Why Middle East?

[Minimalist]

Have you ever read "On the True Doctrine" by Hoffman, M/M?

In essence what Hoffman did was to extract the words of Celsus from Origen's Contra Celsus. Celsus pre-dates Plotinus by about 50 years. It's an interesting little book...especially when you get all the xtian bullshit out of it.

[dtango]

Christianity especially is steeped in the philosophical thinking associated with the Greeks. I think you are right in terms of Zoroastrianism being the first monotheistic religion in the narrow sense (the common ancestor) but the philosophical underpinnings of Christianity and Islam are firmly Greek.

Where did the Greeks get the idealistic ideas from?
From the Egyptians, the tutors of the Greek idealist philosophers.
Who taught the Israelites to conclude their prayers with the name of the original One and Only god, Amen-Ra? The Egyptians!

Zoroaster, Plato, Moses and the authors of the Christian literature are all pupils of the Egyptian priesthood.
There are texts, there are records, Gentlemen, that prove the fact that the monotheistic god is a product of the ancient Egyptian theology.

[Tobie]

Christianity especially is steeped in the philosophical thinking associated with the Greeks. I think you are right in terms of Zoroastrianism being the first monotheistic religion in the narrow sense (the common ancestor) but the philosophical underpinnings of Christianity and Islam are firmly Greek.

Where did the Greeks get the idealistic ideas from?
From the Egyptians, the tutors of the Greek idealist philosophers.
Who taught the Israelites to conclude their prayers with the name of the original One and Only god, Amen-Ra? The Egyptians!

Zoroaster, Plato, Moses and the authors of the Christian literature are all pupils of the Egyptian priesthood.
There are texts, there are records, Gentlemen, that prove the fact that the monotheistic god is a product of the ancient Egyptian theology.

In theological terms, Greeks draw from Hittite and Phoenician mythology. They have very similar myths, such as the various creation stories.

The Ancient Egyptians were very insular, and hardly traded with other nations, let alone teach them their mythology.

[mediamogul]

Have you ever read "On the True Doctrine" by Hoffman, M/M?

In essence what Hoffman did was to extract the words of Celsus from Origen's Contra Celsus. Celsus pre-dates Plotinus by about 50 years. It's an interesting little book...especially when you get all the xtian bullshit out of it.

Sounds interesting. I am mildly familiar with Origen but not familiar with Celsus.Origen is very similar to Plotinus and the NeoPlatonists particularly in their assertion regarding the unity of god or the "One" as Plotinus would put it. They also state that god is bound by logic and Origen goes a bit further and states that god is also bound by his attributes of "goodness and justice". Both utilize and rely heavily on the idea of the Logos or the agency of god to reveal himself through logic.

On another note, Origen was the one who castrated himself right?

[dtango]

In theological terms, Greeks draw from Hittite and Phoenician mythology. They have very similar myths, such as the various creation stories.

The Ancient Egyptians were very insular, and hardly traded with other nations, let alone teach them their mythology.

The contribution of the Greeks was discussed in reference to the three monotheistic religions; a subject purely theological having nothing to do with the mythology of the Greeks –which the idealist Greek philosophers hated.

As regards mythology, every nation has its own mythology and what they did draw from one another is minimal. Besides, the basic motifs of mythology are identical worldwide. Did the Mayas draw from the Greeks? No, but they both drew from the same immemorial source.

The Egyptians taught the Greek philosophers (who went to study in Egypt and afterwards paved the road for Christianity which marched against the ancient Greek spirit), their theology.

[The Grand Nudger]

The mayan and greek common "immemorial source" would be just a tad bit further back than anything that would lend credibility to your hypothesis. The Amon-Ra bit is tired, and it's been handled so many times I have no idea why you cling to it (excepting that this is probably the spark that got you started down this path in the first place).

[Minimalist]

On another note, Origen was the one who castrated himself right?

Yep....fucking nut.

He was also declared a heretic after the unchanging church doctrine changed!

[mediamogul]

On another note, Origen was the one who castrated himself right?

Yep....fucking nut.

He was also declared a heretic after the unchanging church doctrine changed!

Haha. That's pretty high on the Nut-O-Meter.

Hmm that eternal, infite church doctrine based on universal principles does seem to change often doesn't it!

[Minimalist]

I sure wouldn't slice my balls off for fucking jesus.

[dtango]

The mayan and greek common "immemorial source" would be just a tad bit further back than anything that would lend credibility to your hypothesis. The Amon-Ra bit is tired, and it's been handled so many times I have no idea why you cling to it (excepting that this is probably the spark that got you started down this path in the first place).

You are the most attentive pupil I ever had.
I’ll post tomorrow Part Three on the motifs’ thread just for your sake.