Re: Does jesus exist? -- DELUSION

From: Elroy Willis <elo_at_airmail.net>
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 2004 20:48:13 GMT

Libertarius <Libertarius_at_Nothing_But_The.Truth> wrote in alt.atheism

> Roger Pearse wrote:
>> Elroy Willis <elo_at_airmail.net> wrote in message

>>> roger_pearse_at_yahoo.co.uk (Roger Pearse) wrote in alt.atheism
>>>> Elroy Willis <elo_at_airmail.net> wrote in message

>>> From:
>>> http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/311_Flamines.html

>>> "The flamines (sing: flamen) were the members of the pontifical
>>> college. They were also known as the pontiffs. The leader of the
>>> college was the pontifex maximus.

>>> Each of the 15 priests in the college was in charge of the cult of one
>>> god. There were three major priests, the flamines maiores, who had to
>>> be patrician:

>>> * Flamen Dialis (Jupiter)
>>> * Flamen Martialis (Mars)
>>> * Flamen Quirinalis (Quirinus)

>>> The minor priests, the flamines minores, were twelve and they could
>>> be plebeians:

>>> * Flamen Carmentalis (Carmentis)
>>> * Flamen Cerialis (Ceres)
>>> * Flamen Falacer (Falacer)
>>> * Flamen Floralis (Flora)
>>> * Flamen Furrinalis (Furrina)
>>> * Flamen Palatualis (Palatua)
>>> * Flamen Pomonalis (Pomona)
>>> * Flamen Portunalis (Portunus)
>>> * Flamen Volcanalis (Vulcan)
>>> * Flamen Volturnalis (Volturnus)

>>> Two flamines served gods that are unknown to us. Some of the gods
>>> served are very obscure, so the priesthoods are probably very
>>> ancient."

>> While this page is no authority, the raw facts are correct. But what >> has this to do with your assertions?

>>> I suppose you'll just ignore the above.

>> On the contrary, I look forward to some kind of demonstration that >> Christianity was based around these pagan priests.

> ===>Did someone claim that?

I did! Haven't you been paying attention?

> If so, it was false.

I disagree. Let's talk about it, shall we?

> But pagan priest, as anyone else, had to convert or else!

Or else what? Off with their heads? What is your definition of pagan before Constantine declared Christianity as the new national religion? Everything was pagan, right?

Maybe you haven't thought very much about the whole Roman religious structure from 200BCE to 325CE as a whole before?

I'm going to try to do some more reading about what happened to the "Flamen Dialis" who was in charge of the temples and worship of the planet Jupiter to see what I can find out.

Maybe he turned into the Pope and got the biggest hat?

Maybe you could do some research on what happened to the "Flamen Martialis" pontiff, and we can compare notes...

My main point is that Christianity didn't just pop out of the woodwork one day, and suddenly there was some new Christian church. Heck, nobody even cared when Jesus was supposedly born until at least 400 years after he was born, and Constantine conveniently made Christianity the state religion, in order to attract armies of superstitious slaves and peasants who were willing to die for some national cause, and in return, promised some heavenly reward.

-- 
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news

Received on Fri Apr 02 2004 - 12:48:13 PST