Mystery Religions = Jesus Christ?

This article was first written for the CCK Reason Blog here: http://www.cck.org.uk/reason/isn’t-story-jesus-creation-based-mythology-came-christian-era

Introduction

In the last few centuries, there has been an attempt to relate the life, work and message of Christ to earlier mythology. Some of the arguments have led some to the conclusion that Jesus didn’t exist, but was mythological like the gods that came before him.

Evidence Jesus Christ Rose from the Dead: William Lane Craig

Jesus and the Mithras Myth: Lee Strobel

Refuting the False Claim that the Jesus Story is Based on Dionysus

What’s Wrong With The Zeitgeist Movie?

The Zeitgeist movie has been circulating on the internet since 2007. In the video its director, Peter Joseph, seeks to persuade viewers that the authors of the New Testament essentially plagiarized the concept of the virgin birth, December 25 as Christ’s birth date, the twelve disciples, the miracles, the crucifixion, and the resurrection from astrological sources and pagan mythology.

The focus of this article is to address the allegation that Jesus is a mythological amalgamation of pagan deities invented by various ancient cultures. I will deal primarily with Horus, as he is the first major mythological figure presented as a forerunner of Jesus. I will subsequently deal with the other allegations in brief.