The Chuch of Allan - The Plain Truth About God

A serialization of the book, The Plain Truth About God.

Chapter 11. “THE JESUS TAPES”

From all the evidence we have about the spread of early Christianity it might be fair to say that without Paul, the fledgling movement might not have ever got off the ground.

Above everything else, Paul was a masterful compromiser.

He knew when to hold them, and he knew when to fold them.

He knew when issues mattered and when something should be let go in favor of expansion of the Church.

Although this gave his writings a sense of indecisiveness, contradiction and opportunism, Paul’s ultimate goal was the expansion of the central teachings of Jesus of Nazareth throughout the Roman world.

As long as Paul felt the “spirit of the teachings” was being adhered to, he was willing to compromise on other things, or even tolerate one situation while he wouldn’t another.

So much for the infallible and literate word of God!

** “Never let a sense of morals prevents you from doing what is right!” - Asimov

About the same time that Jesus and Paul where spreading the message of what was to become known as Christianity, there was a whole host of different religions and beliefs that had been traveling around not only the Middle East, but also most of the known world for hundreds and even thousands of years.

This proliferation of ideas and beliefs took many forms and names but they all seemed to fit a general mold that was repeated time after time!

Religions and religious sects are a lot like a family business. Most come and go within three generations! This has been true throughout most of history, but never more so than at the time of Jesus in the Middle and Far East.

There seems to have been numerous contenders for the throne.

We do not know with certainty how much of the lore from these competing religions was borrowed from, and incorporated into Christianity, but there is a remarkable similarity between them and I will leave it up to you to draw any conclusions from them.

Gnosticism;

Gnosticism (Greek for knowledge) was popular throughout most of the Greek world at the time of Christ. Although we do not know much about the origins of this sect, the first recorded Gnostic was Simon Magus who lived at the time shortly before the first Jewish uprising against the Romans about 30-40 years after the death of Jesus.

Gnosticism was based on an old Canaanite religion that goes back to at least the seventh or eighth century B.C.E.

One of the remarkable features about Gnosticism is that it was like almost every other belief system prevalent in the area at that time. The Gnostic religion centered on the figure of Sophia (or Wisdom), who was believed to have been disgraced, but raised up again by God.

The worship of Sophia easily found itself at home with Zoroastrianism and its battle between good and evil, Judaism with its concept of a supreme God, Mithraism, with its story of the descent and resurrection of the sun-god, and above all else with Christianity and its story of the descent and resurrection of Christ.

At one time there were Zoroastrian Gnostics, Jewish Gnostics, Mithra Gnostics and of course Christian Gnostics.

Christian Gnosticism was a major competing religion for early Christianity.
One of its most popular manifestations was the assertion that the Divine spirit of Christ dwelled in the body of the man Jesus.

In this respect, then, the spirit of Christ did not die on the cross with Jesus.

There is now a belief that Jesus himself was a Gnostic.

Some of the other competing beliefs at the time of Jesus:

MITHRA, Sun God of Persia.

Official recognition of sun worship in the Roman Empire began when they instituted the cult of “Sol Invictus.” (The cult of Sol Invictus and that of Mithra are virtually the same.)

The story of Mithra precedes the Christian Jesus by over a thousand years.
It first appeared as an Aryan sun god in Sanskrit and Persian literature, circa 1400.
Mithra was introduced into the Roman Empire in the 4th century BCE.

The cult was, shortly before the Christian era began, the most popular and widely spread “Pagan” religion of the times.

Mithra has the following in common with the Christ character:
**Mithra was born of a virgin in a stable on the winter solstice, frequently December 25 in the Julian calendar.
**Attended by shepherds who brought gifts.
**Shown with a nimbus, or halo, around his head.
**Believed not to have died, but to have ascended to heaven, whence it was believed he would return at the end of time to raise the dead for a final judgment.
**Granted his followers immortal life following baptism.
**He had 12 companions or disciples.
**He performed miracles.
**He was killed for his views.
**After three days, he rose again. His resurrection is celebrated every year.
**Mithra was called, “The Good Shepherd.”
**He was “the Way, the Light, the Redeemer, the Savior, and The Messiah.”
**His sacred day was Sunday, “The Lord’s Day,” hundreds of years before the appearance of Christ.
**Mithra had his principal festival on what was later to become Easter, the time he was resurrected.
**His religion had a Eucharist or “Lord’s Supper.”
**Followed a leader called a ‘papa’ (pope), who ruled from the Vatican hill in Rome; celebrated sacramenta (a consecrated meal of bread and wine).
**Had a Myazda -corresponding exactly to the Catholic Missa {mass}.
**Used chanting, bells, candles, incense, and holy water in remembrance of the last supper of Mithra.

HORUS of Egypt

The legends of Horus go back thousands of years, and he shares the following in common with Jesus:
**Horus was born of a virgin on December 25th in a cave/manger.
**His birth was announced by a star in the east and attended by three wise men.
**He was a child teacher in the Temple and was baptized when he was 30 years old.
**Horus was also baptized by “Anup the Baptizer,” who becomes “John the Baptist.” –
**He had 12 disciples. **He walked on water.
**He performed miracles and raised one man from the dead.
**Horus was transfigured on the Mount.
**He was crucified, buried in a tomb and resurrected. **He was “Way, the Truth, the Light, the Messiah, God’s Son, the Son of Man.”
**He was the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, and the Word, etc.
**He was “The Fisher,” and was associated with the Lamb, Lion and Fish. **Horus was called “The KRST,” or “Anointed One,” long before the Christians duplicated the story.
**In the catacombs at Rome are pictures of the baby Horus being held by the virgin mother Isis - the original “Madonna and Child.”

KRISHNA of India

The similarities between the Christian Jesus and the Indian messiah are many.
**It should be noted that a common earlier English spelling of Krishna was “Christna,” which reveals its relation to ‘”Christ.” –
**Krishna was born of a Virgin -His father was a carpenter. –
**His birth was attended by angels, wise men and shepherds, and he was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh. –
**He was persecuted by a tyrant who ordered the slaughter of thousands of infants.
**He was baptized in the River Ganges.
**He worked miracles and wonders.
**He raised the dead and healed lepers, the deaf and the blind.
**Krishna used parables to teach the people about charity and love.
**He was transfigured in front of his disciples.
**In some traditions he was crucified between two thieves.
**He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.
**Krishna is called the “Shepherd, God” and “Lord of lords,” was considered “the Redeemer,” and “The Word.”
**He is the second person of the Trinity, and proclaimed himself the “Resurrection” and the “Way to the Father.”
**His disciples called him “Jezeus,” meaning “pure essence.”
**Krishna is to return to do battle with the “Prince of Evil,” who will desolate the earth.

Tomorrow; The Council of Nicea – What Christianity is really about!

Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know!) and is available at the web site www.God-101.com

Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://God-101.blogspot.com