So he said, "Here. I will have my son die for you, for I can raise him from the dead, thus allowing me to raise you from the dead."
That's the Christian interpretation of millennia-old death and rebirth myths. The myth is not an original NT idea. It's no accident that Easter coincides with the spring equinox.
The Christian version fits in nicely with Abshalom's description of pastoral culture. The idea that someone has died for you leaves you with a sense of debt, duty, responsibility -- you owe it to God to obey Him; look what He did for you!
Strangely enough, one can view the origin of this myth, i.e., man's observation of the death and rebirth of crops with the seasons, as one of man's first attempts at science.
This message has been edited by chicowboy, 07-19-2004 03:27 PM
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