Amaleq13

Yes, people who enjoy long words are more likely to know the meanings of long words than those who do not. I find it difficult to believe that you really require a study to be conducted to recognize this truism.

A repeated "charge" is unnecessary since you give more evidence of the deficit in the very post in which you deny it.

To paraphrase myself from earlier in this thread, it is ultimately irrelevant and does nothing to promote rational discussion.

You need to read more carefully, Jeffrey. I've already provided that information. :wave:

jakejonesiv

Hi Gerard,

Yes, that is a good point. As Chris correctly pointed out, a virgin birth is not apparent in the Pauline material or GMark. But since IMHO, Christianity is a syncrestic religion, it does appear in GMatthew and GLuke, so the parallel holds.

So we now have idenified four or five parallels.
1. Son of a god
2. Mortal mother
3. Lightning bolt/Holy Ghost (?)
4. God appears in human likeness
5. Followers of the god miraculously freed from prison.

More to come.

Jake Jones IV

jakejonesiv

The famous story of Paul's alleged conversion on the road to Damascus cannot be deduced from the Pauline epistles. But we can find a precursor Euripides, Bacchae

In the opening scene, Dionysus appears and identifies himself as the son of the the god Zeus.
Dionysus is a new god who is spreading his mystery religion through the wild dances of his followers, the maenads.

Just as Paul was reputed to oppose the followers of Jesus, Pentheus was opposed to the new god Dionysus, and was determined to wipe out his followers.

Pentheus is convinced to dress as a woman, a maenad, one of Dionysus worshippers. As Robert Price has noted, Pentheus is thus ironically converted to the faith of Dionysus by a personal epiphany of that god. http://tinyurl.com/5d6y4

Indeed, Dionysus has told Pentheus that it is better to serve the god "rather than kick against his spurs in anger, a mortal against a god."

Jesus reputedly said to Paul on the road to Damascus, "I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goads." Acts 26:14.

Jake Jones IV

GakuseiDon

Or: We can find no precursor to Paul's conversion in Euripides' Bacchae.

Or: Completely different to Jesus and his new gospel message, Dionysus is a god established in the East who comes to Thebes and declares his intentions to punish the people of Thebes for telling lies about his mother.

Or: Completely opposite to Paul who travelled away from home to persecute Jesus's peaceful followers, Pentheus is a king of Thebes concerned by his citizens performing disgusting sexual rites as part of a new religion. While Paul later converts, Pentheus opposes Dionysus, even unto death.

Or: Unlike Paul, who converts after meeting Jesus, Pentheus comes face to face with Dionysus and doesn't even recognise him.

Or: Unlike Paul's conversion story, Dionysus hides who he is and threatens Pentheus, while Jesus plainly states who he is and appeals to Paul without threats.

It is remarkable how the Bacchae is completely opposite to the Gospel stories! According to the "reverse-story" criteria used in comparing Homer to the Gospel of Mark, this indicates copying or influence.

jakejonesiv

Hi GakuseiDon,

Thanks for the reply.

Well, would you believe that Dionysis, when captured was calm and didn't resist? And both Jesus and Dionysis had the divine power to free themselves whenever they wished?

Dionysis "The god will set me free whenever I wish."
Jesus: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Matt. 26:43.

But I see you working out there, GakuseiDon! Dionysis was set free and Jesus wasn't. I just have to keep looking until I can come up with an example that passes your similarity test, whatever that is.

Jake Jones IV

JoeWallack

JW:
Well God damn G-D, we can find this Type of contradiction between Gospels. Hell, we can find it within Gospels. Since Jeff doesn't like to respond to posts indicating he is full of (the) holy spirit, can you or one of Jeff's other fellow Christian familiars here (like the tattoed humans in Blade) answer the only important Question:

Regarding Who and Purpose of Jesus, Where is the Better parallel, The Jewish Bible or Dionysus Mythology?



Joseph

http://www.errancywiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

GakuseiDon

I'm sure there are plenty of similarities between Pentheus / Dionysus and Paul / Jesus. E.g. Both Dionysus and Jesus end in "sus", and Pentheus and Paul start with a "P". It's definitely a similarity, but I think you'll agree that it's meaningless.

Finding similarities is often subjective, and can be created merely by how you word the comparisons. Price's "Pentheus is ironically converted to the faith of Dionysus by a personal epiphany of that god" as a similarity to Paul is very silly IMHO if he regards it as somehow meaningful.

Perhaps if you can give an analysis on why a particular similarity has meaning, that would be more beneficial than just presenting a grocery list of similarities?

GakuseiDon

Hi JoeWallack, I'd love to answer, but your weird use of capitals gives me a headache, so I can't read through to the end. Sorry.

jgibson000

:huh:

Leaving aside the matter of whether the above is indeed "the only important Question [why the capitalization?], I'll tell you what I'll do, Jospeh. I'll tell you what I think about this point if you tell me how and through whom, according to Euripides and other mythographers, Dionysus was born.

And are you really saying -- as your question "can you or one of Jeff's other fellow Christian familiars here" indicates you are -- that you think I am a Christian?

Jeffrey Gibson

S.C.Carlson

Hard to tell, because he keeps on talking about some guy named "Jeff".