Robert Price - Christian Myth (III)

The life of Jesus as portrayed in the gospels corresponds to the worldwide Mythic Hero Archetype in which a divine hero's birth is supernaturally predicted and conceived, the infant hero escapes attempts to kill him, demonstrates his precocious wisdom already as a child, receives a divine commission, defeats demons, wins acclaim, is hailed as king, then betrayed, losing popular favor, executed, often on a hilltop, and is vindicated and taken up to heaven.

These features are found world wide in heroic myths and epics. The more closely a supposed biography, say that of Hercules, Apollonius of Tyana, Padma Sambhava, of Gautama Buddha, corresponds to this plot formula, the more likely the historian is to conclude that a historical figure has been transfigured by myth.

The passion stories of the gospels strike me as altogether too close to contemporary myths of dying and rising savior gods including Osiris, Tammuz, Baal, Attis, Adonis, Hercules, and Asclepius. Like Jesus, these figures were believed to have once lived a life upon the earth, been killed, and risen shortly thereafter. Their deaths and resurrections were in most cases ritually celebrated each spring to herald the return of the life to vegetation. In many myths, the savior's body is anointed for burial, searched out by holy women and then reappear alive a few days later.

It is special pleading to dismiss all similar stories as myths and to insist that this case must be different. If you do this, admit it, you are a fideist, no longer an apologist (if there is any difference!).

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/robert_price/fiction.html

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[scientiaarsvita1]

I wish many more people, Americans in particular, heard these stories. I only recently found out that it was because of my mother's study of world mythologies and religions that she became an agnostic after 60+ years of Christianity. She is much more inquisitive and open minded than many people, but I think hearing of these familiar themes would plant a crucial seed of uncertainty in many peoples' minds.

[pictgirl]

Most people try to espouse that the Christ Myth Theory is a quack movement. As it turns out many of the Christ Myth proponents, as well as Biblical Minimalists generally are Biblical Scholars, and some; like Dr. Price, are ordained ministers and theologians. The Biblical Studies Dept. of the University of Copenhagen is a well known school of thought which promotes Biblical Minimalism and have many published scholars who use linguistics, archeology, and historical texts to debunk Biblical lies.

[quicklyitgoesby]

Awesome!

[MushroomedAnymore]

@wellsbranchdude A real God sends no one to hell, not even Hitler or Stalin.

[MushroomedAnymore]

Wow! Why isn't the whole thing up here?

[davemelnick]

@wellsbranchdude Thanx for your opinion. You might want to try reading The Odyssey & the like. Given, I doubt that any media & schools today will cover that. Much of what is in there was spinned/plagiarized by the bible. That is at least 400 yrs earlier than the bible...do the math...please. ;) -lol

[wellsbranchdude]

@davemelnick

You will feel different when you are burning in Hell.!

Repent before is too late!

[davemelnick]

@scientiaarsvita1 You are so right...after 40+ years I became a realist/agnostic. Specially, after reading up on numerous religious texts & astronomical myths world-wide. They all seem to have the same story-line. Years to centuries apart; I simply thought of plagiarisms & frauds galore.

[MisterBoswell]

How do you spell that second story- Carius & Calirirway? Because I can't ever find anything close to that on google.