During the course of my mythology class last semester, my professor presented us with the story of Dionysus Zagreus (pronounced "Dye-oh-NYE-suhs ZAG-re-uhs"). As the defintion of this god/term the text book read "A son of Zeus and Persophone that was swallowed by Zeus and reborn as the son of Zeus and Semele." By itself this probably won't make much sense. Allow me to explain.
In case you're not familar with Greek mythology Zeus had a habit of cheating on his wife, Hera who was terribly jealous. Hera would inflict horrible sufferings upon her husband's lovers (espeically if they were mortal) and their children. So when Zeus and Persophone had a son named Dionysus Hera sent terrible monsters on the child. The monsters shredding the boy, leaving nothing but his heart. Athena then brought the heart of Dionysus to Zeus, who swallowed it, and then went down to earth disgused as a mortal and slept with the princess Semele. The child that Semele gave birth to was Persophone's son Dionysus.
What is so extraordinary about this story is that it is not a well known tale. People may have heard of Dionysus as the god of wine - but in truth there is more to the story. The question my professor put to us was: why is this tale not more well known. We talked about it in the context of Christianity. Our answer was the perhaps Christianity, when it came to Greece, stopped this story from being told for fear that the rebirth of Dionysus would be confused with the rebirth of Jesus. My professor then wanted to know why the Greeks had such a story about rebirth.
One girl answered that she thought that the story was preparing the Greeks to receieve the story of Jesus. An interesting idea I thought. It would make sense - if you looked at Christianity as being the "one, true religion". But I don't think you can look at it like that.
If one does look at Christianity as the "one, true religion" what happens to the people who don't follow it? Even beyond that - what happened to all the people who were around before Christianity? I don't like to think of the God I worship and follow sending people to eternal punishment because a) the "one true religion" wasn't around during their life time or b) because they have another religion that teaches something different.
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I've never actually heard that particular retelling of the myth of Dionysus. It is my current understanding that he is the son of Zeus and a mortal. Hera came to Semele and told her to make Zeus show himself in his true glory, which Zeus did, killing Semele. Zeus saved the child, cut open his leg and sewed the child in until it was ready to be born.
The actual birth of Dionysus wasn't the rebirth, nor the mirror to Jesus. Hera arranged to have him killed, Rhea brought him back to life. That's the rebirth. There are also several other key points of interest between Dionysus and Jesus, but I don't want to have to remember them all.
-acertainsaint-
There are a few different stories for Dionysus. That's one of them.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
Fucking Greeks can't get their damn myths straight.
-acertainsaint-
You think that's odd, there's one guy, Theseus, who was born after Medea helped his father and mother conceive, but he was on the voyage of the Argo, that Medea came to greece on.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson
Christianity adopted much from the Greek and Roman beliefs to make the transition easier.
http://www.progressiveu.org/215051-hercules-and-jesus
Has everyone lost their fucking minds? http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/simmons
As far as the issue of what happened to all of the people before Christianity came to be, Christians are the Jews who believed that Jesus was the messiah. Jews today believe that they are still waiting for the messiah. I think that when people say Christianity is the 'one, true religion', they are refering to it in today's world. No competent Christian will deny that the Jews were God's chosen people before Jesus came to the earth....it says that explicitly all throughout the Bible. Christianity became the true religion, however, because the Jews refuse to accept the Savior that has been given to them as the Messiah, but consider him instead to be a mortal teacher. So I think in the Christian school of thought it is considered that Jews were God's chosen ones, and then those who accepted the Messiah he sent are the Christians, who are the ones who, in our current world, receive salvation.
The myth is very interesting though... love mythology.
Now am i just misinterpreting this or does it sound like God decided on his "chosen" people the jews and it was not until Jesus convinced him otherwise (i am probably wrong on this) was only going to let them into heaven. How is the all forgiving so... well i guess racist is the word im looking for
will someone please clarify this for me.
What is the deal with the Chosen People... I missed that when i was in youth group and reading small bible stories. Why did god choose the Jews over the Romans, or the Greeks, or any other one race?
Saint O Nothin' Says
Always go FORWARD, going straight will get you no where!
-Greenday "Jaded"
The Jews (if you want to call them a "race," they were Hebrew) believe[d] in God the Father.
They were His 'Chosen People' because they were persecuted by non-God believers (Romans and Greeks) for their beliefs.
Romans and Greeks couldn't be God's 'Chosen People' because they were pretty rebellious towards God the Father and worshiped other deities [until obvious things happened, like Constantine [who embraced Christianity in Rome] and the like]
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Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate now, don't put it off. [Ellen Degeneres]
OHHHH
see that makes since
and since at the time no one went out much they had no idea there was anybody fuckin else?
sorry topic makes me mad
religion is starting to just aggrivate me
i forgot to add sincerly thank you for clearing that up for me i had no idea what the deal with that was and you did clear it up a little
Saint O Nothin' Says
Always go FORWARD, going straight will get you no where!
-Greenday "Jaded"
hehe, no problem.
I know what you mean about being aggravated... I'm a Christian, but I hate religion. Heh.
Although in a historical context, like we were discussing, I am obsessed with it [and it doesn't aggravate me at all]... I think it's amazing that a single person can choose to Christianize an entire society, or that a single group of people can be persecuted by everyone and torn down to the point that they rebel and change history forever.
Gah. I'm such a geek.
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Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate now, don't put it off. [Ellen Degeneres]
To be honest i wanted to research all the different storys and angels in the bible (also the other side) just to read a good story i just haven't found the time or the resources
Saint O Nothin' Says
Always go FORWARD, going straight will get you no where!
-Greenday "Jaded"