Similar Doesn't Mean the Same

[Secret Alias]

As I am trying to ignore the misery of my repetitious existence I just wanted to address something with those who say that because Christianity 'resembled' other contemporary mystery religions it was 'the same' as contemporary religious experiences.

- my wife resembles other women I know, she is not 'the same' as other women I know
- I take my dog to the dog park, I see lots of similar dogs. My dog is nevertheless different from other dogs at the dog park
- if I chose a vacation right now, a trip to Kyiv right now would resemble a trip to Monte Carlo, many things would be the same but a trip to Monte Carlo but would be different.

I don't understand why there is this constant effort to say this aspect of Christianity was 'like' paganism therefore they are the same. I think this is to write off Christianity and lump it together with other 'dead' religions in order to kill it. It's not the way a serious study of anything should proceed. Reference the similarities but at the same time there was something qualitatively 'different' about Christianity.

[lclapshaw]

Like what?

[Secret Alias]

Like pretty much everything.

[Secret Alias]

How about being:

a. a text-based
b. mystery religion
c. based on another set of texts
d. written in a foreign language.
e. predicting the coming of a man
f. who was supposed to die
g. in order to save everyone
h. so the dead can come back in the flesh
i. after the final judgement of the world
j. and either live forever in peace or go to hell

Kind of a unique franchise.

[Jagd]

As I am trying to ignore the misery of my repetitious existence I just wanted to address something with those who say that because Christianity 'resembled' other contemporary mystery religions it was 'the same' as contemporary religious experiences.

- my wife resembles other women I know, she is not 'the same' as other women I know
- I take my dog to the dog park, I see lots of similar dogs. My dog is nevertheless different from other dogs at the dog park
- if I chose a vacation right now, a trip to Kyiv right now would resemble a trip to Monte Carlo, many things would be the same but a trip to Monte Carlo but would be different.

I don't understand why there is this constant effort to say this aspect of Christianity was 'like' paganism therefore they are the same. I think this is to write off Christianity and lump it together with other 'dead' religions in order to kill it. It's not the way a serious study of anything should proceed. Reference the similarities but at the same time there was something qualitatively 'different' about Christianity.

"The same" angle comes from either sensationalist drivel or people who have a bone to pick with Christianity. The whole premise proving that Christianity is a copy to disprove/disrespect is a very shallow endeavor. Syncretism and influence just naturally happened in the ancient world, ex: Judaism (during the Second Temple period) betrays massive influence from Zoroastrianism (and, as Gmirkin has pointed out, Hellenism)

But it is fun to find all the influences and precedents that lead to the origins of Christianity, like all the Hellenic ideas and mythemes. I was reading some stuff by a Lutheran theologian about the subject and he had no problem going into great detail about the deep influence of Hellenic philosophy on Christianity. He even mentioned the overt Zoroastrian precedents/influence. It didn't seem to shake his faith at all, even though he had a funny way to fit it all into Biblical lore.

[Jagd]

How about being:

a. a text-based
b. mystery religion
c. based on another set of texts
d. written in a foreign language.
e. predicting the coming of a man
f. who was supposed to die
g. in order to save everyone
h. so the dead can come back in the flesh
i. after the final judgement of the world
j. and either live forever in peace or go to hell

Kind of a unique franchise.

Highlighted the points that also fit Buddhism, mainly Mahayana. I'd say there's a comparable amount of focus on the afterlife, too.

[Jagd]

How about being:

a. a text-based
b. mystery religion
c. based on another set of texts
d. written in a foreign language.
e. predicting the coming of a man
f. who was supposed to die
g. in order to save everyone
h. so the dead can come back in the flesh
i. after the final judgement of the world
j. and either live forever in peace or go to hell

Kind of a unique franchise.

Here are the features shared with Zoroastrianism, too (h. might be shared as well - I think there's a bodily resurrection during the Zoroastrian end of days too). Avestan was something of a foreign/strictly liturgical language for the Persians, IIRC.

[MrMacSon]

How about being:

1. text-based
2. mystery religion
3. based on another set of texts
4. written in a foreign language.
5. predicting the coming of a man
6. who was supposed to die
7. in order to save everyone
8. so the dead can come back in the flesh
9. after the final judgement of the world
10. and either live forever in peace or go to hell

Kind of a unique franchise.

Yes, Christianity is unique. But it didn't just arise in or out of Judaism. There were Graeco-Roman influences.

And it's likely there was an element of 'Judaisation' during it genesis

We're still deciphering all the elements and how they came about

I'm with Jagd -

But it is fun to find all the influences and precedents that lead to the origins of Christianity, like all the Hellenic ideas and mythemes ...

[Jagd]

Yes, Christianity is unique. But it didn't just arise in or out of Judaism. There were Graeco-Roman influences.

And it's likely there was an element of 'Judaisation' during it genesis

The more I research the origins of Christianity, the clearer this era of Judaisation becomes. I try to keep it short for when I talk with other people about it: the foundations of Christianity are Hellenic, and it was later tied to Judaic scripture, becoming a religion in the shape of a new Judaism, while still maintaining a Hellenic core. We still see this Hellenic core in Eastern Orthodoxy, with their emphasis on theosis and theoria, both of which are Hellenic mystical ideas with no cognate in Judaism (apart from later Kabbalistic analogues).

[billd89]

"Same-same, but different."