Were the ideas of the mythologies of earlier cultures, expropriated by Jews and Christians, merely God’s rough draft? Should we now consider more ancient versions of such things as a great flood, a virgin birth, a hero’s resurrection after death, etc., as crumpled paper balls in “God’s” wastebasket?
On a vase from the 5th century BCE is the illustration of the sun-god Helios riding his chariot across the sky, as it was believed he did every day. Rays of light surround his head. Ever wonder where the idea for a halo came from? It certainly didn’t originate in the observation of the rings of Saturn — which you need a telescope or a very specific prophesy to know about. Many religions worshiped the most visible celestial body (other than the one beneath their feet). What do you know, the Christian holy day is called Sun-day.
The halo is a crown of sunshine. In Greek mythology it has been depicted as a crown of rays, or sometimes even a crown of thorns (sound familiar?). It was designed by the Greeks for their Greek god of the sun, Helios. So no, Mary didn’t acquire her halo by being virtuous. She bought it at Pier 1 Imports.
Christians who haven’t studied some of the complex history of religion may be unaware that the celebrated birthday of their champion — December 25th — was appropriated by Rome. Originally the day served as the popular festival for, among a number of things, the birthday of the god Mithra. (Mithra began as a Persian god who moved west — Go west young god! — to many regions, including what became Italy.) The Roman citizens traditionally celebrated that day. So the Christian powers-that-be engaged in not an act of car-jacking, but tradition-jacking. Or maybe you could say they re-wrapped a gift toaster to present anew.
Even the edict, “Thou shalt not steal,” may have been stolen from the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi.
It seems the Christian god believed in recycling. He re-used a number of essential elements that had been created earlier and elsewhere. Shouldn’t this reduce the confidence believers have in the divine authority of their religion?
Sure, there are those nuts who claim diabolical mimicry: Satan went back in time to create this confusion, this challenge to Christianity that only true believers can surmount.
Satan traveling in time to bedevil unbelievers? Who believes that?
Now, Jesus as a flesh-and-blood son of a god, born to a virgin, well that’s another story.
Or is it.
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Tags: atheism, Christianity, religion
July 1st, 2010 at 10:39 am
To scoff at anything that continually shows itself in culturally different ways needs a little more attention. Otherwise, by your reckoning, static electricity, magnetism, gravity, fever, foetal memories, birth/death experience, God, etc are all good candidates for ridicule in some emotionally/ technically backward culture or other.
That’s why people don’t trust ridicule. It’s flag-waving ethnocentrism. I would be more careful.
July 1st, 2010 at 3:56 pm
John, I am beginning to wonder, and worry, about your mental health. Seriously.
If I did “scoff” at anything, it was the notion that core elements of the Christian narrative are unique and have no precedents.
To say “by my reckoning” gravity is a good candidate for ridicule . . . I’m sorry, but this statement places you on some moon of weird and loose logic.
And from there you go to a charge of ethnocentrism.
Please, if you are going to comment, be less obtuse, esoteric, and clearly opposed to everyday rationality.
July 1st, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Some members of a certain tribe thought that some people can injure others without touching them, and that light was involved. Everyone else thought that they were nuts and no-one investigated. Eventually, we realised that the nutcases were talking about static electricity. For some advanced species we could be the nutcases for believing in static electricity.
All I’m saying is don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.