Pagans Knew Better: Pagans VS christianity and jesus

December 28, 2012

Today, many christians are taught to believe that christianity somehow invented morality, laws and ethics. Many believe that christianity is the only or at least the best way to be moral. The truth is that these values came thousands of years before christianity by thousands of other people. The christian philosophy doesn’t have any unique or secret moral superiority. Recorded history, statistics and current events prove the complete opposite.

The following article is a great example of these facts. It is written by Kenneth Humphreys. It is one of his little side articles found in the left margin of his research papers. I feel that it deserves its own space. I made a title, reformatted it and restructured it.

The original can be found at: http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/seneca.html

Truth

The egocentric Jesus reduced “truth” to his own eclectic utterances; indeed, he claimed to personify Truth itself.

In stark contrast, the Stoics affirmed the scientific method we recognize today: observations scrutinized by reason, verified and confirmed by general acceptance – that is “truth”.

Pagans

“I follow the guidance of Nature - a doctrine upon which all Stoics are agreed. Not to stray from Nature and to mould ourselves according to her law and pattern - this is true wisdom. ” – Seneca, On the Happy Life, 3.

“There could be no justice, unless there were also injustice; no courage, unless there were cowardice; no truth, unless there were falsehood.” – Chrysippus of Soli (280-207 BC) (Arnold. Roman Stoicism)

“Just as the charlatans of the cults take advantage of the simpleton’s lack ofeducationto lead him around by the nose, so too with the Christian teachers: they do not want to give or receive reasons for what they believe. Their favourite expressions are "Do not ask questions, just believe!” and: “Your faith will save you!” “The wisdom of the world,” they say, “is evil; to be simple is to be good.” – Celsus, On the True Doctrine.

Jesus

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, I am the life, I am the truth: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14.6

“And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” – John 17:19

“Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” – John 18.37,38.

Brotherly Love

“Jesus” – often thought of as“meek and mild” – is gentle and loving only towards his adoring groupies and repentant sinners.

Towards critics and those who do not agree with him he spouts curses and invective.

In contrast to this fierce intolerance, the pagan philosophers showed far more dignity and restraint.

Pagans

“If you want to be loved, love.” - Seneca, Epistulae Morales9.

“Take care not to harm others, so others won’t harm you.” - Seneca, Epistulae Morale 103.

“No one can lead a happy life if he thinks only of himself and turns everything to his own purposes. You should live for the other person if you wish to live for yourself.” – Seneca, Epistulae Morales 48

“When those about you are venting their censure or malice upon you or raising any other sort of injurious clamour … it is still your duty to think kindly of them; for nature has made them to be your friends.” – Marcus Aurelius(161-180)‘Meditations’.

“We should not say ‘I am an Athenian’ or ‘I am a Roman’ but ‘I am a citizen of the Universe.” – Marcus Aurelius, 'Meditations’.

“ Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I pray you. Either you will be corrupted by the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be hated by them. So stay away.” – Seneca, Epistulae Morales 7

Jesus

“This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.” – John 15.12

“ All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 7.12.

“The Son of Man shall send forth his His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13.41,42

“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” – Matthew 10.35,36

Enemies

In dealing with enemies, “Jesus” vacillates between naive passivity and vindictive intransigence. The pagans had a clearer and more realistic grasp on reality.

Pagans

“Who is there among us who does not admire Lykourgos of Sparta, in his response to being blinded in one eye by a fellow-citizen. The people handed the young man over to him, to take whatever vengeance he wanted. He refrained from any retaliation in kind, but educated him and made a good man of him.”– Epictetus, Encheiridion 5.

“Someone gets angry with you. Challenge him with kindness in return. Enmity immediately tumbles away when one side lets it fall.” – Seneca, De Ira, 2

“It’s a pitiably small-minded person who gives bite for bite.” - Seneca, De Ira, 11

“ We shall never desist from working for the common good, helping one another, and even our enemies, till our helping hand is stricken with age.” - Seneca, De Otio

“It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity.” – Seneca the Elder

Jesus

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” – Matthew 5.44

“ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” – John 15.6

“Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! … You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?? – Matthew 23.29.33.

Wealth

“The poor are always with us”, an observation not missed by the ancient philosophers. They were fully aware at the morally corrupting influence of wealth.

Their ideal, not often realized, was an asceticism, indifferent to material possessions. “Jesus”had nothing original to add, apart from promising the poor “the kingdom of God.”

They’re still waiting.

Pagans

**“The greatest wealth is a poverty of desires.”– Seneca, Epistulae Morales 70.**

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” – Seneca, Epistulae Morales 64.

“Only the person who has despised wealth is worthy of God.” - Seneca, Epistulae Morales 58.

“We are told that Jesus judged the rich with the saying 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.’

Yet we know that Plato expressed this very idea in a purer form when he said,
'It is impossible for an exceptionally good man to be exceptionally rich.’

Is one utterance more inspired than the other?” – Celsus, On the True Doctrine.

Jesus

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.” – Matthew 6.19

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.”
– Matthew 19.24.

Slavery

“Jesus” endorses passive acceptance of slavery and an unquestioned authoritarianism. In contrast, Seneca anticipates the emancipation of slaves and the equality of men.

Pagan

“ ‘They are slaves,’ people declare. NO, rather they are men.

‘Slaves! NO, comrades.

‘Slaves! NO, they are unpretentious friends.

‘Slaves! NO, they are our fellow-slaves, if one reflects that Fortune has equal rights over slaves and free men alike. That is why I smile at those who think it degrading for a man to dine with his slave.

But why should they think it degrading? It is only purse-proud etiquette … All night long they must stand about hungry and dumb … They are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies … This is the kernel of my advice: Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your betters.

'He is a slave.’ His soul, however, may be that of a free man.“

– Seneca the Younger, Epistulae Morales, 47.

Jesus

"Which of you, having a slave plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him at the end of the day, when he comes in from the field, 'Go and sit down to eat?’ And would not rather say to him, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that, you may eat and drink’?

Would you thank that slave because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise, when you have done all those things which are commanded, you should say, 'We are unprofitable slaves: we have done only that which was our duty to do.’ ” – Luke 17.7,10.

Death

The notion that the simple device of “believing in Jesus” will suspend all the laws of the universe and gain for the believer “eternal life” may comfort the weak minded but the pagans were far more realistic. Socrates, Cato, Epictetus, Silius, Seneca and Plutarch were among many who faced a Noble Death with courage.

Pagans

“Untroubled by fears, unsullied by desires, we shall not be afraid of death nor of the Gods. We shall realise that death is in no way evil, and neither are the Gods."

- Seneca, Epistulae Morales 75

"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity."

– Seneca, Epistulae Morales 102

"What then is that which is able to conduct a man? Philosophy … keeping the divinity within a man free from violence and unharmed … and finally waiting for death with a cheerful mind as being nothing else than a dissolution of the elements, of which every living being is compounded."

– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations II.17

Jesus

"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” – John 6.40.

“There are some standing here which shall not taste death till the Son of Man comes into His kingdom.” – Matthew 16.28.

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” – Matthew 10.21.

“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 8.12.