Who Was the Favorite God Just Before Jesus



The event which jump started Christianity was not the alleged birth of Jesus. It was a conference called by a Roman dictator about the third century C.E. The purpose of the conference was to establish which of the many threads of Christianity were to be "the truth" and which were to be tossed.

To be successful, Christianity needed to seem familiar to the public. The most popular Pagan god ot the time, Mithra, was said to have been born to a virgin on December 25. He was crucified in the spring. Some say this was around 600 BCE, others say Mithra was popular much earlier.

What we know of Mithra was passed down through many sources. Like the Bible, the writing was no doubt changed over time to reflect what scribes thought should be written. The myths of Mithra and Jesus are remarkably similar.

This suggests, to me at least, the story line of both myths is not history but held, and continue to hold, broad and universal emotional appeal the millions of people.

Christianity Before Christ,  by John G. Jacobson

Comments

  1. Matt NoahJuly 24, 2019 at 3:21 PM

    In God We Trust is now South Dakota state law at every public school, 12" x 12". Amen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenJuly 24, 2019 at 6:06 PM

    "In God we Trust....Amen" As I wrote, the tales in the Bible seem to have existed before the wealthy goat herders wrote the Bible. They appeal to people who need to believe them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tsmJuly 24, 2019 at 7:25 PM

      If you were referring to Constantine and the Council of Nicea, I think that the issue there was a desire to settle the dispute between the Catholics and the Arians. Look it up.

      Delete
  3. tsmJuly 24, 2019 at 7:17 PM

    Good to know that Jon has "discovered" Mithra. in retrospect, he seems to have a real talent for digging up ancient stories that parallel (or are at least similar to) the Christian narrative. Apparently he thinks that his discoveries somehow prove the falsity of Christianity. My suggestion: look more critically, hopefully finding ways in which the Christian account is different, substantially different, from the pre-Christian stories. As to all the 25 December nonsense: we live in the northern hemisphere and are psychologically and physically "tuned in" to the point in the year when winter darkness begins to wane. That applies to Christianity as well as Mithraism, etc. Perhaps it's his Calvinist upbringing. Remember that the Puritans once banned Christmas celebrations. Merry Christmas, Jon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. little helperJuly 25, 2019 at 4:15 PM

    Interesting that Mithra "god". Pants pulled down, with a knife in one hand and a torch in the other. Wow, something to be copied? "Christmas" isn't mentioned in the Bible, nor is it anything more than a non-doctrinal custom, which wasn't celebrated in the early church. Much later added to the calendar to compete with the pagan solstice. when Walmart has a sale, Target has a sale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenJuly 26, 2019 at 4:49 AM

      "Pants..knife...torch" Maybe a tough but lovable god. Yours drowned innocent babies. Both offered comfort in the current life and an even better deal after death. I'd call it similar. Current believers call it different.

      Delete
    2. little helperJuly 26, 2019 at 7:10 AM

      I would be careful if I were you in judging the killing "innocent babies".

      Delete
  5. tsmJuly 26, 2019 at 7:49 AM

    don't you think that the flood story and the babies is a both tiresome and and irrelevant?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jon LindgrenJuly 26, 2019 at 2:24 PM

    No.

    ReplyDelete

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