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Thanks, Ray, Cwald & Heber. And thank you too, others who commented. I was just logging in to say sorry if I was a bit harsh on my previous post.
Sometimes I think everyone should be interested only in what I think is interesting.
😆 But, what a boring world that would be!
Heber, interesting insights.
I’ve also read that ideas of Aristotle (Greek philosopher) largely shaped Christian theology.
“There must be opposition in all things” and God is creator of everything… so that includes evil, right?
In Greek mythology, Hades (aka Satan) doesn’t seem to have the bad rep that Satan does – but more of someone who is just doing his part for everything to work… like the burden of weights that help develop muscles.
I like the idea of one God… that unifies purpose… but it has to be a god that never fails… which is only love, IMO.
Pure love that never fails because it’s goal is always what is best… & finds higher purpose in EVERYTHING, even in pain.
But I think to embrace that type of love, we need to understand the dynamics involved… which are many!
IE: Anger (Ares/God of war) has its place… but as Aristotle said,
“Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”
To get angry in this way is with a higher love or purpose, like when Jesus took the time to braid the whip (I think?) before whipping money-changers out of the temple.
Considering the many characters in the scriptures, & the emotions they represent reminds me of another question I’ve wondered about…
Does Spiritual development involve romantic (“Eros”) love (not just “Agape” or more platonic love)?
I’d think that the agape or more Christ-like love always prioritizes over all else, yet when I think about motivating passion… romantic love comes to mind.
Thoughts?
Just out of curiosity… has anybody done extra genealogy work on these lines? :ugeek: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_the_Greek_gods If you need ancestoral notes for each, to see the relation to you, this may be helpful:
🙂 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_mythological_figures I disagree with the postulation that the Bible is based upon Greek gods. The Bible people’s cultural backdrop was Greek Hellenism, Greek language, and greek culture. For example the word hypocrite Jesus may have picked up from the Greek Theatre close to his Nazareth home. The Romans spoke Greek, and many of the Hellenistic Jews throughout the Roman Empire spoke Greek as well. The word “Hades” meaning the underworld was used analogous to outer darkness by Jesus. Many concepts of Greek cosmology were used by John to convey that Jesus was the reason or rationale for existence. (See St. John Ch. 1) The word for this was the Greek word “Logos”. You have to look at the Bible as written for a Greek speaking world throughout Annatolia (Asia Minor). The Romans in John, the Beloved, aka John the Revelator’s day eventually will have a Caesar that claims to be divine. Since the Christians worship Christ instead of the state ruler (Caesar), they soon find themselves in a difficult spot. John uses Christ walking on the Water to symbolize that Jesus is Greater than the Roman/Greek God Neptune. There is a great article on this issue of attempting to syncretize/blend some Christian ideas to Greek theology in
Studia Antiquaa scholarly journal that deals with issues of the ancient world. I have read enough Bible translation books that discuss the Greek words of Scripture, and Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR) to realize that there is a lot to support the ideas that I have just presented. Much of the Scholarly community (non-LDS and LDS would tend to agree with these ideas). It is interesting to note that if the Jews would have succeed in preventing the Romans plundering of Jerusalem in 70 AD, then Jesus’ name would have been Yshua Messiah the Hebrew equivalent to JC. However, because the Greek-speaking Romans later in 326 AD made Christianity the Standard Religion of the Empire, you have the more Greek sounding name: Jesus Christ.
Additionally, The LDS Bible Dictionary lists many Greek anglicized words that were used in the New Testament. Here is just a few, and some others that I have learned along my scholastic journey.
Alpha and Omega – Beginning and End
Paraclete – for the Holy Spirit, which actually means “Advocate”
Parousia – Second Coming
Ecclesia – Church (iglesia in Spanish) Literally means “Assembly”
Hypocrite – Pretender (one who is a play actor)
Presbytr – Elder
Episkopos – Bishop
Hades – Obviously means Hell.
Christos – Anointed one, Messiah in Hebrew
Apocalypse – that which is hidden.
Apostasy – falling away.
Apostolos – One who is sent.
I’m not an expert in Greek, but these are the ones’ that I have learned. So, certainly Greek language and Culture influenced the Bible, but I don’t think it is based upon Greek Gods.
Quote:I disagree with the postulation that the Bible is based upon Greek gods. The Bible people’s cultural backdrop was Greek Hellenism, Greek language, and greek culture. For example the word hypocrite Jesus may have picked up from the Greek Theatre close to his Nazareth home. The Romans spoke Greek, and many of the Hellenistic Jews throughout the Roman Empire spoke Greek as well. The word “Hades” meaning the underworld was used analogous to outer darkness by Jesus.
I think Jamison is right here. Remember that while Jesus probably knew some Greek, I doubt he spoke it to his disciples, or gave his sermons in it. We have Aramaic quoted in the NT. The NT includes his words translated into Greek.
Acts 19:23-41 describes an interesting clash between Paul and Greek religion.
YHWH is pronounced very similar to how Jove (IOVE) would have been pronounced by the Romans, something like “Yohweh” in the original Latin), which is very similar. Jupiter, means “Zeus Father”, and Zeus and Jupiter/Jove are definitely related. Whether YHWH and IOVE are as well, is another matter.
Some other people detect the influence of Platonism, especially in John. Post-NT Christianity became even more Hellenized as early Mormon prophets rightly surmised.
The third column is an example of certain Greek words used in a non-religious context. These are all Biblical Greek –
Bible – Book, originally a scroll – “Grey’s Anatomy is a medical student’s Bible.”
Bishop -> Episcopos.
Gospel, an Anglo-Saxon rendering of Euangel/Evangel meaning Good News. “Gospel music”, “That’s the gospel truth”.
Disciple – One who learns, a pupil. “A disciple of Socrates”
Epistle – A letter, literally something sent away.
Genesis – Beginning. “The genesis of the charity was in their outreach project”.
Exodus – Leading out of. “There was an exodus from the city after the hurricane”.
Deuteronomy – Second book of the law.
Psalm – derives from verb meaning plucking of the harp.
Abyss – bottomless – “An ABYSMAL performance”, “staring into the abyss”.
Cataclysm – washing down – “A cataclysmic meteor strike”.
Proselyte – stranger – “a proselyte to the Atkin’s Diet”.
Parable – analogy (another Greek word!) – “A fable is a kind of parable.”
etc etc. English is full of Greek influences.
As I said earlier, “paganism” means “the state of not being a Christian” (or a Muslim or a Jew) in one’s worship, despite how New Agers, have tried to appropriate it for reconstructions of ancient faiths.
It’s kind of like decribing your religion as “Gentilism”.Why would anyone do that? It’s a modern fashion to define yourself by what you’re not. (With a few exceptions) Thanks for the comments, but I was really wondering about the genealogy work… (a joke – but a spiritually relevant one!)
Not so far off actually, some families’ “ancestry” includes Thor, Woden, half of Troy, and half the Old Testament!!! I hadn’t thought of it that way, Sam, thanks. Yeah – I guess it isn’t far off even in blood relation.
That novel I mentioned I’m working on, I’m trying to incoporate spirits & am getting ideas from Greek mythology.
It also makes me wonder about the differences between “spiritual energy” and “emotional energy.”
Maybe it’s just the difference between wind and air… Then again, maybe purely spiritual energy is a whole different energy.
Found on another website (which I can’t list, but if you’re determined you can find…) Elohim = Olympus(Elohim-Pus)
Greek : The Gods = Olympians
Hebrew : The Gods = Elohim
That’s one of the less dubious etymologies.
Curious… Anybody know of good books that incorporate Greek Gods? I want to learn about them, but in a fun way.
Thanks.
The Percy Jackson books for youth are good. When it appears that Christianity is based on X, Y, or Z, I believe the opposite is true. So much of Christianity is seen in other religions or traditions because Christ has been around from the beginning. I’ve been thinking about that a bit recently… note the slightly mutilated quote below. I certainly believe Gautama Buddha, Lao Tsu and Confucius had some divine inspiration, but I’m not convinced by Mohammed (I rate some Muslim mystics higher) or the founder of Hasidic Judaism (whose name I forget)
So yes, I think many peoples were taught true principles without knowing Judaeo-Christianity… but it’s still a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
Old-Timer wrote:The Percy Jackson books for youth are good.
:thumbup: Yeah, one of my kids loves them.Shawn wrote:When it appears that Christianity is based on X, Y, or Z, I believe the opposite is true. So much of Christianity is seen in other religions or traditions because Christ has been around from the beginning.
Christ… Tao… Spirit… Truth… same concept, different word.
🙂 SamBee wrote:So yes, I think many peoples were taught true principles without knowing Judaeo-Christianity… but it’s still a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
I agree, I think.
I define “wheat” as functional perspectives and “chaff” as “dysfunctional perspectives.”
Some applied truths may be well and good for one person in one situation, but harmful for another in another situation.
The amazing and challenging thing I’m learning is that to truly worship God & not any other gods, involves paradoxically not clinging to any one thing, but being open to what is “best” & loving in each evolving circumstance.
Another thing I’m in the process of humbly learning is that we are all partly foolish/”chaff.”
There is no separating all good from evil in people – because we are a mix of both.
I don’t think it’s a sin to sin, but the true evil is denying one’s inherent inclination to sin, & especially when the responsibility of it is pushed on others.
SamBee wrote:I’ve been thinking about that a bit recently… note the slightly mutilated quote below.
I certainly believe Gautama Buddha, Lao Tsu and Confucius had some divine inspiration, but I’m not convinced by Mohammed (I rate some Muslim mystics higher) or the founder of Hasidic Judaism (whose name I forget)
So yes, I think many peoples were taught true principles without knowing Judaeo-Christianity… but it’s still a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
Yep. And I would put Mormonism in that category…sorting wheat from the chaff.
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