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Her works don't critically analyze all religions, just Judeo-Christianity.
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'''Acharya S''' is the [[pen name]] of D.M. Murdock, a controversial author and proponent of the [[Jesus myth hypothesis]]. She has authored three books and operates a website named ''Truth be Known.'' She believes [[Christianity]] is founded on earlier [[myths]] and the characters depicted in Christianity, especially, are based upon Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and other myths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truthbeknown.com/christ.htm|title="The Christ Conspiracy - Home"}}</ref>
'''Acharya S''' is the [[pen name]] of D.M. Murdock, a controversial author and proponent of the [[Jesus myth hypothesis]]. She has authored three books and operates a website named ''Truth be Known.'' She believes [[Christianity]] is founded on earlier [[myths]] and the characters depicted in Christianity are based upon Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and other myths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truthbeknown.com/christ.htm|title="The Christ Conspiracy - Home"}}</ref>


==Books and videos==
==Books and videos==

Revision as of 13:52, 24 June 2009

Acharya S is the pen name of D.M. Murdock, a controversial author and proponent of the Jesus myth hypothesis. She has authored three books and operates a website named Truth be Known. She believes Christianity is founded on earlier myths and the characters depicted in Christianity are based upon Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and other myths.[1]

Books and videos

In 1999, Acharya published her first book, The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold, (ISBN 978-0932813749) arguing the concept of Jesus Christ as myth. She states the Christ story is a fabrication based on earlier pagan mythology.

In 2001, Acharya wrote the forward to a new edition of Kersey Graves's The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviours: Christianity Before Christ (ISBN 093281395X).

A follow-up book, Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled, (ISBN 978-1931882316) was published in 2004. Acharya comments on the Hindu story of the life of Krishna, as well as the life of Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama). She claims parallels to the Christian stories of the life of Jesus as evidence that the story of Jesus was written based on existing stories, and not the life of a real man. Suns of God (with a foreword by author and theologian W. Sumner Davis ) also seeks to address some of the criticisms leveled at Christ Conspiracy.[2]

Her 2007 book, Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of The Christ (ISBN 978-0979963100) continues the theme of The Christ Conspiracy by expanding her theory questioning the historical validity of Jesus Christ allleging "early Christian history to be largely mythical, by sorting through available historical and archaeological data." [3]

Her work was used extensively in the movie Zeitgeist.[4] She also acted as consultant for the movie. [5] Acharya has published several of her own videos to YouTube, including at least one which boasts of over 100,000 views.[6]

Claims about Christianity

Acharya describes the New Testament as a work of mythic fiction within a historical setting. The story of Christ, she maintains, is a retelling of various pagan myths, representing "astrotheology," or the story of the Sun and also incorporates the science of archaeoastronomy. She asserts the pagans understood the stories to be myths, but Christians obliterated evidence to the contrary by destroying and controlling literature when they attained control of the Roman Empire, which led to widespread illiteracy in the ancient world, ensuring the mythical nature of Christ's story was hidden.

Acharya compares Jesus' history to other "Saviour gods" such as Mithra, Horus, Adonis, Krishna, Quetzalcoatl, and Odin, claiming the similarities result from a common source: the myth of the sun-god or solar deity.[7]

In The Christ Conspiracy, Acharya notes the allegorical parallels between the story of Christ and the story of the solar deity:

"The sun 'dies' for three days at the winter solstice, to be born again or resurrected on December 25th...The sun enters into each sign of the zodiac at 30 [degrees]; hence, the 'Sun of God' begins his ministry at 'age' 30."

Life

According to her website, Acharya is classically educated in archaeology, history, mythology, and languages. Her formal training includes a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Classics, Greek Civilization, from Franklin and Marshall College. She also attended the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in Greece.[8]

Acharya served briefly as a fellow of The Council for Secular Humanism's Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion (CSER).[9]

Reception

Robert M. Price has reviewed The Christ Conspiracy for Free Inquiry[10] and reviewed Suns of God for "The Journal of Higher Criticism".[citation needed] Earl Doherty has also reviewed The Christ Conspiracy. Richard Carrier wrote an article in response to her work.[11]

Acharya has been interviewed on a variety of radio stations,[12] including the Alan Colmes Show and the Jeff Rense Show.[13] She also appears on less well known podcasts, such as Black Ops Radio.[14] She has been interviewed in Paranoia magazine[7] and by The Progressive Observer.[15]

Acharya's positions have been repeatedly criticized by Christian apologists, including Mike Licona,[16] James Patrick Holding,[17] and James Hannam.[18] The Rational Response Squad[19] and David V. Barrett [20]have also taken issue with Acharya's writings.

See also

References

  1. ^ ""The Christ Conspiracy - Home"".
  2. ^ "IG: Acharya S - 2nd Appearance - Suns of God". The Infidel Guy. 2001. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  3. ^ ""Stellar House Publishing Releases 'Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of The Christ' for Worldwide Distribution"".
  4. ^ "Zeitgeist: The Movie - Interactive Transcript". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  5. ^ "Zeitgeist: The Movie - Credits". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  6. ^ "Sun of God?". YouTube. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  7. ^ a b Fox, Storm. "Man's Inhumanity to Man: An Interview with Acharya S". Paranoia. Retrieved 2008-08-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Who is Acharya S?". Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  9. ^ "CSER Home / CSER's Mission / JSER / Conference 2005-06". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  10. ^ Price, Robert M. (Summer 2001). "Aquarian Skeptic". 21 (3). Free Inquiry: 66–67. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Brunner's Gottkoenigs & the Nativity of Jesus: A Brief Communication by Richard C. Carrier (2004)
  12. ^ "Acharya S in the Media". Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  13. ^ "Jeff Rense - Past Guests/Links". Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  14. ^ "Black Op Radio, Show #351 Part 3 - Acharya S Episode". 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  15. ^ "The Good Shepherd Part II: Revelations". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  16. ^ Licona, Mike (2001). "A Refutation of Acharya S's book, The Christ Conspiracy". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  17. ^ Holding, James Patrick. "Gospel Gossip: A Refutation to Acharya S on the Gospels". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  18. ^ Hannam, James (2006-10-06). "Refuting the Myth that Jesus Never Existed". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  19. ^ Hawkins, Rook (2007-10-21). "Problems with Acharya S: A Brief Review". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  20. ^ Barrett, David V. "The Gospel According to Bart". Retrieved 2008-08-01.
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