Christ's Resuurection
Is Copied
From Mythical Stories
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Yes, many pagan
religions (based on myth) include a resurrection story. In fact,
the Bible -- including the Old Testament -- includes many resurrections.
But therer is a difference.
Most of the
resurrection stories in ancient mythology involve gods who died
at the end of the growing season and were then resurrected when
the new growing season started. In order to encourage the god to
return to start the new growing season, believers often prayed and
made sacrifices to the god. The pagan god Attis is often identified
We should note
the following:
<> No
one ever actually saw Attis or any pagan in person. No one saw them
before they died each year. No one saw them after they returned
each year.
<> Prayer
and sacrifices are needed to entice the god to return each year.
<> The
god did not have any purpose in dying. It usually happened as a
result of suicide (Attis killed himself, foe example), personal
conflict or war.
<> Nowhere
(except
in Christianity), in either mythology or in any other religions,
has there been a resurrection of a real person whom people lived
with and interacted with before their death, and with whom they
could touch, speak and interact with after the resurrection.
The life, death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus was a
real person with whom people of his time spoke with, ate with, touched
and interacted with. He had family, brothers, sisters, friends and
aquaintenances.
Jesus was crucified
in front of many witnesses. He was stabbed in the chest with a Roman
spear to ensure he was dead before he was taken down off the cross.
People handled his body, preparing him for burial. There was no
doubt he was dead. And he was buried in a tomb.
On the third
day Jesus was resurrected by God. No prayers were needed. No sacrifices
were made. The historical facts are that his followers thought he
was permanently dead. Their leader had been crucified and was gone.
Jesus was not the messiah. It was time to go home and try to pick
up the lives they had abandoned to follow Christ.
But Jesus surprised
them by entering a locked room where they were having a meeting.
Jesus really was bodily resurrected. He was not a spirit. They could
touch him. The could talk with him. In a subsequent meeting Thomas
even put his hand into the hole left by the Roman spear. And the
resurrected Jesus not only met with the disciples, he even spoke
with a crowd of over 500 people. Following Jesus' resurrection he
talked with people, ate with them and people could touch him. He
was real.
Jesus died for
a reason. He gave his life for us, to solve the problem of sin so
that we might be saved. No pagan god ever died to benefit all mankind.
(The mythical gods were all rather self-centered.) No founder of
any other religion has given his life to benefit all mankind.
The birth, life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is unique. No man-created
god (mythical gods), nor man created religion has ever conceived
of anyone like the Son of God -- Jesus Christ.
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