The more popular claims of borrowing or influence between Christianity and the mysteries pertain to the birth/death/resurrection of Jesus Christ. What were the mystery religions? The mystery religions (contrary to George James’ book Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy) were really Hellenistic religions, called ‘mystery’ because they involved secret ceremonies that were thought to bring their initiates some special benefits. They were more or less based on the annual vegetation cycle of life (spring) and death (fall). Each religion originated from different areas. From Mesopotamia—Tammuz or Dumuzi (the Sumerian version); from Egypt—the cult of Isis and Osiris (later called Serapis); from Greece—the cults of Demeter and Dionysus which later developed into the Eleusinian and Orphic mystery religions; from Phrygia in Asia Minor—the cult of Cybele and Attis; from Syria/Palestine—the cult of Adonis and from Persia (modern Iran)—the cult of Mithra (twin brother of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda). Before responding… read more
Search Results: literature
The Bible is probably the only ancient text that any Mike, Mary or Marcia waxes warm about despite stark ignorance of the book’s actual texts and historical contexts (plural). The lay critic may be very educated but (s)he and even most Christians need to understand how to read an ancient text from a different linguistic and cultural milieu than ours. I illustrate the need with the issue of slavery in the Bible, an issue I had to deal with in a Barbados newspaper years ago in response to a learned critic there. Said critic charged that “Slavery is justified in both principle and practice throughout the Old and New Testament.†Most of us learned in English literature class the basic point that a text must be read in light of its context. What contextual cues do we need to bear in mind to read the Bible responsibly? Well for starters we need to… read more
The Bible is not primarily a book of science, but it does contain numerous scientific facts. We laugh at some of the scientific data that was available  just a few hundred years ago. If man alone were the author of the Bible, we would expect to find many such errors contained in it. However, if we examine the scientific data of the Bible and find it to be accurate to present-day scientific laws, then we have powerful evidence for divine inspiration given by God to the authors. The scientific data found in the Bible are not only accurate, but were revealed thousands of years before man discovered them for himself. The Bible does not contain any errors typical of the time in which it was written. Would we expect anything less from a book inspired by God? The scriptures are replete with statements suggesting scientific knowledge which predates the corresponding… read more
Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed – To be divinely inspired, a book must be historically accurate. Â For if its credibility cannot be established on the basis of known events, it certainly cannot be relied upon as an adequate guide in matters beyond our ability to check. Â On the other hand, if we can demonstrate that such a book is correct in historical matters, to an extent unknown among human writings, then we have strong evidence that the authors were inspired by God. Â In this lesson we shall learn that this is true of the Bible. The Bible is it’s own best defense – John McArthur Down through the centuries, enemies of the Bible have attacked its historical accuracy. Â Time after time, the Scriptures have been thus questioned, only later to be shown correct by archaeology. Â Archaeology is a study of relics, monuments, tombs,… read more
One of the hardest thing for designers is to find that single image that fits our design idea. Sometimes we spend more time looking for photos than we spend on the actual design, but when we find that one gem of an image it makes a world of difference. That’s why I put this list of the best websites to find stock photos together. The list contains websites that range from free stock photos to free graphic resources. I also included some paid subscription sites, like ShutterStock and Dreamstime and some websites I often use to get free textures and graphic resources. Enjoy! [sociallocker] Free Stock Photos EveryStockPhoto Search engine for free stock photos and clip art for the stock photography community including images of creative commons and public domain and other free licenses. Flickr Creative Commons All the content on this page is protected by a Attribution License…. read more
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