So, another question. If one takes a step back and looks at the times historically it seems that the Mediterranean region was not the only group going through this change in thinking at or around that time (Confucius/Buddha). So, do you/have you entertained the possibility that JC was the Mediterranean region's Confucius/Buddha with it's own region-tailored details?
Don't you have any easy questions? LOL!!!!
That's yet another great, great question.
It also ties in well with several other threads currently active here at EvC such as the one on John 3:16 and sideline's thread. IMHO it's one of the most important questions that could be asked and one that is a major divide within the Christian community, the divide between the exclusionists and the inclusionists.
Let's examine the two points of view.
The Exclusionist says that salvation is only through Jesus and if you're not a card carrying Christian you're damned.
What does that say about GOD?
First, it says that GOD hates humans. Yup, it says that he hates them root and stock. He creates humans and then damns 99.99999999999% of all of them. "No!", the Exclusionist says, "All they had to do was accept Jesus."
If you stop and look at that argument it makes GOD out to be either a liar or a fool. Until about 200 years ago the fastest way to get somewhere was a horse, the second fastest and most common, was to walk. So for 1800 of the 2000 years since Jesus birth, just about everyone alive got damned simply because they didn't have access to even hearing about Jesus.
Now this is supposedly the same GOD that created the Universe, that Intuitively understands the relationship between gravity and the other forces, the GOD that contains time but is not bound by it, and the only way he can get his message out is the same as used by the Grand Poobah of the Order of Platypus.
Give me a break!
If there is a GOD that created the Universe, that Intuitively understands the relationship between gravity and the other forces, the GOD that contains time but is not bound by it, he is not limited in how he can reach out to folk. Even if you look only within the Judaic-Christian-Muslim faiths there are numerous examples of GOD using different people, different methods, different techniques to get the word out. How can anyone belive that such a GOD could not use Buddah, Confucius, Mencius, Mao Tsu, Huang-po or Lao Zi?
Now there is a second part to your question and that is related to the coincidence of Jesus, Buddha and Confucius all living at about the same time. I think that is closely related to the argument that the earth was designed for humans. I think it's more likely that the three are realted based on technology of the time (a rapid expansion of written documentation) than anything else. IMHO they are but a few examples of the many voices of GOD.
Aslan is not a Tame Lion