Alleged Parallels to the Easter Story

I continue to believe the Easter story for the reasons I have given. I hope you find those reasons cogent, and that they will help you also to believe it.

Each alleged parallel (and associated belief) should be treated on its merits. My reasons for not accepting those beliefs are scattered across this Part of the site.

The Easter story was an integral part of Christianity from the outset; it did not merely illustrate or evince a belief, it was the content of that belief. This is true of none of the alleged parallels, which in that sense are not parallel stories at all, merely tall tales (legends) incidentally associated with rival ("parallel" if you like) beliefs.

The legends of the Buddha demonstrably originated many decades after the death of Gotama and are not intrinsic to Buddhism as originally propounded. The earliest Buddhist texts contain no such material, they merely present Gotama's teaching.

The history of Muhammad is down to earth, with very few associated legends.

Every one of Christ's miracles had a practical purpose in connection with his work. None was "showing off" or mere spontaneous illustrations of the hero's supernatural character. In this they differ from most of the alleged parallels, such as the fanciful tales of Krishna and (in quasi-Buddhist legend) of Gotama.

Islam's relative purity from legends is cited as evidence in its favour against Christianity, and Buddhism's abundance of legends as evidence that Christianity is not special. "Heads I win, tails you lose."

Back to Christ.