The Jesus Myth

Something for all you Atheists out there this Easter...

Did you know that some historians believe our Easter Traditions predate the Christian worship of Jesus and instead reflect the pagan story of Attis? And in fact, even these pagan stories of a man born of virgin birth could have simply been a way to explain how Nature first grew plants from seeds on our newly evolving planet.

Check out this from www.religioustolerance.org

“Many, perhaps most, Pagan religions in the Mediterranean area had a major seasonal day of religious celebration at or following the Spring Equinox. Cybele, the Phrygian fertility goddess, had a fictional consort who was believed to have been born via a virgin birth. He was Attis, who was believed to have died and been resurrected each year during the period MAR-22 to MAR-25. "About 200 B.C. mystery cults began to appear in Rome just as they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican hill ...Associated with the Cybele cult was that of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, or Orpheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection."

Wherever Christian worship of Jesus and Pagan worship of Attis were active in the same geographical area in ancient times, Christians "used to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus on the same date; and pagans and Christians used to quarrel bitterly about which of their gods was the true prototype and which the imitation."
Many religious historians believe that the death and resurrection legends were first associated with Attis, many centuries before the birth of Jesus. They were simply grafted onto stories of Jesus' life in order to make Christian theology more acceptable to Pagans. Others suggest that many of the events in Jesus' life that were recorded in the gospels were lifted from the life of Krishna, the second person of the Hindu Trinity.

Ancient Christians had an alternative explanation; they claimed that Satan had created counterfeit deities in advance of the coming of Christ in order to confuse humanity. 4 Modern-day Christians generally regard the Attis legend as being a Pagan myth of little value. They regard Jesus' death and resurrection account as being true, and unrelated to the earlier tradition.

Wiccans and other modern-day Neopagans continue to celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of their 8 yearly Sabbats (holy days of celebration). Near the Mediterranean, this is a time of sprouting of the summer's crop; farther north, it is the time for seeding. Their rituals at the Spring Equinox are related primarily to the fertility of the crops and to the balance of the day and night times. Where Wiccans can safely celebrate the Sabbat out of doors without threat of religious persecution, they often incorporate a bonfire into their rituals, jumping over the dying embers is believed to assure fertility of people and crops.”

So I can celebrate Easter and stuff myself with chocolate eggs, surrounded by fluffy chicks and bunnies, and if anyone asks I'll say its thanks to dear ole Attis, and I'm just helping Spring on its way.

Costa Collapse?

Small businesses are disappearing at a rate of knots across the Costa Blanca. The vast majority are foreign owned and run, although many Spanish businesses are also being affected. But traditionally business here has been handed down through family members along with premises or land, so a support network exists for Spaniards during times of recession. The Spanish character is also used to times of boom and bust, economies are made, some layoffs are seen as inevitable, the financial storm is simply to be weathered.

Foreign businesses on the Costas generally pay higher rents (often subletting premises) and have substantially higher start up costs, especially businesses that import stock from their country of origin. Their client network grows more slowly as they build brand new supplier and customer relationships. If an average business takes two years to turn a profit, foreign business can take twice as long, and have attendant capital loans/charges which may eat into potential profit if the original business plan was over optimistic.
The banking system in Spain is no friend to small business either, although the inflexible nature of Spanish banks has protected them from some of the excessive debts of the current financial downturn. Zapatero could reinvigorate the economy by encouraging banks to offer small business loans at lower interest rates, with longer loan periods in booming sectors of the economy such as computing and internet business, or green energy technologies.

With no social security safety net, many self-employed immigrants to Spain will be returning to their country of origin. The loss of this mini-invasion of entrepreneurs will be to Spain’s detriment, along with the dropping tourist figures, but it will see the Costas returning to a more Spanish flavour of business.

Brave New World Pt 2

Oh, historic day! I will look back on todays date and tell my children that this was the day it all changed.
"I was perusing some online news when I was struck by not one, not two, but three items of earth shattering importance. Firstly, President Obama's plan for a nuclear-free world was outlined,where he pledged a nuclear disarmament drive greater than any previously attempted and called for a ban on nuclear testing. I thought of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, the 93 year old Japanese man who survived both Hiroshima and Nagasaki and what he would make of it all. And I could see old footage scrolling before my eyes of CND hippies waving their placards in glee.
Secondly, I read that changes to UK law coming into force today allow parents with children under the age of sixteen to request flexible working from employers who are obliged to "seriously consider" any application and only reject it if there are "good business reasons for doing so". It's woolly, and only extends the law previously applied to parents of children under the age of six, but it heralds a new era for parents in the UK, who have suffered more than their European counterparts who have more holidays, fiesta days and time off with family. We want repsonsible teenagers then we expect them to become so without their parents influence, without time to talk through their issues? Roll on four day weeks and home-working and part-time hours for realistic pay.
But thirdly, and most spangly of all, today sees the official return of the Puffin Post."
I know there are adults the world over gasping and dashing to their desks to drag out dog-eared copies of that most-beloved magazine. The Puffin Post was around from the 1960's to 1980's to trumpet the latest childrens books from the publisher but also to provide a forum for book-mad kids everywhere to discuss, review and discover books and their authors. I was gobsmacked to receive a prize when they published one of my poems (aged 11 and three-quarters) and drove my mum mad harping on about it. I still have the edition with my masterpiece in. Wonderful rhyme and alliteration of 'mangold root' and 'mouldy old boot', and some inspired raving about witches that JKRowling no doubt plaguarised. I am thrilled to see its return just as my 10 year old daughter enters her book-obsessed years ( - a subscription will sort out her next birthday present perfectly.)
So, for anyone languishing in bed this morning without reason to be bold or brave, take heart from these global changes and kick-start your own renaissance.

Think like a winner?

A writer on LinkedIn's Spanish Connections group posted the following parable about the current global condition. Fow my Spanish readers here is the original and what follows is my poor attempt at translation (apologies Jérôme!)

Albóndigas con pan

Había una vez una persona que vivía al lado de una carretera donde vendía unas ricas albóndigas con pan. Estaba muy ocupado y por lo tanto no oía radio, no leía los periódicos ni veía la televisión. Alquiló un trozo de terreno, colocó una gran valla y anunció su mercancía gritando a todo pulmón:
"Compren deliciosas albóndigas calientes".
Y la gente se las compraba. Aumentó la adquisición de pan y carne. Compró un terreno más grande para poder ocuparse de su negocio, y trabajó tanto que dispuso que su hijo dejara la Universidad donde estudiaba Ciencias Comerciales a fin de que le ayudara.
Sin embargo, ocurrió algo muy importante; su hijo le dijo: "Viejo, ¿tú no escuchas la radio, ni lees los periódicos...?. Estamos sufriendo una grave crisis!. La situación es realmente mala; peor no podría estar!!".
El padre pensó: "Mi hijo estudia en la Universidad, lee los diarios, ve televisión y escucha la radio. Debe saber mejor que yo lo que está pasando..."
Compró entonces menos pan y menos carne. Sacó la valla anunciadora, dejo el alquiler del terreno con el fin de eliminar los gastos y ya no anunció sus ricas albóndigas con pan. Y las ventas fueron disminuyendo cada día más.
"Tenías razón hijo mío", le dijo al muchacho. "Verdaderamente estamos sufriendo una gran crisis".

MORALEJA
No sigamos hablando de crisis.
Hablemos sólo de hacer buenos negocios, buenos trabajos y buenas tareas.
Si nos programamos para fracasar, fracasaremos.
Si nos mentalizamos para ganar, ganaremos.
Es una simple elección personal.

¿Qué piensa hacer para ser un GANADOR?

English version
Meatballs with bread

There was once a person that lived next to a highway where a stall sold rich meatballs with bread. The vendor was very busy and therefore not listening to radio, or reading the newspapers or watching television much. He had rented a piece of land, placed a great sign on the fence and announced his merchandise shouting at the top of his lungs: "Buy delicious hot meatballs!" and people bought them. Doing so, they enlarged his bread and meat market. Then he bought a larger piece of land to be able to develop his business, and worked so hard that his son left University where he studied Commercial Sciences in order to help him. However, something very important occurred; his son told him: "Old man, ¿you do not listen the radio, nor read the newspapers. ..? We are suffering a serious crisis!. The situation is really bad; it could not be worse!!". The father thought: "My son studies in the University, he reads the newspapers, sees television and listens to the radio. He must know better than I what is happening. ..” So he bought less bread and less meat. He removed the fence sign, abandoned the rent of the land in order to eliminate some expenses and no longer announced his rich meatballs with bread to the world from the top of his lungs. And the sales were indeed diminishing each day. "You were right my son", he told the boy. "Truly we are suffering a great crisis".

MORAL: Do not continue speaking of crisis. We must speak only of good business, good works and good tasks. If we plan for failure, we will fail. If we prepare ourselves mentally to win, we will win. This is a simple personal decision.

What do you think YOU should do to be a WINNER?

It's so true

Forgive me for repeating this quote here:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
-- Lazarus Long, Time Enough For Love, Robert Heinlein

Similarly, a writer should try everything once (bar the obvious or deadly) so that he or she can write about it with conviction. So consider that I may be embarking on a new programme to fill in the gaps in my knowledge and I will return to this blog when I am worthy of Heinlein's character's quote.