I would think the similarity between disparate religions could easily be different interpretations (or even misinterpretations) of a universal truth.
This is a bit of overlap with the other topic, but I don't disagree with this. Have you ever read Joseph Campbell's
Hero with a Thousand Faces? That's pretty much the central thesis.
Where I have a problem is concluding that out of all of these myths, christianity/Jesus
is the one universal truth, since he came so late and obviously borrowed things from those before him. So why is he so special that he is the one truth and not just another savior figure common to the time?
The timeline is certainly interesting, and I have no doubt that some exchange of ideas occurred between ancient Israel and its neighbors, but I think the timeline leaves out a lot of relevant items, such as Buddha's resurrection that Artois pointed out in the first post.
Not a perfect example since Buddha wasn't in a neighboring country, but I think you get the point. The timeline only includes the cultures & deties that are useful for making your point. It leaves out a lot.
I'm not sure what you want? I'm just reiterating the claim Jesus was not unique by showing he shared a lot of traits with other gods/savior figures that came before him. So yes, I only listed cultures that supported that claim. If other cultures had nothing in common with Jesus, it wouldn't contradict what I said.
And I can't speak to what Artois was saying about Buddha, as I'm not sure about the reference he was making.
