In response to a recent query for a forumteer on our local newspaper's forum to provide proof that Christianity stole from Mithracism, a website was provided as definitive proof of the claim. The site was a link to Acharya S' article providing proof of the claim.
What follows is my response to the article.
"It is said that Mithra or [the] Sun took birth in the Cave on December 25th. It is also the belief of the Christian world that Mithra or the Sun-God was born of [a] Virgin. He travelled far and wide. He has twelve satellites, which are taken as the Sun's disciples.... Swami Prajnanananda"
Is the assertation that the swami above is some mithraic theologian? It is doubtful. The first sentence gives it away...."It is said" -- by whom? When? Where? This discourse would not past muster in any fifth grade class. Sorry, this convinces me of nothing -- truth be known, I am glad paper was not wasted in its production. There appears to be a problem in this forum. Some people are want to make allegations and accusations, then seem to struggle to produce any credible proof as to what they say. I don't know is it just me that tends to not believe everything people say that they cannot support?
Just for giggles, I refute the previous argument referenced by Dan Foster with my own link -- http://www.carm.org/evidence/mithra.htm I guess this is how the freethinkers argue, post to other people's research. I guess it does make it simpler. However, I think it promotes a laziness that shows how easily a mind can be convinced of anything. This technique would be the sand, not the solid Rock. Jesus said to not build on the sand....there was a reason.
I have read the link posted and I will share with you some of the contents: ===================
Claim: Jesus and Mithra were both born of a virgin
Article Statement: "Like the vast majority of the ancient gods, Mithra was never a "real person." In actuality he was originally represented by non-human forms, following the Persian abhorrence of "idols," as related by Herodotus, until being personified or anthropomorphized after his migration to Asia Minor."
Analysis: Hmm, article says never a real person...but, the claim is born of a virgin. Sorry, someone with less intelligence will need to explain how that can happen. In my experience, one would have to be a real person to have been born...help me out here.
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Claim: Both were born on December 25
Analysis: Well, he wasn't a real person, so again, when was he born? Or not born...sorry, getting lost again in how Mithra, who was not a "real person" was born...maybe it was an easter egg treasure.
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Claim: The sacrifice of Christ was taken from Mithra Article text: "Mithra's slaying of the Bull was an act that became as central to Mithraism as was the crucifixion to Christianity. The bull represented rebirth, fertility and fecundity, with his blood corresponding to the wine of the mysteries. The sacrifice of the bull was reenacted in the Mithraic baptism, a mystery rite in which the initiates were splattered with the blood. The initiate was then said to have been "born again."
and...
"The Mithra-Bull motif, in which the god seeks out, grabs the bull by the horns and then mounts it, resembles the Zen Buddhist story regarding the sage in search of his "bull," which represents himself. Indeed, in slaying the Heavenly Bull, Mithra is essentially sacrificing himself, in order to save the world: The bull appears to signify the earth or mankind, and the implication is that Mithra, like Christ, overcame the world; but in the early Persian writings Mithra himself is the bull, the god thus sacrificing himself, which is a close approximation to the Christian idea. That Mithra is himself the bull is further evident from Robert Graves's assertion that the "Persian Mithras was also eaten in bull form.""
Analysis: So Mithra killed the Bull as a sacrfice...but, Mithra was the bull, so he sacrificed himself? Ok....glad we got that clarified....
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Claim: Iconography of Christianity and adapation of Mithraic Icons From the Article: "Cumont also argued that the images of "heaven, earth, ocean, sun, moon, planets, the zodiacal signs, the winds, the seasons, and the like, found on Christian sarcophagi and in mosaics and miniatures areadaptations of Mithraic models.""
Analysis: Oh, without Mithras, or before Mithras, there was no sun, heaven, earth, moon, planets...etc? Sorry, these are common elements that have existed...well, since creation. To claim these as a "creation" of Mithras is really a stretch....
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Claim: Mithras predates Christianity
From the Article: "Mithra as the Mediator is unquestionably a concept that predated Christianity by centuries, and the deliberate reference to Christ as the Mediator at Hebrews 9:15 is an evident move to usurp Mithra's position."
Analysis: This is the most obvious collapse of the whole story to me. Jesus is the Messiah, not simply because he claimed it to be so...in fulfilling the personage of the Messiah, Jesus was fulfilling prophecies that date back centuries. Jesus, or the Messiah to be more specific, is not a 1st Century out of the dark creation. He is a fulfillment of the old testament scriptures that date back centuries. Sorry, only someone clueless to Christianity could make the assumption the author makes in her piece. Only an acolyte of hers would accept this as valid.
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It is clear from a cursury examination of the argument presented that it is at best a fairy-tale, and at worst a plea to the masses of the ignorant for more money.
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Along another vein, the author states in her work one source, a Sir Weigall. In her text she identifies him as: "Christian apologist Sir Weigall". Who is this Christian Apologist. There is an Egyptologist that was also a Sir Weigall, but, there is no assertation in the portions of his biography that I could find that would identify him as a christian or an apologist. This seems clearly an attempt to present a person under false pretenses to add credibility to the claims being made. Sorry, as they would say on Mythbusters == B U S T E D
Continued Analysis of Foster's Evidence Dan Foster in response to my request for a scholarly source for the claim that Christianity stole from Mithraic legend was limited to a single posting from Acharya S on her website http://www.truthbeknown.com/ , linked to the specific page of mithra.htm. An interesting side note to the scholarly credentials of the author. If one visits the into page to her site, http://www.truthbeknown.com,/ you are presented testimonials from what would have to be described as individuals she places in high esteem. Remember, this is her site, not the site of some other person, so she chose the content. One would have to suppose, although I guess it could be argued -- pointlessly, that these are the best testimonials that could be gathered. Three names were listed as the source of the testimonials. I thought it might be interesting to determine the bona fides that these people were bringing with their testimonial. My findings were interesting:
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"Acharya S is the ranking religious philosopher of our era." ~ John Kaminski
High Praise indeed. Wow, what a testament. Who is this John Kaminski that has heaped this high honor on the author? Well, I googled him (scientific research as determined by our departed friend Andrew). The result was interesting. Seems Mr. Kaminski is an accomplished writer.
Let us look at the brief listing of titles authored by our laureate:
"THE DAY AMERICA DIED" -- from this insightful article, we can learn -- Arab terrorists didn’t hijack the planes. -- The Twin Towers didn’t collapse, they exploded. -- Fake cellphone calls and bogus box cutters.
"The Perfect Enemy" -- reveals that the al-Qaeda terror network is a fictional creation of the bloodthirsty maniacs who have seized control of the United States of America and now threaten the health and well-being of everyone in the world.
"The Universe Is A Laughing Woman" --Our planet has become a toxic landfill because men's rituals obscure reality.
Wow, this guy should be required reading in all of our schools.....
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Then there is the second testimonal
"Acharya S deserves to be recognized as a leading researcher and an expert in the field of comparative mythology, on a par with James Frazer or Robert Graves--indeed, superior to those forerunners in the frankness of her conclusions and the volume of her evidence." ~~ Barbara Walker
Ms. Walker presents to us some of her most scholarly works -- "Knitting from the Top", or "Quest for Quimper" (Quimper is aparently a style of pottery). To be fair, she has also published "Feminist Fairy Tales" and has a deck of Tarot cards that can be ordered through Amazon.
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The third source was a little more problematic. The testimonial offered:
"Amidst global chaos, Acharya S is the voice of reason." ~~ Joan D'Arc
Catchy name...but, no, not that Joan. So who is this D'Arc? Googled it, no clear source at quick read. But, I did notice something when researching John Kaminski...who should have a testimonial on his site but Ms. D'Arc. Here is how she was quoted:
"In a voice almost too bold to contemplate, John Kaminski turns our attention toward the unspeakable: religious bigotry, vile stupidity in high places, and a bottomless pit of hatred in the world. Reading his essays will spin your head; you will be turned on a dime to his way of thinking." — Joan d'Arc, Paranoia magazine
Paranoia Magazine can be found at http://www.paranoiamagazine.com./ I will let the reader draw their own conclusions.
PS: If his work causes her to "turn on a dime" then there will surely be 9 cents change.
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So, you as the reader decide --- I asked for scholarly work, this is the evidence we have before us. No other view has been expressed. You decide.
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