How Original Is Jesus?

[carrdero]

Many people have heard that there were many religions, beliefs and stories of the past that seem to mirror Jesus’ origins, existence, intentions and purpose. They speak of how remarkably coincidental these theories compare to early astrology and past historical figures right down to the virgin birth and birth date, the wise men, the healings, the miracles, the apostles, the manner of death and even the resurrection. Is this evidence of history repeating itself? Can it be offered as support for the belief in reincarnation? Is Jesus really original and one of a kind or has this character been picked apart from all the special qualities and remarkable characteristics of other deities and noteworthy figures? Is Jesus exclusively earmarked for our salvation or is he just another re-telling of an even more ancient faith?

Edited November 14, 2007 by carrdero

[White Knight]

The way that it is seen in the secular sense and religious sense is, that Jesus is the most remembered person in history "recorded" history, and with no proof of anything that says that Jesus wasn't original, truely, this must be the quite opposite, Hes one of a kind. Why is it no one like Budda or Mohammad aren't as rememberable? why do you base historical time of BC and AD on Christ's First Coming?

How come no one has been able to top Him? because they can't you can't top God, not if your a Human being, or a Angel, Its just not possible. No one in Recorded History has changed the way we look at things the way Jesus has, if He gained traits from some sort of other source, which we know for sure, by Faith and Reason, that He didn't imitate anything that wasn't Him to begin with, He came from the Source of all Originality, God the Father Almighty.


How original is Jesus? Who in History is more memorable than Him? who impacted more than Him throughout the ages, both in the BC and AD era, who I tell you, who? No body at all, they all fall short.


Before you accuse Jesus of not being Original, aleast have some evidence to present your case.

When looking at the major religious figures in the world, Jesus Christ Himself is the only one to live up to His case. Mohammad, Budda, and all the rest are all dead no body is impacts the world none of these major religious figures have, and not even other figures through out history live up to Jesus. You can do historical research on the religious figures, and you can see that Jesus tops them all. Jesus through his Apostles and His Church through the ages has changed the World it has converted empires, and defeated heresy through the ages. I promise ya, Jesus is very much original.

[Winchester]

The originality of Jesus is a poor support of His divinity that will be pecked and pecked by unrelated carp. You will find a hundred near parrallels in other religions. Near, I say, because they divert elsewhere.

Whether or not Buddha and Mohammed would be as memorable (and you've got several million people who disagree with you that they aren't--your ethnocentrism will be your undoing also with a Western measurement of time owing more to who was better at killing people than Jesus Himself) isn't a theological argument. Niether fully resembles Jesus. I'm out of time for now,

[dairygirl4u2c]

there's no question that Jesus repeats history. there's no question, rationally, that this is evidence he's fabricated. saying Muhommad etc isn't big just isn't true for one, and for two, the power and authenticity isn't measured by [i]Bill & Ted[/i] [mod]Vulgarity and sacrilege. - L_D[/mod], and for three, the fact he's unique in that he's big doesn't detract from him repeating history.

the best, albeit not rationally sufficient, argument, is that all that history that Jesus was repeating were simply precursors pointing to the central point and man God in history. they actually support his divinity, it's argued. this, rationally, appears to be a cop out. rationally it could be true, but you have to acknowledge the way it looks.
(i guess rationally jesus being bigger is evidence, but it's not that sound of an argument)

it's just a matter of faith. and, perhaps, the historical jesus we're told of, isn't the jesus that actuatlly existed.

Edited November 14, 2007 by dairygirl4u2c

[kenrockthefirst]

[quote name='carrdero' post='1419226' date='Nov 14 2007, 05:17 AM']Many people have heard that there were many religions, beliefs and stories of the past that seem to mirror Jesus’ origins, existence, intentions and purpose. They speak of how remarkably coincidental these theories compare to early astrology and past historical figures right down to the virgin birth and birth date, the wise men, the healings, the miracles, the apostles, the manner of death and even the resurrection. Is this evidence of history repeating itself? Can it be offered as support for the belief in reincarnation? Is Jesus really original and one of a kind or has this character been picked apart from all the special qualities and remarkable characteristics of other deities and noteworthy figures? Is Jesus exclusively earmarked for our salvation or is he just another re-telling of an even more ancient faith?[/quote]
If someone gave you a thoughtful answer, would you change your mind? Or is this just a back door way of questioning the Person and work of Jesus?

[Winchester]

It makes sense that people would use a virgin birth as a big deal. It's not supposed to happen to humans. Sort of a "duh" thing there. Jesus didn't invent imagination and reason.

Mohammed doesn't resemble Christ. He led an army that killed people.

Buddha speaks of the annihlation of self and there is the ascetic (skinny B) and hedonistic (fat B) path to enlightenment.

There are resemblances. All three are pretty freaking popular.

[Socrates]

The Christian claims about Jesus Christ are actually quite unique.
He is the only actual historical man, in actual recorded history, to have a serious claim to be the Only Begotten Son of the One True God, and to have redeemed all mankind.

The comparisons to various pagan deities are very weak, and the facts are often twisted by anti-Christians to make a strained effort to claim Christ is really another "version" of some pagan God or another (which is a strange claim, as the original Christians were Jewish, and strongly opposed to any form of pagan worship).

Mohammed made no claim to divinity; he is merely regarded as a prophet (albeit the greatest prophet). It is the very claim of Christ's divinity that Muslims reject in Christianity.
Likewise, Buddha was merely an "enlightened" human being, and was not considered divine, at least not in the Judaeo-Christian sense of this word.
Jesus, Mohammed, and the Buddha actually have little in common, other than the fact that they founded major world religions.

[Jaime]

Way more original than Patrickism

[carrdero]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='1422109' date='Nov 19 2007, 12:59 PM']Way more original than Patrickism[/quote]
Well both Jesus and I are Capricorns......or are we?

[johnnydigit]

the un-originality of Christianity is well known and documented. it is taught in college as an undergraduate class as Religion 100 (World Religions) or Philosophy 1xx. i wasn't exactly shocked when i read about virgin births, saviors, etc. when you learn about what they mean and why they are important, then you realize they are essential and it's no wonder God used them. it was interesting, but in no way compromises the validity of Christianity.

Christianity never claims anything to be original because originality is irrelevant. (other than Jesus being the one and only Son of God)

[dairygirl4u2c]

thank you for your position johnny. it proves one doesn't need to believe jesus is unique to be christian, as some would have you believe.
or that jesus was in fact unique, as you say you don't think he was. yet, you're still christian.

[jeffpugh]

Course Jesus himself is "unique". He's the Son of God! Some may claim his story to be "been there done that" but it's irrelevant. Jesus is real, and he is the relevance. We would not have science if Christ never came. He introduced absolutism into modern thought (but more importantly, salvation).

[dairygirl4u2c]

well, one need not beleive he's unique in that he has commonaliies with others.

hes unique in that sense you describe.

i thought that was pretty clear. i hope you're not playing with my intent that i thought was clear.

Edited November 20, 2007 by dairygirl4u2c

[Myles Domini]

One of the best accounts of the originality of Jesus was given by St Justin Martyr in his [url="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm"]First Apology[/url]. Well worth reading for anyone who is interested.

[prose]

Well, there once was a girl, born on the same day as me. Even the same time. We had similar lives, we got married, we had the same number of children, and we even had a similar house.

Does this make me any less unique?? Of course not.

Jesus was unique. Period.

[prose]

I think this is a great article about this:

[url="http://www.catholic.com/library/Is_Catholicism_Pagan.asp"]http://www.catholic.com/library/Is_Catholicism_Pagan.asp[/url]

Quote from article:

[quote]Historical truth prevails


Ultimately, all attempts to prove Catholicism "pagan" fail. Catholic doctrines are neither borrowed from the mystery religions nor introduced from pagans after the conversion of Constantine. To make a charge of paganism stick, one must be able to show more than a similarity between something in the Church and something in the non-Christian world. One must be able to demonstrate a legitimate connection between the two, showing clearly that one is a result of the other, and that there is something wrong with the non-Christian item.

In the final analysis, nobody has been able to prove these things regarding a doctrine of the Catholic faith, or even its officially authorized practices. The charge of paganism just doesn’t work.[/quote]

[Laudate_Dominum]

C. How original is Jesus?
M. Jesus is SO original..
A. [i]How original is He!?[/i]
M. Jesus is so original let me tell ya...

[Spamity Calamity]

I think it was Emerson that said that Jesus was unique because he actually practiced what he preached. He believed so much in what he said that he willingly died for us.

[Norseman82]

Is this thread due to that "Zeitgeist" movie that is making its way around the internet?

[ironmonk]

[quote name='carrdero' post='1419226' date='Nov 14 2007, 05:17 AM']Many people have heard that there were many religions, beliefs and stories of the past that seem to mirror Jesus’ origins, existence, intentions and purpose. They speak of how remarkably coincidental these theories compare to early astrology and past historical figures right down to the virgin birth and birth date, the wise men, the healings, the miracles, the apostles, the manner of death and even the resurrection. Is this evidence of history repeating itself? Can it be offered as support for the belief in reincarnation? Is Jesus really original and one of a kind or has this character been picked apart from all the special qualities and remarkable characteristics of other deities and noteworthy figures? Is Jesus exclusively earmarked for our salvation or is he just another re-telling of an even more ancient faith?[/quote]

Jesus was real... as real as George Washington, as real as Alexander the Great, as real as Gutenburg... etc...

To question Jesus of Nazareth's existance is a show of total ignorance in regards to history.

What the real question is that: "Is Jesus the Son of God, a liar, or crazy?".

There are hundreds of writings from the time of Jesus from people who did not believe him to be God, but a liar or crazy... those which tried to kill the movement.

Many things were written hundreds of years before Jesus, describing what the Messiah would be and would happen to him. This which were out of the control of Jesus that happened to him where written in the Old Testament books. These are just a few of the many proofs.

Jesus is not some trumpt up story about religons that have been dead for hundreds of years. To question his existance and use the "...other myths..." tells others that one has never really studied it and only is going by what others might have said while hanging out... scoffing at religion while never giving it real scrutiny is far from wise. People cannot know the truth unless they actually look and study.