Posted by Seeker [Seeker] on March 31, 1999 at 18:33:08 {ohFII14TUcbkYYamxmSw79YAW9JMpc}:
In Reply to: *Skeptics: Krishna to Christ? posted by corrected link-jim on March 31, 1999 at 17:28:36:
Well, since you mentioned me, I'll start by saying that I know nothing about this subject. With that in mind, all I can comment on are the contents of that web page you pointed us to. In my opinion, Mr. Van Eck provided little proof of his assertions. He may well be correct, but I cannot tell based on that page alone.
Here are my specific comments on his Bhagavad-Gita thoughts:
Then there is the Hindu epic, the Bhagavad-Gita, a story of the second person of the Hindu Trinity, who took human form as Krishna. Some have considered him a model for the Christ, and it's hard to argue against that when he says things like, "I am the beginning, the middle, and the end" (BG 10:20 vs. Rev. 1:8 ).
Not impressive. Calling someone the beginning, middle and end is a logical concept for describing an immortal. It would not be unusual for this concept to be arrived at separately.
His advent was heralded by a pious old man named Asita, who could die happy knowing of his arrival, a story paralleling that of Simeon in Luke 2:25 .
Not bad, but not conclusive.
Krishna's mission was to give directions to "the kingdom of God" (BG 2:72), and he warned of "stumbling blocks" along the way (BG 3:34; 1 Cor. 1:23 ; Rev. 2:14 ).
Obvious plot twists to include in such a story.
The essential thrust of Krishna's sayings, uttered to a beloved disciple, sometimes seems to coincide with Jesus or the Bible. Compare "those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead" (BG 2:11) with the sense of Jesus' advice to "let the dead bury their own dead" (Matt. 8:22 ).
Too general.
Krishna's saying, "I envy no man, nor am I partial to anyone; I am equal to all" (BG 9:29) is a lot like the idea that God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11 ; see also Matt. 6:45 ).
A common quality to include to show enlightenment.
And "one who is equal to friends and enemies... is very dear to me" (BG 12:18) is reminiscent of "love your enemies" (Matt. 6:44 ).
Nice, but not an unusual quality to include in creating a character who is supposed to be inclusive.
Krishna also said that "by human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma's one day" (BG 8:17), which is very similar to 2 Peter 3:8 .
Perhaps both came from an earlier saying?
Overall, my opinion is that the question was unanswered on that web page. He could be correct, or he may not be. He may be following data that he has not explained to the reader, or he may be following his own bias. I can't say.
Seeker