The image of Jesus Christ has been influenced by pagan religions (classical and middle east)

I hope that we will learn something from each other. The Elusian Mysteries (oracle of Demeter and especially Dionysus)I. It was established in 1500 BCE (far earlier than the accepted birth of Jesus Christ, who was born 7-2 BCE (Wikipedia). II. The Elusian Mysteries have been traced to much earlier cult during Mycenean times (which, understandly, occurred before the birth of Christ. The Mycenean period, which was established in the Balkan peninsula, was known for its divided city states and militant society. ) that worshipped agragran gods. Therefore, this precludes the argument that this cult BORROWED from Christianity. III. The Elusian mysteries, like many other cults--including the worship of the Egyptian gods and goddesses Osiris and Isis--spread to Rome due to: 1. Rome's acceptance of Greek ideals and culture from the villages in the Balkan peninsula, and 2. the hellenistic philosophy. This was in contrast to the state of Christianity, which was forbidden (and persecuted, especially during the rule of Nero who subjected many Christians to crucifications, fights with wild animals in the circus, and slaughter) and therefore unofficial. IV. Paganism, especially the Elusian mysteries, would not accept Christian traditions since it contradicted their own belief in a set of gods (Demeter,fertility god, Dionysus, god of wine, Apollo, god of light, beauty, prophecy, poetry, Zeus, and so on) and its own ceremonies and rituals. V. The same, arguably, could not be the same with Christianity. However, one may easily point out the fact that the Christian faith was monotheistic, and therefore could not accept much of the pagan gods, festivals, or rituals. This is the case, bu not with Hellenistic philosphy. I. Christians accepted Platonic philosophy, especially the concept of Forms (the ideals of every object in the physical world), which was taught at churches and to early clergies at the time. Aristotlian philosophy argued that God was the "Infinite" or "Unmoved Mover". Both philosophies influenced the view of God as the greatest in the ideals of Good, Power, Love, Knowledge, and so on and as omnipotent and omnitemporal. Ex. Anslem of Canterbury defined God as "the infinite good", a reference to this idea. Augustine of Hippo, famous for his City of God, once proclaimed, " "But when I read those books of the Platonists I was taught by them to seek incorporeal truth, so I saw your 'invisible things, understood by the things that are made' (Confessions 7. 20). This is significiant since Augustine of Hippo, for example, an important writer in the Christian canon, is a revered figure in Christianity and demonstrates the part-influence due to Hellenistic philosophy. II. How does this affect Jesus? Historians trace the belief in Trinity as far as 110 AD in the writings of the bishop Ignatius, a few years after the hellenestic age. Therefore, the qualities described above affect the image of Jesus, for he is a member of the Trinity, with God the Father and the Holy Ghost/Spirit. VI. One would have to also deny the striking similiarites between Dionysus and Jesus. (Note: For those unfamiliar to Dionysus, he is the Greek and Roman god of wine who was well known for his orgies with the maeneads. ) Dionysus: significiant usage of wine (especially in ceremony) Christ: significiant symbol of wine (as blood, in the Eucharist, one of the Seven sacraments) Dionysus: unsual birth: mother Semele, was incinerated after she asked Jupiter/Zeus to display himself in his true self, leaving the infant Dionysus behind; Zeus was forced to sew the baby into his ribs and nurse it for a while Christ: somewhat analogous to both his ascension (after his crucification) in which he united with his Father Dionysus: ceremony involving wine and bread (possibly eaten by the poor) Christ: the Eucharist, the consumption of wine and bread as his flesh and bloodVII. Why these similiarities are not superficial:1. Neither Greek religion nor Christianity place a true emphasis on reincarnation or rebirth. Therefore, the two instances of such should not be considered purely coincendental, given the historic relationship between classical paganism and Christianity.2. There could be a reason how paganism affected Christianity: I. Scholar Peter Wick argues that the incidence of infant Jesus turning water into wine, another parallel of Dionysus, might have been written to prove Christ's superiority over the gods. I agree with this. Because of the years of persecution by paganism, and the clash of faith, (along with the rising dominance of Christianity and the establishmentof the Church and its dioceses) , paganism might have encouraged Christianity to hone its own beliefs and personages (including Jesus) to appear superior to the older gods and thus affirm the holier nature of the school of faith. This is possible, and might be a reason why such similarities are found. I rest my case. And, by the way, good luck too! I expect this to be an intense debate.