Correcting “Zeitgeist”- Part I

“They must find it difficult… Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather then the truth as the authority.”- Gerald Massey. 

 

By now many of you are familiar with the three part controversial movie Zeitgeist, and if not then you can easily watch it for free on the maker’s website, or on youtube(or just type Zeitgeist movie on google).  I remember watching it back in June of last year when a friend of mine showed me the website, and immediately fall in love with it.  A couple of months later I  bought the DVD, and since then I have constantly recommended the movie to other people.

The interest in the movie has been intense, and many youtube vlog responses have gone from praise,and shock to the dissection of every point made.  I remember seeing a video about a Christian girl who was practically crying on her vlog begging people to present evidence against the first part ” The Greatest Story Ever Told”.   Unfortunately for her there is not much hope, however the same can be said for those who dedicate themselves completely to the “facts” presented by the movie.  Whatever your opinion may be I can tell you one thing – on many points the movie is dead wrong.

However this doesn’t mean that the movie doesn’t present strong evidence against Christianity.  The problem with the movie is that it focuses on weak arguments, and half truths when there is much more evidence that could make for better arguments, and would give detractors a much more difficult time proving their case. Another is that although the information presented in the first part has helped to bring the pagan – christian connection to a wider audience, the issues presented are at times dead wrong.  The article will not focus on parts two, and three since they are based on conspiracy theory, and not on hard fact (although the 9/11 inside job theory is the only conspiracy that I actually take seriously).  Let’s begin with the suppose virgin births.

According to the film the god Horus was born of the virgin Isis – Meri on December 25th accompanied by the star Sirius.  He was visited by three wise men, was considered a child prodigy by 12, and performed miracles by age 30 such as walking on water, and healing the sick.  He was betrayed by Typhon, and crucified.  He then rose on the third day.  Most of the sources that the movie cites is from the works of Archaya S, and Gerald Messay. Some of the other works cited are all from the late 19th, and early 20th century ;sources which are already way to outdated for modern scholarship.  

Many would argue that Gerald Messay due to being a self taught Egyptologist would not count as a credible source.  Archaya S cites in her works many of Messay’s ideas.  Whatever your opinion may be on these authors one fact is clear – non of these attributes are found in any version of  Horus’s legend. Perhaps its just a difference in interpretation but lets look at a brief “accepted” version of the story which can be found in any book or website. I will be expanding on Horus in future articles.  For the time being I will be using information from  Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology and World Myths of Storytelling by C. Scott Littleton.

Horus was born from Isis after she had revived her murdered husband Osiris.  He impregnated her with a golden penis which she had created upon reviving him.  After Osiris impregnated Isis, and returned to the underworld Isis sought refuge in Khemmis, and gave birth to Horus.  He was raised by his mother, and the cow goddess Hathor.  When he grew up Isis brought him before a council of gods to reclaim Osiris’s throne for Horus.  Seth(who took the throne by murdering Osiris) refused, and after much deliberation Seth challenged Horus to a battle which would last for many years.  Eventually Horus would lose an eye, and Seth a testicle, and after a final intervention by Osiris (see Osiris article) the gods finally gave the throne to Horus.  This is why the Pharaohs were considered the descendants of Horus.

As we can see Horus was not of a virgin birth.  He did not perform miracles, was not betrayed by Typhon( who was a Greek titan that the Greeks compared to Seth), did not die, and was not reborn.  However these attributes are more in line with Osiris.  The film could have done better exploring Osiris more with the primary sources actually available on his life.  Osiris(Jesus) was sent to Earth by Geb(God) to rule over humanity.  He became a teacher, and Pharaoh on Earth, and was loved, and followed by many people.  He was betrayed by Seth(Judas), and (depending on how you read the story) he desecrated Osiris’s body near the base of a tree, and by cutting it into pieces.  Some sources say he was hung from a tree just like how some accounts in the Bible say Jesus was hung from a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29).  He then resurrected after a period of mourning, and ascended. 

Attis of Phrygia was in fact born of a virgin after his mother Nana placed an almond on her bosom.  The almond was from a tree which grew out of the male organs of Agdistis who was a hermaphrodite.  He was not crucified, he did not resurrect after three days, and no records show he was born on the 25th of December.  He was driven mad to the point where he castrated himself, and he was reborn into an evergreen pine tree.

The information used on Krishna is completely wrong, but there are many similarities between him, and Christ.  He was not born of a virgin, no star signaled his coming, and he was not crucified.  However Krishna(Jesus) was considered the incarnation or avatar of Vishnu(God), and of a holy trinity. He was not born of a virgin but he was born in unusual conditions; Krishna was born in a cell while Christ was born in a manger.  Both fled from infanticide; Jesus fled from Herod’s massacre of children, and Krishna from King Kamsa.  Jesus’s coming was predicted in the old testament while Kamsa imprisoned Krishna’s family because of a prediction that said he would be killed by Devaki’s( krishna’s mother) eighth son.  Despite the fact Devaki was not a virgin( she previously had seven children) Krishna was born without sexual union.  Although he was not crucified, some accounts say that upon his death from an arrow, he was hung from a tree(remember the previous bible scriptures?).  For more on this connection please visit:

http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa122200a.htm

The movie later focuses on Astrological correspondences related to these births, and on Mithra which is more complex then the movie makes it out to be.  These will be discussed in another article in the future. 

Although the movie helps to present the pagan – Christian connection to a wider audience it’s use of deceptive scholarship not only opens the movie to criticism, and a wave of debunkers, but should someone do careful research they will find that it disproves the quite easily movie. Why some choose not to do their own research  is beyond.  The fact of the matter is that in almost all world religions there is a great teacher or god who sacrificed himself by being hung near a tree or in any other similar manner, and  taught or civilized humanity.  

The movie should be viewed not as tool to bash Christianity but as a way to show that there isn’t only one way to truth.  I believe that those who have been shocked, or offended by the movie should remember this.

 

 

~ by marquisinverted on June 29, 2008.