DaGip wrote:
And if you could provide the passage in the Bible where Jesus says that he is a god, that would be swell. I missed that verse for some damn reason.
But to show you parallels in the teachings, thoughts, and stories of both Jesus and Buddha, here are but a few:
Buddha: "The faults of others are easier to see than one's own."
Jesus: ""Why do you see the splinter in someone else's eye and never notice the log in your own?"
Buddha: "If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words."
Jesus: "If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also."
Buddha: "During the six years that the Bodhisattva practiced austerities, the demon followed behind him step by step, seeking an opportunity to harm him. But he found no opportunity whatsoever and went away discouraged and discontent."
Jesus: "When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time."
Buddha answered the "devil": "Get you away from me."
Jesus responded: "...begone, Satan!"
Buddha received gold, frakincense, and myrrh at his birth.
Jesus received gold, frakincense, and myrrh at his birth.
Didn't you watch Zeitgeist yet? You really should take a gander at that movie when you have the time, maybe the truth will start to settle in a bit. Christians would probably get a better appreciation of their religion if they watched this movie.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &plindex=0
Not exactly word for word, but similar ideas between Buddhism and Christianity, certainly. I'm not going to say that Christ was the reincarnation of Buddha, but they had some similar ideas on some subjects. I would appreciate the references so I could look them up myself, however. Not that I don't trust you, but my hermeneutic demands context, not snippits. As for Christs claims to Deity.
Matthew 9 (or Mark 2, if your so inclined) Christ states to a man: "Your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees object, stating that only God can forgive sins. Jesus doesn't disagree, but his response in verses 5&6 indicates that he agrees with the facts behind their objection (only God can forgive sin) but is still claiming the ability to do so.
In Matthew 22, Christ refers to Himself as God, via Psalm 110: "The Lord said to my Lord" Which Christ identifies as himself. It's the same word for Lord, and it means GOD.
John 8, the last two verses, Jesus states: Before Abraham was, I am. The "I am" is present tense, not dative, so it is certainly not "I was." In addition to referring to the original name God had given Moses in Exodus 3:14, it indicates that Jesus believed himself to be eternally preexistent. The Pharisees response indicates that they felt it was a claim to Godhood as well: They wanted to stone him for blasphemy.
It’s also notable that Christ refers to Himself as THE Son of Man. Singular. Daniel uses that as a title for a person who originates in heaven, and has eternal rule over the world. Again, the Pharisees seem to recognize this as a claim to Godhood in Matthew 26:64-66.
Revelation 22:13 seems to indicate that Jesus made claims to deity.
As for zeitgeist, I'd probably prefer to read the books myself. I'm not much for movies which make broad generalizations. To be honest though, what I read on the website was less than impressive. I don't believe Christ was born on Dec. 25, it's more likely the spring, based on the Biblical data. That blows away a big chunk of the astrological stuff. Also, many of the things that Christianity "ripped off" are loose correlations at best. The Dionysus cult, I am a little familiar with, and the text played fast and loose with archaeological finds for that "parallel." Some of the others I have read about at one time or another, and never been impressed with the parallels. Some (precious few) of the details match up if you force them, but by and large, the primary claim in Christendom remains entirely unique.
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