irishajo

Does anyone know of a website or book which details the parallels between Jesus' characteristics and the characteristics associated with cult leaders?

cloudyphiz

yes, i think they call it 'the new testament'


for example:

a call to arms...
Matthew 10:34
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

a commandment to procure arms...
Luke 22:36
He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

isolating the victim from his or her family...
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

instilling the persecution complex...
Mark 13:13
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

encouraging self-mutilation...
Matthew 5:30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

resorting to quackery, and tricks of the egyptian magicians...
Mark 8:23-24
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

...more of the same, but this time spit isn't enough: he needs mud...
John 9:6
Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.

death to those who will not follow...
Luke 19:27
But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them–bring them here and kill them in front of me.'

you probably get the picture.

-gary

{edited to fix the tags}

[ May 26, 2002: Message edited by: cloudyphiz ]</p>

irishajo

Good point, cloudyphiz...

I was just wondering if there was some sort of essay published about it to refer people to. I thought it would make a good anti-tract.

Toto

There are some differences between the Jesus portrayed in the Gospels and the typical cult leader. The big one is sex - Jesus is portrayed as virtually asexual, while most cult leaders have at least one wife or sexual partner, preferably an entire harem.

Jesus is also portrayed as living the non-material life that he preached, while most cult leaders live fairly well.

These differences may be circumstantial evidence that the Jesus character of the Gospels is largely or entirely mythical.

case

What was that chick's name? Mary Magdalene?

Greg2003

What about the Heaven's Gate people. That guy was totally assexual. And, although they shared a nice mansion together, they, and their leader, did not live lavishly. Also, you have those guys, I think called the Bretheran, or something. They live like hermits and eat out of dumpsters and don't have sex. Their leader also lives like them.

I think the point is that you don't have to have a particularly abusive leader in order to have a cult. The dynamics of jebus' leadership and the anti-social anti-establishment nature of his teaching can still be seen as cult like.

cydonia

Those are some interesting parallels, cloudyphiz. Those verses are actually quite disturbing coming from the Son of God. I wonder why they aren't more popular. Those verses could serve as a tract in themselves to scare people crooked.

Bane

Cy, most christians are of the salad bar variety.

cloudyphiz

cydonia-

christians don't much like those verses.
i don't wonder why...

a while after posting that i started reading "The lost gospel: The Book of Q & Christian origins" by Burton Mack. so far it's a pretty interesting read. it puts forth the thesis that jesus was something of the sort of a greek cynic philosopher. that seems a pretty decent explanation for the many strange verses that the new testament complains, such as the above. i haven't finished the book yet but i'd definately recommend it.

-gary