Jesus
By: Jessica • Essay • 1,014 Words • June 2, 2010 • 1,377 Views
Jesus
Everything supposedly attributed to Jesus, and everything that Christians claim is special or unique about him had already been done many times before. He performed miracles, as many others before him claimed to have done. He was “born of a virgin”, just like so many others. Last, but not least, Jesus claimed to be the son of God.
It is believed that Jesus performed miracles, such as the infamous water into wine (John 2:9), and healing of the blind (Mark 8:21-23) But it has also been recorded that several other prominent figures in history have performed miracles themselves. In the case of Buddha, he performed what people would call ‘miracles’ on the day of his birth until his passing away to
nirvana. The psychic powers (so-called miraculous powers in other religions) of the Buddha were attained through his long and intense training in meditation. Among his many abilities were “the power to levitate, to multiply his body, to read the minds of others, and to pass through solid rock.” (www.parami.org) These abilities were performed during many
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episodes of his life and were considered common events by his disciples and those who encountered him. The Buddha often taught that such powers can be acquired through training in meditation. Often times, when the uneducated, the unsophisticated and the naпve see the performance of miracles, of faith and incredulity deepens. “The converts who are attracted to a religion, and Jesus Christ, through witnessing these powers embrace a faith, not because they realize the truth or gain in wisdom, but because they are either frightened or impressed by matters they do not understand.” (www.parami.org).
“Miracles are violations of natural laws. Natural laws are immutable. It is impossible for immutable laws to be violated. Therefore, miracles are impossible.” (Spinoza, Benedict) Benedict Spinoza was a jewish philosopher, who insisted that “a miracle, whether in contravention to, or beyond, nature, is a mere absurdity.” He said that nothing came to pass in nature in contrast to her universal law. Several others such as David Hume, and Alistair McKinnon agreed with Spinoza’s theories.
Another Christian belief is that jesus was “born of a virgin”, the
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mother of course being the Virgin Mary. The scientific impossibility of being born without the contributions of a human mother and a human father
aside for now, countless others have been, or claim to have been, born of a virgin. Horus of Egypt is said to have been born of virgin. In fact, he was born on December 25th, in a manger, with his birth being celebrated by a star in the east, and was attended by 3 wise men. In fact, throughout time, there have been several reports of so-called virgin births; Deganawida, a Huron
Indian who’s mother received a vision from the creator that she was to bear a son destined to plan the Tree of Peace at Onondaga, Montezuma, the Pueblo god-hero, and Anakin Skywalker, the “Chosen One”, just to name a few.
In the wider sense, arguments for and against the Virgin Birth depend on what one believes: if one believes God does not exist, or if God exists but does not perform miracles, the virgin birth cannot have taken place in any traditionally accepted sense. While parthenogenesis, a type of virgin birth where a female gives birth without the intervention of the male material, is known in nature, the resulting offspring must be female since the mother has no Y chromosome to pass on. Also, the process has never