
By: Richard Smith
Re: Holiday Wishes:

      Well everyone, it's that day.  Today we celebrate a
 holiday which is the birth date of a man born of a virgin,
 with lowly shepherds in attendance.  He was a man known as
 "The Way," "The Truth," "The Light," "The Life," "The Word,"
 "The Son of God," and "The Good Shepherd."  In fact, he was
 often pictured carrying a lamb on his shoulders.  Sunday, his
 Lord's Day, is considered sacred to him, and has been for
 some time.  Today we celebrate his life with the traditional
 methods surrounding him: gifts, hymns, candles, bells, and
 perhaps even communion.  This man died and was put into a
 rock tomb, but rose from it after only three days.  Because
 he rose, his followers believe that there will someday be a
 day of judgment where nonbelievers will perish, and believers
 will go to paradise forever.  That's right, today is THE
 Taurobolia in which we celebrate the Messiah Mithra. {A}

      Ooops, waitaminit . . . I think I was confused there.
 Give me a second . . .

      No, the man/Deity I speak of is someone different.
 Because of him, we know of a loving father God who is
 omniscient and concerned for our welfare, since we are his
 children.  Because of him, we can look forward to the Kingdom
 of God, Heaven, and don't have to worry about Hell, since we
 know we will rise again after we die . . . he is often called
 the Sun, and he was later made the supreme Deity of the Roman
 Empire in his title of Sol Invictus.  We know of his angels
 and archangels, and we know of Satan.  But our beliefs, which
 concentrates on works rather than on faith, will sustain us.
 I'm speaking of, of course, our faith in Zarathushtra, and
 our religion of Zoroastrianism. {B}

      Dang, that's not quite right either.

      Okay, he was a Deity that was killed without a bone
 being broken. He is our symbol of immortality, and he and his
 father are one: he is the manifesting son of God.  He is
 known as the light of the world, and is the way, the truth,
 and the life by name and in person.  He is the one true plant
 (vine?).  He came down from Heaven, and in him has been
 assigned Eternity.  He is a light that drives away the
 darkness.  He was baptized by someone known as the Baptizer,
 and was born in a place associated with bread.  He is known
 as the good shepherd, and is often depicted with a lambing
 crook.  He is the Lamb and the Lion, and is identified with
 the cross and referred to as the Crst.  He is part of the
 Trinity . . . he is a son of a virgin and the son of the
 Supreme Deity.  He was carried off by the Evil One to the
 mountain top, where they contended.  A star indicated his
 birth, and he is known as both the bringer of peace and he
 who brings the sword.  As a child, he taught in the temple,
 and later had twelve followers, attested to in the
 revelations written by another.  I'm speaking of, of course,
 the God Horus.{C}

      All right, I've got it this time . . .

      This Deity/Savior was immaculately conceived and born of
 a spotless virgin (attended by angels and shepherds), through
 the agency of a holy ghost and in accord with prophecy.  At
 birth he was presented with frankincense, myrrh, etc.  While
 an infant, he was threatened with death by the ruling tyrant,
 but his parents fled with him, the tyrant slaughtering all
 the male children under two years of age.  He was saluted and
 worshipped as the savior of men, and lived a life of humility
 and practical moral usefulness.  He wrought many astounding
 miracles, including healing the sick, restoring the sight of
 the blind, casting out devils, raising the dead to life, and
 so on.  He was finally crucified between two thieves.
 Afterwards, he descended to Hell, rose from the dead, and
 ascended back to Heaven in the sight of all men, as his
 biblical history declares.  I'm speaking, of course, of our
 savior Virishna. {F}

      Dammitalltohell.

      He was born of a spotless virgin and led a life of deep
 humility and piety.  He retired to the wilderness and fasted
 for forty days, was worshipped as a God, and was finally
 crucified between two thieves, after which he was buried and
 descended into Hell, but rose the third day.  His name was
 Quexalcote . . . {F}

      Uh . . .

      He was born of a virgin, who was visited by an angel to
 tell her that she carried the young godling.  He is
 considered to be god incarnate.  His human father was a
 carpenter, though the child was of royal descent.  He was
 called `Savior' and was without sin.  He was crucified
 between two thieves.  We shall meet him again on the great
 and final day of judgment.  His name was, of course, Krishna
 . . . {F}

      Well, something's clearly wrong here . . . <flipping
 through list of Messiahs:

  Abraham Ben Samuel Abulafia,
  Christopher Columbus,
  Geuiseppe Desa,
  Hung Sin-tsuan,
  Jan Bockelson,
  Jemima Wilkenson,
  Jesus Christ,
  Joan of Arc,
  Maitreya,
  Orix Bovar,
  Rabbi Menachem Schneerson,
  Sabbatai Zebi . . . {D}>

      . . . no, this isn't getting anywhere <flipping through
 list of Supreme Gods:

  Ahriman,
  Ajbit+Alom-Bhol,
  Akditi,
  Amon Re,
  Aten,
  Bochica,
  Brahma,
  Coyote,
  Dohit,
  Gamab,
  Inti,
  Jar-Sub,
  Juck-Shilluck,
  Kumani,
  Mahaskti,
  Manibozho,
  Marduk,
  Maui,
  Num,
  Pachacamac,
  Parica,
  Radogast,
  Tengri,
  Yahveh . . . {E}>,

      . . . nor is this <flipping through list of Saviors
 (many crucified):

  Adad of Assyria,
  Adonis, son of the virgin Io of Greece,
  Alcides of Thebes,
  Atys of Phrygia,
  Baal & Taut `The Only Begotten of God' of Phoenecia,
  Bali of Afghanistan,
  Beddru of Japan,
  Budha Sakia of India,
  Cadmus of Greece,
  Chrishna of Hindostan,
  Crite of Chaldea,
  Deva Tat, and Sammonocadam of Siam
  Divine Teacher of Plato,
  Fohi and Tien of China,
  Gentaut and Quexalcote of Mexico,
  Hesus of Eros, and Bremrillah, of the Druids,
  Hil and Feta of the Mandaites,
  Holy One of Xaca,
  Indra of Tibet,
  Ischy of the island of Formosa,
  Ixion and Quirinus of Rome,
  Jao of Nepal,
  Mikado of the Sintoos,
  Mohamud/Mohomet of Arabia,
  Odin of the Scandinavians,
  Prometheus of Caucasus,
  Salivahana of Bermuda,
  Thammuz of Syria,
  Thor, son of Odin, of the Gauls,
  Universal Monarch of the Sibyls,
  Wittoba of the Bilingonese,
  Xamolxis of Thrace,
  Zoar of the Bonzes,
  Zoroaster and Mithra of Persia,
  Zulis/Zhule/Osiris/Orus of Egypt.  {F}>

      Well, to hell with it.  Let's all just get drunk and go
 naked.  Where's my presents?  Happy and safe holidays to you
 and yours.  <G>


 Sources: (Though there are many sources listed here, they all
 in reality come from {D}, which has many articles and much
 information reprinted in the collection.  I recommend it
 highly.)

 {A} Information for this came from Volume 2, Issue 9, edition
     of The Edelen Letter, from September 1992.

 {B} Information for this came from The World Bible, Edited by
     Robert O. Ballou.

 {C} Churchward's book Of Religion, first published in 1924.

 {D} The Book.  Also called: The Book Your Church Doesn't Want
     You To Read, edited by Tim C. Leedom, ISBN 0-8403-8908-6.

 {E} Ye Gods by Anne Baumgartner.

 {F} Kersey Graves, The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors,
     Truth Seeker Co., New York, 1875.

 Quid, Me Anxius Sum?

  Richard
   Smith


