Jesus the Demigod (A Pagan View)

[Heathen Dawn]

Source URL (on my website): http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/jesusdg.htm

Jesus the Demigod

My position on Jesus is the Historical Jesus, not the Jesus Myth position: I believe he really existed, born a Jew in Roman Judæa, opposed the rabbis of his day and was crucified by the Romans under charges of treason. But as for his beginning and end, namely the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, I am agnostic about them—I do not know if they are real or mythical. They may have been copied from contemporary pagan mythology, or they may have happened. If they really did happen, I have a good explanation for them under the pagan framework: that Jesus was a demigod.

Demigods are called in Greek apotheothenai (αποθεωθηναι, those who have been deified). They are mortals who have been granted corporeal immortality by the Gods. That is, instead of going down to Hades, or abiding in the spiritual realms as I believe all conscious mortal creatures do, they have stayed alive in the flesh. More can be read about them at http://www.theoi.com/Kronos/Apotheothenai.html; they were mortal men and women, often offspring of Gods, who were granted fleshly immortality, such as Herakles, the most well-known of them, and Asklepios, the God of medicine, and Helen of Troy and the Spartan princess Philonoe.

I believe Yahweh exists, and that He is the tribal deity of the Hebrews. If Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by the Holy Ghost, then Yahweh was his father. Yahweh must also have granted Jesus corporeal immortality, raising him from the dead after three days in the tomb. Jesus would thus be alive today in the flesh, sitting at the right hand of Yahweh, just as Herakles is alive today in the flesh, sitting beside the Greek Gods on Olympus. His tomb, if he was indeed buried in one, would be empty, just as Herakles’ remains cannot be found buried anywhere today.

There are many options to the Jesus story: that he was not buried at all, that his tomb is unknown, that he rose from the dead as an astral body, as it happens in materialisation mediumship, and lastly, that he rose from the dead with flesh and bones. That last point has been the lynchpin of Christianity, as proof that Jesus is Lord; but to a pagan it is a testimony to the power of the Gods, including Yahweh, to bestow men with whatever grace They wish. Those who piously worship the Gods receive Their favours. The Gods are not human creations, but predate all humans; between Them and us a great gulf is fixed. Let each person, then, worship his Gods in highest piety.

[angemoon]

Interesting view. I am sure it is possible that Christianity may have taken on certain elements from other religions of the time. I think it can be useful to find some of the roots to a faith which can be insightful.

[Bib Lit Major]

Yes that is interesting. I have a few points though.


Source URL (on my website): http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/jesusdg.htm

Jesus the Demigod

My position on Jesus is the Historical Jesus, not the Jesus Myth position: I believe he really existed, born a Jew in Roman Judæa, opposed the rabbis of his day and was crucified by the Romans under charges of treason. But as for his beginning and end, namely the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, I am agnostic about them—I do not know if they are real or mythical. They may have been copied from contemporary pagan mythology, or they may have happened. If they really did happen, I have a good explanation for them under the pagan framework: that Jesus was a demigod.

The problem with this is the virgin birth has no real parallels, because according to the pagan mythology of the time, the virgins who gave birth ceased to be virgins after the time of impregnation. Often these gods would disguise themselves and then have sexual relations with these women. Even in some cases where the god morphed into a piece of fruit, the obvious fact is that there was sexual activity involved. There is no real hint that the same is the case in the two accounts we have of the virgin birth. The Holy Spirit "coming upon" Mary is paralleled by the experiences of the Hebrew prophets, in which cases there was no sexual connotations, nor is the word used in Luke the typical Greek terminology for sexual acts. Thus, one gets the feeling that this virgin birth is unique. I also think the resurrection is unique, though I know many see vague parallels with other gods.

I realize this isn't your point but I just wanted to state that.


I believe Yahweh exists, and that He is the tribal deity of the Hebrews. If Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by the Holy Ghost, then Yahweh was his father. Yahweh must also have granted Jesus corporeal immortality, raising him from the dead after three days in the tomb. Jesus would thus be alive today in the flesh, sitting at the right hand of Yahweh, just as Herakles is alive today in the flesh, sitting beside the Greek Gods on Olympus. His tomb, if he was indeed buried in one, would be empty, just as Herakles’ remains cannot be found buried anywhere today.

But this seems to be equating a Hellenistic model with a Jewish one. If you are choosing to believe the Hellenistic model, you should realize most Jews or Christians don't hold to the possibility, at least in terms of a person becoming part of the apotheothenai.


There are many options to the Jesus story: that he was not buried at all, that his tomb is unknown, that he rose from the dead as an astral body, as it happens in materialisation mediumship, and lastly, that he rose from the dead with flesh and bones. That last point has been the lynchpin of Christianity, as proof that Jesus is Lord; but to a pagan it is a testimony to the power of the Gods, including Yahweh, to bestow men with whatever grace They wish. Those who piously worship the Gods receive Their favours. The Gods are not human creations, but predate all humans; between Them and us a great gulf is fixed. Let each person, then, worship his Gods in highest piety.

The Pharisees and much of later Judaism viewed resurrection in terms of bodily resurrection. Hellenistic pagans, at least those under Platonic influence, tended to view a bodily resurrection as "gross." For them the material world of which flesh and bones are a part is imperfect and some of them even see the material world as evil.

Just some points I wanted to make. I think it's interesting though and I appreciate you taking the time to write it up. BTW the link to the page about the apotheothenai doesn't seem to work for me.

Kevin

[Rev. HadouKen24]

Interesting. I wonder if the parallels between Jesus and pagan demigods helped spread Christianity. The story of Jesus turning water to wine seems similar to stories about Bacchus -- if I'm not mistaken, he was first a demigod, as well. He raised the dead, something even Asclepius was banned from doing. And he went down to Hades and returned, like Herakles.

[romepunk]

I think the descent into Hades has more in common with Orpheus than Herakles, since his primary reason in doing was it to save the righteous dead, who are properly members of His Church, and thus collectively his Bride.

I'm of the opinion that mythic parallels did hasten the spread of Christianity.


The Gods are not human creations, but predate all humans
I take it you don't dig chaos magick. A question about polytheism. And I'm sure there are as many answers as polytheists. Do the Gods have a real intrinsic reality apart from us? And do they have a real individual existence in and of themselves. That is to say, are the many gods and goddesses extensions/reflections of a larger divine reality, kind of like the Brahmin in Hinduism? Are are they real, ontologically independent beings? Or, in the post-modern occult view of things, are they these pockets of psychic energy in the collective subconsious, created and augmented by humanity through archetypal projection?

[Heathen Dawn]

The problem with this is the virgin birth has no real parallels, because according to the pagan mythology of the time, the virgins who gave birth ceased to be virgins after the time of impregnation. Often these gods would disguise themselves and then have sexual relations with these women. Even in some cases where the god morphed into a piece of fruit, the obvious fact is that there was sexual activity involved. There is no real hint that the same is the case in the two accounts we have of the virgin birth. The Holy Spirit "coming upon" Mary is paralleled by the experiences of the Hebrew prophets, in which cases there was no sexual connotations, nor is the word used in Luke the typical Greek terminology for sexual acts.

I think the avoidance of sexual terminology in the NT was for the express purpose of divesting the Virgin Birth from charges of paganism. A sexual union between Yahweh and Mary would have been unacceptable to the Jews of the time.


But this seems to be equating a Hellenistic model with a Jewish one. If you are choosing to believe the Hellenistic model, you should realize most Jews or Christians don't hold to the possibility, at least in terms of a person becoming part of the apotheothenai.

Of course, this article is written from a pagan viewpoint. Neither do I view Yahweh as the Creator of the Universe, but just, as pagans do, as the tribal deity of the Hebrews.


The Pharisees and much of later Judaism viewed resurrection in terms of bodily resurrection. Hellenistic pagans, at least those under Platonic influence, tended to view a bodily resurrection as "gross." For them the material world of which flesh and bones are a part is imperfect and some of them even see the material world as evil.

A spiritual resurrection, as in materialisation mediumship, would be perfectly possible. But I was devising an explanation for the empty tomb.

[Heathen Dawn]

A question about polytheism. And I'm sure there are as many answers as polytheists.

Yes, there are. Check out my Varieties of Pagan Theology (http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/varpagth.htm) for an overview. I adhere to #2 there.


Do the Gods have a real intrinsic reality apart from us? And do they have a real individual existence in and of themselves. That is to say, are the many gods and goddesses extensions/reflections of a larger divine reality, kind of like the Brahmin in Hinduism? Are are they real, ontologically independent beings? Or, in the post-modern occult view of things, are they these pockets of psychic energy in the collective subconsious, created and augmented by humanity through archetypal projection?

I reject the archetypal view; I believe the Gods and Goddesses are absolutely real, literally existent. They are also components of an overarching Divinity, a Creator-God who is both personal and impersonal, but that does not subtract from their reality, just as radio stations on a radio wavelength continuum are all real and distinct. My theology in full here (http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/hdtheo.htm); it’s heavily influenced by Hinduism.

[kofh2u]

Yes, there are. Check out my Varieties of Pagan Theology (http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/varpagth.htm) for an overview. I adhere to #2 there.



I reject the archetypal view; I believe the Gods and Goddesses are absolutely real, literally existent. They are also components of an overarching Divinity, a Creator-God who is both personal and impersonal, but that does not subtract from their reality, just as radio stations on a radio wavelength continuum are all real and distinct. My theology in full here (http://www.geocities.com/eclecticsatyr/hdtheo.htm); it’s heavily influenced by Hinduism.

Hmmmm....
You reject the archetypal view.

Do you accept the anthromorphic view,... that we follow in the ways of Gods, performing God-like behaviors?

Such as, actually practicing medicine, or hanging in the disco as prostitutes (to Istar), for instance? Is pagan myth all too true, in that it merely exaggerates common and observable human behaviors? Bycalls those behaviors, of say, drunkness, Bacchus for instance?

My point is that we die, but drunkness lives on in the next generation and in all generations, immortal. Isn't that both "spiritual AND God-like, death foreign to these entities which live in our societies in all generations?


Are these the seven evil "godlike" entities referred to by Jesus in the Book of Matthew. Are we today familiar with them, roses by other names, that is all that is different?:

Satan = Libido
Lucifer = Id
Baalzebub = Self
Mammon = Ego
False Prophet = Superego
False Shepherd = Harmony Principle
Devil = Anima/animus

And, of course,
The Holy Spirit = Conscience