Christ Myth?

[conjur]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: conjur
Admittedly, I'm just now starting to delve into the details of the NT. After seeing how the meaning of the OT was distorted by the editing of it, I'm certainly anxious to see how the early organized church selectively chose gospels for inclusion in the NT in order to suit its agenda.

And the details, from some things I've read, are capable of completely burning that "meat".

I'm being genuinely curious here, as this is something I haven't thought much about. What agenda did the early church have? Was it grasping for power/control?

I believe that's the crux of it. Although, it started out as a way to just homogenize the various "flavors" of the Jesus movement that were in existence throughout the non-Jewish areas. At least that's what I've gotten from some very early reading into the details.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: conjur
Admittedly, I'm just now starting to delve into the details of the NT. After seeing how the meaning of the OT was distorted by the editing of it, I'm certainly anxious to see how the early organized church selectively chose gospels for inclusion in the NT in order to suit its agenda.

And the details, from some things I've read, are capable of completely burning that "meat".

I'm being genuinely curious here, as this is something I haven't thought much about. What agenda did the early church have? Was it grasping for power/control?

The difference between the early church and the existing religions at the time, including Judaism, was that there was a Heaven in which those that praised Christ and followed his teachings would go. The early church also invited anyone to join its flock, regardless of flock. Other than that, they wanted to grow, so they advertised.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Part of the agenda when the NT was put together was to only include references that kept women in a subserviant role.

 

[UbiSunt]

This topic has been reposted in various forms, repeatedly. And if you want to comment on the Church restricting women, they were not alone. Here is a taste, it even describes the historian F. Cumont who is cited above:

THE EXCLUSION OF WOMEN IN THE MITHRAIC
MYSTERIES: ANCIENT OR MODERN?
JONATHAN DAVID

The following paper deals with the scholarly supposition that females were
excluded from the ancient mystery cult of Mithraism. This notion has been part
of scholarly dialogue about the religion since Franz Cumont, the father of modern
Mithraic studies, introduced it in the late nineteenth century. Though many of his
conclusions about Mithraism have been challenged or refuted in the past thirty
years, the particular idea that the cult excluded women has persisted?


In fact, most of the early Christian Church?s members were women because of their relatively positive POV concerning the female gender.

Anyway, my first point is that a hell of a lot has changed in the historiography since the late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century concerning cultural anthropology and religious studies. The emergence of Neo-Paganism to name one issue out of many. Why posters keep citing articles from hack writers that use such out-dated and disproved theories is beyond me. I'm surprised that nobody has sourced George Frazer yet, at least as far as I know.

Secondly, what does it matter if the dating surrounding Christmas is pagan? Even religious intellectuals from roughly the same time as Cumont, like Lewis and Tolkien, had no problem reconciling pagan mythology with Christianity. They simply saw Christianity as fulfilling paganism. Next thing I'm sure some Captain Obvious will post the ground-breaking news that Christianity derives predominantly from Judaism!

 

[Cerb]

I remember when this whole thing began
No talk of God then, we called you a man
And believe me
My admiration for you hasn't died
But every word you say today
Gets twisted 'round some other way
And they'll hurt you if they think you've lied

Nazareth's most famous son
Should have stayed a great unknown
Like his father carving wood
He'd have made good
Tables, chairs and oaken chests
Would have suited Jesus best
He'd have caused nobody harm
No one alarm

Murrey Head made me do it!

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Anyone who's bothered to study the issue understands that most "Christian" holidays were around long before Christ and that Christianity itself merely adopted them in order to lure more followers into its embrace (and their tithes into its coffers).

This really isn't a fresh or interesting topic anymore. Only the most rabid of dogma whores can't accept that Christianity bears more in common with the Borg than with reality.

Jason

 

[fjord]

Beyond the urbane OP posit.
I would not say that Jesus Christ is myth. More legend. I realize the definitions are similar, both myth and legend have the quality of being unverifiable--but Legend is probably based on some real events (real persons)--no matter how intertwined the stories have come down through time.

Myth is akin to that for which there is no evidence at all--such as God.

 

[jackschmittusa]

UbiSunt

n fact, most of the early Christian Church?s members were women because of their relatively positive POV concerning the female gender.

I would emphasize "early". The NT was put together in the 320s CE. It took a committee of what today might be called biships years to come to agreement on a common agenda and finally select a few of their documents that would become the "official" book of Christianity.

 

[UbiSunt]

The Council of Nicea 325 AD, the Alexandrian canon was approved under the supervision of Athanasius of Alexandria.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
Anyone who's bothered to study the issue understands that most "Christian" holidays were around long before Christ and that Christianity itself merely adopted them in order to lure more followers into its embrace (and their tithes into its coffers).

This really isn't a fresh or interesting topic anymore. Only the most rabid of dogma whores can't accept that Christianity bears more in common with the Borg than with reality.

Jason

you can say that about most religions though. look at islam and the head scarf. taking away individuality for social cohesion..atleast thats the excuse. pretty damn borglike.