The Story of
the Virgin Birth Comes From
Pagan/Mythical Religions
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A claim is made
by some that numerous religions, that were based on myth, included
a virgin birth story--and Christianity just copied the virgin birth
from these earlier myths. Most frequently mentioned are the births
of Dionysius, Perseus, Horus and Mithra.
The historical
record shows that this is not true. In fact, there are no virgin
births in myth-based religions. It does seem, however, that the
mythical gods frequently enjoyed the intimate company of mortal
women.
Dionysius:
His father was Zeus who seduced a mortal woman (something Zeus did
frequently) named Semele. Dionysius resulted from the physical relations
between Zeus and Semele.
We
need to clarify that (in Christianity) God the Father did not have
sex with Mary. Jesus' conception was miraculous, no male was involved.
It is interesting
to note that Zeus' wife, Hera, was not happy about what had happened
and she killed Semele. However, the god Hermes saved unborn Dionysius
and, while Zeus was sleeping, placed the immature infant inside
Zeuss inner thigh. Three months later Dionysius was born from
Zeus' leg.
Does this sound
like Christianity? Not at all.
Perseus:
His father was Zeus. This time Zeus took a fancy to a mortal woman
named Danae. He visited her in a shower of gold and declared his
love for her. We don't have all the intimate details, but within
a year Perseus was born.
A virgin birth?
No. Zeus was the father.
Horus:
Is the son of the gods Isis and Atum. Horus was born as a falcon.
His first act was to fligh higher than even the "old"
gods could reach and proclaim to the gods below that he would avenge
his father's death.
Horus did not
come from a virgin birth.
Mithra:
You could say that Mithra was born from a virgin, if a rock can
be a virgin. Mithra did not have either a father or a mother. He
was born from a rock, fully grown and wearing his Phrygian cap and
carrying a lighted torch in each hand.
When you look
at the complete historical record, it is clear that Christianity
did not copy the virgin birth from older mythical religions. I would
also like to note that there are no respected scholars who even
claim this as a possibility.
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