Prove Dependence

SURFACE SIMILARITIES DO NOT PROVE DEPENDENCE

German scholar Adolf von Harnack made an excellent summary statement against the idea that Christianity was influenced by pagan mystery religions, which is worth quoting at length:

"We must reject the comparative mythology which finds a causal connection between everything and everything else, which tears down solid barriers, bridges chasms as though it were child's play, and spins combinations from superficial similarities. . .

By such methods one can turn Christ into a sun god in the twinkling of an eye, or one can bring up the legends attending the birth of every conceivable god, or one can catch all sorts of mythological doves to keep company with the baptismal dove; and find any number of celebrated asses to follow the ass on which

Jesus rode into Jerusalem; and thus, with the magic wand of 'comparative religion,' triumphantly eliminate every spontaneous trait in any religion."

In short, similarities do not prove causal influence, especially when the specifics of the pagan myths are compared to the NT's doctrines.