping men and women to begin life and continue it. Prometheus offered no condemnation of any kind of people. He was chained to a mountain for being so accepting. Zeus, himself, abandoned Prometheus his son and began to wish for Io as a sex partner. I suppose that these are the only times that the Greek religion gets a little nasty. On the other hand, all we know of nastiness arose from the American fascination with our Puritan roots (above). Puritan religion brought to people their sense of shame Even then the virgin god-character, Mary is copied from this play in the form of Io, the sister of Prometheus. Prometheus further comments on the sexual lusting that Zeus has developed for his own daughter, “She set Zeus’s heart on fire and now she is violently exercised running on courses overlong, driven by Hera’s hate (Grene, 590-593).�

Io’s position in the drama, almost like that of Mary Magdalene, represents the heroine and figure of loveliness in Prometheus’ battle against Zeus who chained the lonely god to a mountain. In spite of her good deeds and true concern for her brother, she is sought as a sexual playmate of Zeus. The deliciousness of the love-sex triangle between Mary Magdalene, “Big god,� and Jesus was likely derived from the incidence of Zeus’ lust for his daughter, Io and Hera‘s intervention by chasing their daughter away. Like Mary Magdalene, Io becomes the “Holy� of sexual punishment. Kinky!

The comparison does not end with Athena, Io and the multi-god system of Christianity. Just as Jesus cries out to Mary (the virgin who had a baby), Prometheus ends his agony by crying out for mercy from his fellow gods. He cries,

“Now it is words no more: now in very truth, the earth is staggered: in its depths the thunder bellows resoundingly…O Holy mother mine, O Sky that circling brings light to all, you see me, how I suffer, unjustly (Grene, 1079-82, 1090-92).�

To think that Mary was and is worshipped as a god coincided perfectly with Prometheus’ calls for help on the mountain top. Coincidently, Jesus also call for his mother in the exact way and with hauntingly similar words, “Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, Here is your mother (Mark 19:27).� In the first, called out to his mother, Hera for relief from the punishment that Zeus had inflicted for his unjust penalty. On this subject we also see Jesus complaining, “My God, my God, Why have you forsaken me Mark 15:33)� Jesus is Prometheus wrapped in rags when he was nailed instead of the godlike underwear that best suited being chained to a mountain

Christianity, in whole or in part, is a religion that has been copied from other sources from the beginning . As such, it only worthy of being called a belief system that some people like rather than the “only way.� In this paper, Prometheus Unbound has been used only as an example of the cherry picking of older religions. On the brighter side, if someone was asked to produce inspired literature for a “dynamic� new religion, it would be much easier to cook it up from current books rather than to actually give it the touch of creativity. I know I would copy it, sure. Wouldn’t you?



Grene, David, trans., “Prometheus Unbound,� University of Chicago press, Chicago 1942 (pp. 131-180). reprinted in Grene, David and Lattimore, Richmond, eds., The Complete Greek Tragedies: Aeschylus II. Washington Square Press: New York, 1973.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 1989 .

Clivedurdle

Welcome!

We have had discussions about Buddhist, Roman, Caesar and other influences on xianity.

Are the Greek gods accepted as a major factor in xianity?

rich442

First of all, this paper does not take up the debate of your forum. The issue that I bring to bear refers to the total story of Christ and its complete set of offspring.

I am not picking and choosing (i.e. from Buddism, Vedanta and etc.) what I like and don't like.

Many of the Greek gods and myths were contemporary to the Aramaic culture of Judea.
Aeschylus (as well as many others) formed their basis for Greek mythology during the third century B.C.E. The gospel writers (according to Irenaus) began writing their works from the first century A.D. to the second.

As you hopefully read [and considered] in the article, the "Christ idea" was heavily influenced (and not created) by the Greek histories of Prometheus, Io, Zeus, Oceanus and etcetera.

The Greek god influence is my own invention and should be taken as such.

There is no evidence that Jesus ever presents himself as a new "greek god." The apostles used the influence of these well-read and believed documents to create both a connection and a validity to the story of Jesus.
Budhhism (and its various developments) was not coeval with the rise of Christianity and is therefore is hard to

(what in the Hell is Xianity?).

There is no relevant evidence to suggest that either Jesus or his early adherents were copying Buddhism. Extra biblical texts and Josephus' /*Wars of the Jews*/ followed the early rise of the religion called Christianity and makes no connection whatever to eastern religions.
The Christians lived in a Grecian world and were therefore somewhat constrained the god-concepts of Greek mythology

Flavius Josephus was a Roman-Jewish scholar and historian. His works contains all of the major cultural events of the Jewish and early Christian

Since Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion of Rome, there is no backwards influence there either.

Please read my article, then respond.

Wallener

I'm currently of the opinion that the stories grew from real events - the slaughter of a Samaritan leader (and followers) by Pilate's troops at Mount Gerizim in 35 CE. Samaritan Messianic tradition is for someone named Joshua (check) who is a carpenter (check) and born of the house of Joseph (check). To me this seems like the path of least resistance...

rich442

Thank you for your response. The only thing I was trying to say was that the work of the apostles (those who wrote the gospels) used current cultural norms to present the Jesus in terms that were palatable to all crnorers of the Oriental (Mediterranean) world. I totally believe in the bare facts themselves, too.

Depending on how you wrote the story, it was either an inocuous story of a Jewish carpenter (what you suggest) or the miraculous development of the world's one-and-only valid religion to be preached to all people everywhere along with the threat of eternal damnation if they didn't follow it.

I think that the Bible writers used the second way because it was dynamic, easy to force on people's minds, and had a certain sustainability for people who were tired of the Roman occupation (government) of Judea). I believe it was outright cherry-pickling, though.

freigeister

Beware, my friend: the Pesher Nahum, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, condemns "seekers after smooth things".

rich442

I guess you're right. The Jesus-Carpenter thing /*is*/ kind of of carpenter. The reference to Y'shua in Numbers has no connection with the name Jesus or "Joshua" for that matter. The line of David has been used and abused by Christians by using it as their only explanation of how Jesus came to be so important.

The curious thing about all of this is that Christianity as a whole has to be a loose patchwork of ideas and theories taken from religions all around the Ancient middle East.

Vorkosigan

:rolling: :rolling:

gee

rich442;

Just two thoughts from a Christian,

If something is similar in a few points; than it must be equal?
I have two arms, monkeys have two arms - so I'm a monkey.

"...the Bible writers"

I don't think NT authors knew they were "Bible writers". They were simply writing down accounts that they saw/experienced or were related to them.


gee

rich442

gee,
We consider them to be "Bible writers" because the canon of Christian literature was determined by the church fathers and other men who felt that they knew what G-d wanted. If you still wonder about the evolution of the canon of Christian scripture, please read the history of the Catholic Church starting with Acts and ending with R.C. Sproule (I think he is the "popular" Christian preacher right now)

In that sense the NT writers are the so-called "Bible writers." In addition, It is Christians who have decided that the New Testament is the only valid Bible in the world.

The Bible writers, influenced by the Greek culture, then wrote stories that exactly mimic the passions of the Greek pantheon. This this is what the people knew and what they were comfortable accepting

You will either have to change your thinking or change the course of history. I suggest the former.

Anyway,thank you for sticking up for your faith and being so honest. You are good.

Sorry, Charley :banghead: