Hey, this is just copyed and pasted from lots of Christian Facebook groups i joined and posted on, and seeing as hardly anyone replyed i thorght i'd post it here to see if i get any replies - i'd very very gratfull for any, thanks. Btw, sorry if any of these points have already been covered in past threads.
I've been doing some research on Christianity, and I was curious if many christians had heard of 'the Council of Nicaea' and what happened there? Also, I'm just interrested to know if many of you had heard that there are many sholars and theologians who think that the four gospels weren't written by eye witnesses, but my men decades after christ, who didn't ever met him. How do christians respond to this? I was just curious as to what Christains would have to say about such topics. Thank you very much for any replys. I'm hopefully going to be an R.E teacher, and i want to know everything I can about religious people's responces to criticism. -Simon
Opps, forgot to add - the criticism regarding the Council of Nicaea is that some scholars think that Emperor Constantine along with lots of bishops effectivly decided the divinity of Jesus at a meeting: they voted to see if Jesus was divine or not - they chose how Jesus would be portrayed and seen by christians for the next 1700 years, as well as the Christian doctrine, that would later determine what went in, and what was left out of the bible when it was cannonised.
Hey guys, i forgot to add another critism that I wanted to hear the Christian response to -
Some scholars argue that Paul's version of a divine Jesus was created to compete with the Pagan Roman religions, and the other groups of Christianity. Paul made Jesus appear to have the same pagan attributes that Romans venerated; Jesus became a sacrifice for sin like the Roman god Mithras. He became a 'son of God' like Horus, Dionysus and Hercules. Though in the early Christian manuscript, 'the Didache', Jesus is described as 'Servant of God'. This new branch of Christianity that Paul created also meant that the Romans didnt have to follow the old Jewish laws so rigidly; it meant that they could still eat pork and be un-circumcised. Paul's version of Christianity was so appealing to non-Jewish pagans that the early church of Jerusalem was eclipsed by the new church in Rome, and Paul's teachings eclipsed all others, and then became the basis of Christianity.
What would Christians say to this? Does this seem accurate? Thanks for any replys.
Some scholars argue that the storys of Jesus were written in a way as to (as i've already mentioned in the bit about Paul) make him, and therefore Christiantiy more appealing to Roman citizens around the Empire. Some argue that this is why Jesus shares amazing similarities with other Roman, Greek and Pagan Gods or Messiahs. For example,
- the Greek god Dionysus, who was worshipped from 200 B.C. His believers believed he was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele, who was a virgin. He was born on December 25th, and became a traveling teacher who performed miracles such as turning water into wine. He was crucified, and in turn resurrected.
- the Greek god Attis, who was worshipped from 1200 B.C. She was said to be born of a virgin, on December 25th was crucifed, put in a tomb and after three days had passed she resurrected.
- the Persian god Tammuz, also known as Adonis in Syria. He was worshipped as far back as 2,300 B.C. He was the vegetation God, who symbolized death and re-birth in nature. He said to be have born of a virgin on December 25th, died, and resurrected.
- the Persian god Mithras, who was worshipped from 1200 B.C. He believers believed he was born of a virgin on December 25th. He had twelve disciples, whom he went around with performing miracles. On his death he was buried for three days, and then resurrected. Mithras was also known as The Truth and The Light.
- other Gods include Horus, Krishna, Oedipus, Theseus, Perseus, Zesus, Apollo, Romulus and Hercules.
The early church leaders, and some even today say that the devil made up these other gods in order to make Jesus look made up, but I guess this idea is abit farfetched.
Some scholars argue that Jesus was portrayed by men such as Paul (who never met Jesus) to be like these Roman gods in order for Christianity to be welcomed by all.
How would a christian respond to these claims? Why is the written about Jesus so much like other gods at the time?
I've been doing some research on Christianity, and I was curious if many christians had heard of 'the Council of Nicaea' and what happened there? Also, I'm just interrested to know if many of you had heard that there are many sholars and theologians who think that the four gospels weren't written by eye witnesses, but my men decades after christ, who didn't ever met him. How do christians respond to this? I was just curious as to what Christains would have to say about such topics. Thank you very much for any replys. I'm hopefully going to be an R.E teacher, and i want to know everything I can about religious people's responces to criticism. -Simon
Opps, forgot to add - the criticism regarding the Council of Nicaea is that some scholars think that Emperor Constantine along with lots of bishops effectivly decided the divinity of Jesus at a meeting: they voted to see if Jesus was divine or not - they chose how Jesus would be portrayed and seen by christians for the next 1700 years, as well as the Christian doctrine, that would later determine what went in, and what was left out of the bible when it was cannonised.
Hey guys, i forgot to add another critism that I wanted to hear the Christian response to -
Some scholars argue that Paul's version of a divine Jesus was created to compete with the Pagan Roman religions, and the other groups of Christianity. Paul made Jesus appear to have the same pagan attributes that Romans venerated; Jesus became a sacrifice for sin like the Roman god Mithras. He became a 'son of God' like Horus, Dionysus and Hercules. Though in the early Christian manuscript, 'the Didache', Jesus is described as 'Servant of God'. This new branch of Christianity that Paul created also meant that the Romans didnt have to follow the old Jewish laws so rigidly; it meant that they could still eat pork and be un-circumcised. Paul's version of Christianity was so appealing to non-Jewish pagans that the early church of Jerusalem was eclipsed by the new church in Rome, and Paul's teachings eclipsed all others, and then became the basis of Christianity.
What would Christians say to this? Does this seem accurate? Thanks for any replys.
Some scholars argue that the storys of Jesus were written in a way as to (as i've already mentioned in the bit about Paul) make him, and therefore Christiantiy more appealing to Roman citizens around the Empire. Some argue that this is why Jesus shares amazing similarities with other Roman, Greek and Pagan Gods or Messiahs. For example,
- the Greek god Dionysus, who was worshipped from 200 B.C. His believers believed he was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele, who was a virgin. He was born on December 25th, and became a traveling teacher who performed miracles such as turning water into wine. He was crucified, and in turn resurrected.
- the Greek god Attis, who was worshipped from 1200 B.C. She was said to be born of a virgin, on December 25th was crucifed, put in a tomb and after three days had passed she resurrected.
- the Persian god Tammuz, also known as Adonis in Syria. He was worshipped as far back as 2,300 B.C. He was the vegetation God, who symbolized death and re-birth in nature. He said to be have born of a virgin on December 25th, died, and resurrected.
- the Persian god Mithras, who was worshipped from 1200 B.C. He believers believed he was born of a virgin on December 25th. He had twelve disciples, whom he went around with performing miracles. On his death he was buried for three days, and then resurrected. Mithras was also known as The Truth and The Light.
- other Gods include Horus, Krishna, Oedipus, Theseus, Perseus, Zesus, Apollo, Romulus and Hercules.
The early church leaders, and some even today say that the devil made up these other gods in order to make Jesus look made up, but I guess this idea is abit farfetched.
Some scholars argue that Jesus was portrayed by men such as Paul (who never met Jesus) to be like these Roman gods in order for Christianity to be welcomed by all.
How would a christian respond to these claims? Why is the written about Jesus so much like other gods at the time?
