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Debunking Christian Circular Arguments and Assumptions
The
mythological
Pagan roots
of Christianity
Most
Christians are unaware
that the motif of the
dying and rising Savior is not unique to Christianity, but in fact has
been
prevalent in many ancient myths and religions throughout the world. The
similarities and parallels with the story
of Jesus are astounding.
Thus it has led
many historians and scholars to conclude that Christianity evolved from
these
motifs, incorporating them into its doctrine as well.
In the
first part of the
revolutionary film Zeitgeist
The Movie, Peter Joseph explains
the Pagan mythological connections with
Christianity, such as Sun worship and the dying/rising savior motif. His
sources are based on the work of Archarya
S, author of The
Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold.
You
can watch it below in these parts from
YouTube.
Of course,
in desperation,
Christian Apologists from
ancient times til now attempt to argue that Satan created these same
counterfeit motifs before Jesus in Pagan myths in order to deceive
people into
thinking that Christianity is copied from them.
Early Church apologists, such
as Tertullian, went to great lengths to
break these associations, even claiming that the devil caused the
similarities
to occur:
"The
devil, whose business is to pervert
the truth, mimics the exact circumstance of the Divine Sacraments. He
baptizes
his believers and promises forgiveness of sins…he celebrates
the oblation of
bread, and brings in the symbol of the resurrection. Let us therefore
acknowledge the craftiness of the devil, who copied certain things of
those
that be Divine." Tertullian, (155 - 222 AD , CHAP. XL.- THE
PRESCRIPTION
AGAINST HERETICS. )
Justin
Martyr, another early
Christian apologist, alluded
to the fact that pre-Christian pagan religions with the same features
and motifs
existed in his time, in these writings:
"When we say that he,
Jesus Christ, our teacher,
was produced without sexual union, was crucified and died, and rose
again, and
ascended into Heaven, we propound nothing different from what you
believe
regarding those who you esteem Sons of Jupiter." (First Apology / The
Apostolic Fathers: Martyr and Irenaeus by Philip Schaff. Eerdmans Pub.)
"He was born of a virgin,
accept this in common
with what you believe of Perseus." (I Apol., chs. xxi, xxii; ANF. i,
170;
cf. Add. ad Grace. ch. lxix; Ib. 233)
It's
obvious that Justin and
other early Christians
knew how similar Christianity was to the Pagan religions. However,
Justin had a
solution. As far as he was concerned, the Devil did it. The Devil had
the
foresight to come before Christ, and create these characteristics in
the Pagan
world (Freke & Gandy: The Jesus Mysteries, Three Rivers Press,
Chapter 3
-"Diabolical Mimicry")
What’s
funny is
that such explanations that “the Devil
was behind it” contradicts another teaching of theirs that
had Satan known that
Jesus would rise from the dead and offer Salvation to those who would
believe
in him, he would not have had the princes of the world crucify him,
which of
course implies that Satan did not anticipate that Christ would become a
dying/rising savior.
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