In today’s milieu there is a popular idea going around in a movie called “Zeitgeist” (or Spirit of the Age) that works to try to discredit Christianity by claiming that the claims of Christianity are not unique throughout the world, that they are just some replayed propaganda created by humans to explain away the origins of mankind.
Well, surprisingly enough, there are stories spread throughout the whole world similar to those found in the bible, interestingly, sometimes even by tribes of people that have never had any contact with the Judeo-Christian teachers, sometimes tribes whose beliefs that are so similar to Judeo-Christian teachings and yet, pre-date Judeo-Christian writings.
I have just finished reading a book all about these types of occurrences, the book is called “Eternity in their Hearts”. The stories are all very similar: A Sky-God who is the one true creator of all things, creates a people, gives them a set of rules, they disobey the rules and come under punishment, until after many life spans these tribes forget how to worship that one true God. Some even talk about a lost book that contains the information on how to worship this one true God, and some have legends of a yet future revelation. In Zeitgeist the author goes even one step further to discuss the “redeeming son” that is sacrificed for the world (although a critical scholar would find many fallacious twists the author puts on some of these instances to try and make them look more similar to Christianity than they really are, but that’s out of scope for this discussion).
And yet, even without some of the manipulation of historical artifacts like those presented in Zeitgeist, this same theme rings over and over in human history, the similarities of the Christian gospel in religious folklore around the world; but let me ask: does this mean that Christianity is just a made up story, or perhaps, does this mean that God has been pre-evangelizing the world in general revelation to prepare the way for the special revelation made through the Abrahamic-covenant (and eventually Jesus Christ)? Don Richardson in his book, “Eternity in their Hearts”, makes a very strong and compelling argument for the later.
I’ve written many times enough about my beliefs and who Jesus is, and why. I don’t believe in blind faith! I believe in a well thought out and calculated decision. I look at Jesus Christ, and find Lewis’ epitome of the trilemma to speak mountains to this conversation: Jesus Christ was either a Liar, one that could be equated to a hellish devil, a lunatic equal to a man who claims to be a poached egg, or He was who He claimed to be – there is no room for this “great teacher who really wasn’t God”, and clearly, if you have read my blog before, you know that I am convinced of Jesus’ divine nature (I won’t go into the reasoning in this blog, but check back issues).
And speaking of C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, he talks about what he terms “Good Dreams”. Lewis states that all these stories that we find so similar to Christianity spread throughout the ages, shouldn’t bring us to a point of questioning the uniqueness of the gospel, rather it should bring us to a point of worship, in which we realize that all these stories are pointing to the one occurrence in the history of mankind where “He became flesh and dwelt among us”.
You see, these stories outline and pre-evangelize (or provide redemptive folklore as Don Richardson calls it) to the world, pointing to the one point in space and time when God would actually bring to a culmination all the ideas and thoughts He has been spreading throughout time. In this one time and historically verifiable individual, we find the final chapter written.
If you are at all interested in this (either because you find it a bunch of baloney, or because you are intrigued, and would like to be shown some serious evidence for these claims) – I HIGHLY recommend picking up and reading Eternity in their Hearts. I had a hard time putting it down!
Now, I’m reading another Don Richardson book about Head Hunting Cannibals who pride themselves in seeking friendships with people, just to “fatten them up with friendship for the slaughter”. Don went among these people to evangelize to them (omg!), and what he found…. well, you’ll just have to read it for yourself! 😉