Jesusism grew out of the more-or-less standard Mystery Cult philosophy which was prevalent in the Eastern Roman Empire in the first century.
http://www.earlychristianhistory.info/mystrel.html
That's because those bullshit artists have to insist that they are "special."
Richard Carrier does a much more thorough job of this discussion but this guy is a christard - albeit a particularly honest one - so I went with it.
http://www.earlychristianhistory.info/mystrel.html
Quote:Christianity, in its earliest days, shared a good deal in common with the many “mystery religions” which became popular in the Roman Empire. In fact, it’s hard not to place Christianity among the mystery religions (even though Christian apologists refuse to do this).
That's because those bullshit artists have to insist that they are "special."
Quote:The mystery religions all had different features; there was no uniformity among them. However, they had certain points in common. Among them are:There are more than this, but these suffice to make the point: The mystery religions had a good deal in common with each other, and with Christianity.
- Ritual meal on a regular basis
- Ritual bath, or baptism, as part of initiation
- A godman who died, or was assumed dead, but was restored
- A goddess in attendance (usually a mother but sometimes a consort)
- Miraculous or remarkable birth and death of the godman
- The godman ultimately ends up in heaven
- While living, the godman is ridiculed (by some, or by many)
Richard Carrier does a much more thorough job of this discussion but this guy is a christard - albeit a particularly honest one - so I went with it.