Oryx & Crake Summary Essay

Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another such as from pigs to humans ( Medical grafting). Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants. The term allotransplantation refers to a same-species transplant. Human xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, a significant health problem in parts of the industrialized world and worldwide shortage of organs for clinical implantation. It also raises many novel medical, legal and ethical issues. A continuing concern is that pigs have different lifespans than humans and their tissues age at a different rate. Disease transmission (xenozoonosis) and permanent alteration to the genetic code of animals are a cause for concern. Genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/ manipulation (GM) and gene splicing are terms that are applied to the manipulation of genes. It involves the isolation, manipulation and reintroduction of DNA into cells or model organisms, usually express a protein to reach desired effects. Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of something. Genetic recombination is the process by which a strand of DNA is broken and then joined to the end of a different DNA molecule. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using the genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Why Oryx and Crake Was Written â€Å"Every novel begins with a what if and then sets forth its axiom. The what if of Oryx and Crake is simply What if we continue down the road we’re already on? How slippery is the slope? What is our saving graces? Who’s got the will to stop us?† –Margaret Atwood Settings in Oryx and Crake Pre-Catastrophic Society: Games With Virtual Reality And Virtual Violence Society Fixated on Physical Perfection and Longevity, Virtual Elimination Of The Middle Class (produced a gap between rich and poor), Disappearance Of Safe Public Space, People Live In Either Tightly Controlled Compounds Of The Elites Or Dangerous Pleebands, Almost Everything Is For Sale, Medical Advancements, Life Is In The Hands Of Large Corporations, Private Security Forces, Scientific Advancements: Genetic Engineering & Xenotransplant, Technologically Driven, Extreme commercialization and commodification of life and the commodification of human life and sexuality in prostitution and online child pornography. Jimmy and Crake spend a lot of their free time playing online computer games such as Kwiktime Osama (a reference to Osama bin Laden) and Blood and Roses, or watching live executions, Noodie News, frog squashing, graphic surgery and child pornography. Post-Catastrophic Society: Naturalistic society Science vs. Anti-Science â€Å"Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that Oryx and Crake is anti-science. Science is a way of knowing, and a tool. Like all ways of knowing and tools, it can be turned to bad uses. And it can be bought and sold, and it often is. But it is not in itself bad. Like electricity, it’s neutral. The driving force in the world today is the human heart – that is, human emotions. (Yeats, Blake – every poet, come to think of it – has always told us that.) Our tools have become very powerful. Hate, not bombs, destroys cities. Desire, not bricks, rebuilds them.† –Margaret Atwood Plot Summary of Oryx and Crake The protagonist of Oryx and Crake is Snowman, clad only in a bed sheet and a Red Sox cap, who appears to be the last human being on Earth. He’s not entirely alone, however; strange hybrid beasts such as wolvogs, pigoons and rakunks are roaming freely. As well, a group of what he calls Crakers—strange human-like creatures—lives nearby. They bring Snowman food and consult him on matters that surpass their understanding; thus, Snowman comes across as a post-apocalyptic hermit guru. As the story develops, these assorted lifeforms are revealed to be the products of genetic engineering. In flashbacks, we learn that Snowman was once a young boy named Jimmy, who grew up in the early 21st century. His world was dominated by multinational corporations which kept their employees’ families in privileged compounds separated from a global lower moiety of pleeblands. Shortly after Jimmy’s family moved to the HelthWyzer corporate compound (where his father worked a s a genographer) Jimmy met and befriended Glenn (later known as Crake), a brilliant science student. Atwood’s satirical take on current society is presented most pointedly in the jaded activities of these two youths. Jimmy and Crake spend a lot of their free time playing online computer games such as Kwiktime Osama (a reference to Osama bin Laden) and Blood and Roses, or watching live executions, Noodie News, frog squashing, graphic surgery and child pornography. One of Glenn’s favourite pastimes is an online game called Extinctathon, a trivia game which requires immense knowledge of extinct animal and plant species. Using the codenames Thickney (Jimmy) and Crake (Glenn), they both play as teenagers. It is not until they are both in university that Jimmy discovers that Crake has worked his way up to become a Grandmaster. On another trip through the dark underbelly of the Web, they come across an Asian child pornography site, where Jimmy is struck and haunted by the eyes of a young girl. Unknown to Jimmy, Crake is similarly affected by the sig ht of this young girl. Crake eventually finds this girl (or a woman who could be her) and hires her, as both a prostitute and a teacher of the Crakers. Her name is Oryx. Jimmy identifies the haunting memory of the young girl with Oryx, though it is never made clear as to whether or not the two are the same person. Oryx eventually becomes intimately involved in the lives of Jimmy and Crake, and both fall in love with her. Oryx, however, views their relationship as strictly professional and only admires Crake as a scientist and â€Å"great man†. For fun and affection she turns to Jimmy, though her feelings for him are not as clear. The two hide their relationship from Crake, and Jimmy is often plagued with the thought of Crake finding out about his betrayal. Crake uses his prominent position at a biotech corporation to launch a project to create the Crakers. His goal is to create a peaceful society that will live harmoniously with each other and nature. These genetically engine ered humans are leaf-eating herbivores and they only have sexual intercourse during limited breeding seasons when they are polyandrous. Thus, many of the apparent conflicts in human culture are replaced with a mockery of intelligent design. At the same time, Crake creates a virulent genetic pandemic that, apparently, killed off all humans except for Jimmy. Jimmy was unknowingly vaccinated with the intention of acting as a guardian for the Crakers. Thus, Crake represents a mad scientist; he is maddened by the troubled society that he lives in. His rationale is that he is heroically saving intelligent life from an inevitably dying society. In the story’s climax, Crake’s perfected â€Å"hot bioform,† present in one of his company’s products, is activated and spreads throughout the world. When called to account for his actions by Jimmy, Crake kills Oryx by slitting her throat. In rage and panic, Jimmy shoots Crake, resulting in his being left to obsess over his vanished world and unanswered questions. Jimmy contemplates abandoning the Crakers but is constantly haunted by the voice of Oryx, and reminded of his promise to her to watch over them. Though Crake opposed and belittled human religion, Sn owman instills the Crakers with his own invented religion revolving around Crake and Oryx. Oryx becomes the guardian of the animals and Crake the creator god. Crake suffers from unremembered night terrors. During visits, Jimmy hears Crake screaming in his sleep. Crake claims to not remember them. This forms one of the book’s most profound ironies. Crake is a leader in the most advanced (and corrupt) health care system in human history, and Jimmy is unable to save humanity by simply getting Crake’s head examined. At the same time, however, Crake attends a university referred to as Asperger’s U, referring to the university’s high population of incredibly intelligent, socially awkward people, which might suggest that his idea was not the product of insanity or something ‘wrong’ with him, but rather the knowledge that everything else around him was wrong. During Snowman’s journey to scavenge supplies, he is uncomfortable wearing shoes now that his feet have become toughened without them. He cuts his foot on a tiny sliver of glass. Infected by who-knows-what descendant of transgenic experiments, his body cannot fight back, and his leg becomes inflamed.Returning to the Crakers, he learns that three ragged true humans have camped nearby. He follows the smoke from the fire and watches as they cook a rakunk. Uncertain of how he should approach them (Blast them to bits to protect the Crakers? Approach with open arms?) he checks his now unworking watch and thinks, â€Å"Time to go,† leaving the reader to speculate as to what his actions and future will be. Literay Works Coral Ann Howells argues that Oryx and Crake is in some ways a sequel to Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in that it carries the national catastrophe in the earlier novel to global level[5]. A major reference seems to be to the â€Å"Last Man† topos in science fiction, which was inaugurated by Mary Shelley’s The Last Man, also a post-apocalyptic novel, whose main character is the only survivor of a plague that has killed off all other humans. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) had a working title that relates it to Shelley’s book: â€Å"The Last Man in Europe†[6]. Other references, of course, include Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818/1831) as well as Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels[7] (1626/1635). Gulliver’s Travels is also the source of one of the two epigraphs and puts emphasis on the claim that the speculation about the near future in Oryx and Crake serves to make a point about the present state of the world. Swift’s speaker as quoted by Atwood says: â€Å"my principal design was to inform you, and not to amuse you† (Oryx and Crake, Epigraph). The second quotation from Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse (1927) refers to the absence of safety in the word, pointing to Snowman’s existence in the world af ter Crake’s catastrophe.

Jehovahs Witnesses Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Jehovahs Witnesses Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Jehovahs Witnesses There is more to Jehovah's Witnesses than we may believe. When we think of them as people who go door to door ringing doorbells and talking about religion. This particular faith is a separate part of the religion related to Christianity. They have their own thoughts about life and after life. They also have their own views on issues dealing on a worldly basis. The founder of Jehovah's Witnesses is Charles Taze Russell. The faith is simple and is derived from Orthodox Christianity. This faith is led by the Watchtower Society, whose headquarter is in Brooklyn, New York. They believe in Almighty God, whom they refer to as Jehovah. They believe that Christ is God's son and is inferior to him. There will be a kingdom under Christ, and he will rule it in peace. They believe that the Earth as we know it today will be changed after the battle of Armageddon. At the end of everything, the wicked people will be destroyed, the good people will live on Earth, and 144,000 people will go to heaven (Fama 1). In 1884, Russell founded the Watchtower Society. This was the early name for Jehovah's Witnesses. This society is what leads and governs the religion. The Society believes that they are the sole channel between God and humanity (Campbell 1). The headquarter for the Witnesses is located in Brooklyn, New York. Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to go to meetings at local Society meetings within their own local community at least three times a week. The Society is what the followers are a part of. Going to meetings held by the Society is a big part of their faith. It makes up and determines many laws for the followers. One major issue that the Watchtower Society is to make predictions. They had many predictions in the past. A few are as follows: In 1874, they believed that Jesus had come back to Earth to set up his invisible kingdom. In 1914, Jesus would judge the Earth and its good and bad people; they then looked forward to momentous events in 1918 (Campbell1). By the time it hit 1925, and nothing supernatural happened, the Watchtower Society had lost three-fourths of its members (Campbell 1). The Society makes predictions for the battle of Armageddon and the ending of the world. They believe that a generation lasts eighty years. After each marking point of a generation something can happen. The ending of the last generation was in 1994, 1914 plus 1998 equals eighty, eighty years after the prediction was expected. They say this because they believe that the average lifespan of a human in eighty years according to the psalms. The Society does a lot of ruling and regulates the religion (Campbell 2). The followers are expected to abide by the laws of the Watchtower Society, and there are no exceptions for this. They are to do what they are advised and told to do so. Any member not obeying can be reported to by another member and later be shunned or get a punishment set by the Watchtower Society (Shaun 1). The role of Christ in this religion is quite large. They believe that Christ is the Son of God and inferior to him, and that Christ was first of God's creations. They also believe that Christ's human life was paid as ransom for obedient humans. They say that Jesus inspected their organization in 1919 and found a faithful and discreet slave class, dispensing fine spiritual food to true believers (Fama 1). Right now they believe that Christ is present, but in the form of a spirit. According to the witnesses Christ's kingdom is here but invisible to all. A lot of what they believe about life after death has to do with him. They believe that his death, being sacrificed, saved humanity and this sacrifice is what is letting humanity survive today (Fama 1). Although they do not believe that Jesus has died on a cross, but rather he died on a stake. This is why it is prohibited for them to wear or own a cross because it goes against what they believe about Jesus dying on a stake. One aspect important to this faith is

The Basic Guide to Integers on SAT Math

The Basic Guide to Integers on SAT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many SAT math questions involve the use of integers, especially in the early and middle ranges of each math section. This means that integers are a foundational element to SAT math and you should have a solid understanding of what integers are and how they work if you want to do well on the SAT math section. This guide will cover the basics of integers- what they are, how they relate to one another, and how you’ll see them on the test. For the more advanced integer concepts (including prime numbers, absolute values, exponents, and roots), check out our advanced guide to SAT integers. What is an Integer? An integer is a whole number. This means an integer is any number that is NOT expressed via a decimal or a fraction. Integers include all negative whole numbers, all positive whole numbers, and zero. Examples of Integers: -55, -2, 0, 14, 10,699 NOT integers: $Ï€$, $2/3$, 0.787 Think of integers as something you cannot split. For example, you cannot have half a marble in a box (unless you are either very strong or very careless). Positive and Negative Integers A number line is used to demonstrate how numbers relate to each other and to zero. All numbers to the right of zero are positive numbers. All numbers to the left of zero are negative numbers. Positive numbers get larger the farther they are from zero For example, 154 is larger than 12 because 154 is farther away from zero along the number line in a positive direction (to the right). Negative numbers get smaller the farther away they are from zero For example, -154 is smaller than -12 because -154 is a farther away from zero along the number line in a negative direction (to the left). A positive number is always larger than any negative number. For example, 1 is larger than -1,109. Typical Integer Questions on SAT Math Most SAT integer questions are a combination of word problem and equation problem. The test makers will tell you that the problem involves integers by explicitly using the word "integer" in the passage. You will then be asked to solve a given equation or identify whether or not certain equations are true. You must know that an integer means a whole number (and that integers include negative numbers and zero) to solve these problems. We will go through the rules of how integers behave with one another in order to make sense of these kinds of questions. Sometimes you’ll have to answer more abstract questions about how integers relate to one another when you add, subtract, multiply and divide them. You do not need to find a numerical answer for these types of questions, but you must instead identify whether certain equations will be even or odd, positive or negative. If $a$ is an odd integer and $b$ is an even integer, which of the following is an odd integer? A) $3b$B) $a+3$C) $2(a+b)$D) $a+2b$E) $2a+b$ There are two ways to go about solving these kinds of questions- you can either memorize how integers interact, or you can plug in your own sample numbers. For example, in the charts below, you'll see that: $\a\positive\number * \a\positive\number$ will always result in a positive number. If you forget this rule, you can always try it by saying $2 * 3 = 6$. Because you can always find these results by plugging in your own numbers, these rules are categorized as "good to know," not "necessary to know." negative * negative = positive $-2 * -3 = 6$ positive * positive = positive $2 * 3 = 6$ negative * positive = negative $-2 * 3 = -6$ Another way to think of this is, "When multiplying numbers, the result is always positive unless you’re multiplying a positive number and a negative number." odd * odd = odd $3 * 5 = 15$ even * even = even $2 * 4 = 8$ odd * even = even $3 * 4 = 12$ Another way to think of this is, "When multiplying numbers, the result is always even unless multiplying an odd number and an odd number." odd +/- odd = even $5 + 7 = 12$ even +/- even = even $10 - 6 = 4$ odd +/- even = odd $5 + 6 = 11$ Another way to think of this is, "When adding or subtracting numbers, the result is always even unless adding or subtracting an odd number and an even number." By understanding these rules (and/or by testing them out using your own numbers), you will be able to answer more complicated theoretical questions. Why is six afraid of seven? Because 7, 8, 9! Hardy-har-har. If we revisit the question above, knowing what we do now about number relationships, we can go through our answer choices to find the correct answer: If $a$ is an odd integer and $b$ is an even integer, which of the following is an odd integer? A) $3b$B) $a+3$C) $2(a+b)$D) $a+2b$E) $2a+b$ Choice A is incorrect, because $b$is an even integer. And we know that an even number * an odd number = an even number. Choice B is incorrect because $a$is an odd integer. And we know that an odd number + an odd number = an even number. Choice C is incorrect because $a$is an odd integer and $b$is an even integer. An even number + an odd number = an odd number. And an odd number * an even number (in this case 2) = an even number. Choice D is correct. Twice $b$ will be even, because an even number * an even number = an even number. And the final result will be odd because an odd number ($a$) + an even number ($2b$) = an odd number. Choice E is incorrect. Twice an odd number ($a$) will be an even number, because an even number * an odd number = an even number. And an even number + an even number = an even number. So your final answer is D, $a + 2b$. You can see how you could also solve this by double-checking these rules by using your own numbers. If you assign an odd number to $a$ and an even number to $b$, you can test out each option in about the same amount of time it would take you to go through your rules like this. So for this question, you could have said $a$ was 3 and $b$ was 4. Then option D would have looked like this: $3 + 2(4) = 11$ Again, because you can figure out these kinds of questions using real numbers, these rules are classified as "good to know," not "necessary to know." So let's look at how to put all the clues together to solve integer questions. Steps to Solving an SAT Math Integer Problem #1: Identify if the problem is, in fact, an integer problem. The SAT will always explicitly use the word "integer" to let you know if your answer must be in integers or if you can only use integers while solving the problem. For any problem that doesn’t specify that the variables (or the solution) are "integers," your answer or example numbers can be in decimals or fractions. Because the problem specifically uses the word "integer," we know we must only work with whole numbers. #2: If the problem asks you to identify equations that are always true, test out multiple different kinds of integers. If the question asks you to identify whether certain equations or inequalities are true for ALL integers, the equation must work equally with 10 as with 0 and -5. A good rule of thumb is to try -1, 0, and 1 with variable questions like these. These numbers often have special properties that make or break conditions. I'll explain what that means with a practice example. If $x$is an integer, which of the following equations MUST be true? I. $x^3 ≠¥ (-x)^3$ II. $x^3/x ≠¥ x^2/x$ III. $x(x + 1) ≠¤ -x + x^3$ A) I onlyB) II onlyC) III onlyD) I and III onlyE) I, II, and III For questions like these, we should test out our sample numbers, as it can get confusing to use our rules of integer behaviors with complex problems such as these. So for option I, let use our test numbers of -1, 0, and 1. $-1^3 = (-1)(-1)(-1) = -1$ $(1)^3$ = $1^3 = (1)(1)(1) = 1$ -1 is NOT greater than +1. This automatically eliminates option I. And by eliminating option I, we can eliminate answer choices A, D, and E right away. Now let's look at choice II with our same test numbers. ${(-1)^3}/{-1} = {(-1)(-1)(-1)}/{-1} = {-1}/{-1} = 1$ ${(-1)^2}/{-1} = {(-1)(-1)}/{-1} = {1}/{-1} = -1$ 1 -1. This means that option II works so far when we use a negative number. So let's try it with our positive number, 1. $1^3/1 = {(1)(1)(1)}/1 = 1/1 = 1$ $1^2/1 = {(1)(1)}/ 1 = 1/1 = 1$ 1 = 1. So option II still works. Lastly, we should test if the equation still works with 0. $0^3/0 = 0$ $0^2/0 = 0$ Option II works for all answer choices, so our final answer is B, II only. Because we know that option I does not work, we have eliminated all other answer choices. But if you want to make absolutely sure you did not make a mistake somewhere, you can test out option III as well. $-1(-1 + 1) = 0$ $-(-1) + (-1)^3 = 1 + (-1)(-1)(-1) = 1 + -1 = 0$ $0 = 0$ The two are equal, which means that option III works so far. Now let's try it with 1. $1(1 + 1) = 2$ $-1 + 1^3 = -1 + (1)(1)(1) = -1 + 1 = 0$ $2 0$ When we used a positive number, the equation was incorrect. This means that answer choice C is eliminated and our choice of B has been confirmed to be the only correct answer. #3: If the problem asks you to find the answer to long calculations, use your rules that you learned above or test it out with smaller numbers. $a, b, c, d, e, f$ are odd integers such that $a b c d e f$. Which statement(s) must be true? I. $abcdef$ is odd II. $a + b + c + d + e + f$ is odd III. $a(b + c + d + e + f)$ is odd A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and III only E. I, II, and III Now you can approach this problem in one of two ways: by using your number rules or by using your own numbers. First, let's use our number rules to test option I. We know that each letter represents an odd integer and that the product of an odd number and another odd number is an odd number. Because an odd * an odd will always be odd, we know that option I is true. This means we can also eliminate answer choices B and C. Now let's look at option II. We know that an odd number + an odd number = an even number. We also know that an even number + an even number = an even number. So if we split $a + b + c + d + e + f$ into pairs of numbers, we'll have $(a + b) + (c + d) + (e + f)$. We know that each pair of numbers will have an even sum, so we're left with: an even number + an even number + an even number, which will give us an even final result. So option II is incorrect. This means we can eliminate answer choice E. Finally, let's look at option III. As we saw before, when we have six odd numbers (in other words, an even number of odd numbers), the sum will be even. Now, our parenthesis holds five (an odd number) of odd numbers, and an even number + an odd number = an odd number. So we know the number in the parenthesis will be odd. We also know that an odd number ($a$) * an odd number (the sum of $b, c, d, e, f$) = an odd number. So option III is correct. This means that our final answer is D, I and III only. The other way you could solve this problem would be to test out these rules with small numbers and extrapolate to find the larger answer. In other words, use small numbers in place of the variables. So for option I, if you didn't know an odd * an odd = an odd, you could replace $a$and $b$with the numbers 5 and 3. $5 * 3 = 15$, so you know that an odd * an odd = an odd number, no matter how many times you multiply it. So option I is correct. For option II, again test it out with smaller numbers. $7 + 5 = 12$, and $7 + 5 + 3 = 15$. So you know that adding odd numbers an even number of times gets you an even answer and adding odd numbers an odd number of times gets you an odd answer. There are six odd numbers, so the final answer must be even. Option II is incorrect. Taking what you learned by testing option II, you know that adding odd numbers an even number of times gets you an odd answer. And, taking what you learned from testing option I, you know that an odd number * an odd number = an odd number. This means your final answer must be odd, so option III is correct. This means the final answer is D, I and III only. Always remember that there are several ways to solve integer problems. So use real numbers and don't give up if it looks too complicated. The Take-Aways Simply by understanding what an integer is, you will be able to solve many SAT questions. Integer questions are often fairly straightforward if you know what numbers are included in the definition of an "integer" and which are not. If you remember to experiment with your own numbers when presented with the more abstract SAT questions and pay attention to when you must use integers and when you’re free to use any number, you will be able to solve most of the basic SAT integer questions. For the more advanced integer concepts- absolute values, exponents, etc.- be sure to check out our advanced guide to SAT integers. What's Next? Now that you’ve learned about what integers are, you may want to check out the advanced guide to SAT integers where we will go through absolute values, prime numbers, and exponents (among other concepts). Make sure that you also have a solid understanding of all the SAT math formulas you're both given and not given. Running out of time on SAT math? Check out our article on how to buy yourself those extra precious seconds and minutes and complete your SAT math problems before time’s up. Feeling overwhelmed? Start by figuring out your ideal score and check out how to improve a low SAT math score. Already have pretty good scores and looking to get a perfect 800? Check out our article on how to get a perfect score written by a perfect SAT-scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

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Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity

Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity First of all we shall start the definitions of the key words as used in the research question. Astrology can be defined as the study of how events on earth correspond to the positions and movements of astronomical bodies which are the moon, sun, planets and the stars. Paganism in general is a term for the ancient and modern religions which identify nature as the body of the divine e.g. Taoism is the paganism of China, Hinduism is the Paganism of India, Shinto the paganism of Japan and Santeria, Voudon Macumba are the paganisms of the African Diaspora; etc On the other hand symbolism is the applied use of symbols i.e iconic representations that carry particular conventional meanings. Symbolism also refers to a way of choosing representative symbols that are in line with the abstract rather than literal properties, allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried meaning than more literal concept-representations can allow. A religion can be described as a language of concepts related to human spirituality. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions. Christianity is the monotheistic system of beliefs and practices that are based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and that emphasizes the role of Jesus as savior and Christ. Discussion Zodiac is one of the oldest conceptual images in human history. It reflects the sun as it figuratively passes through the 12 major constellations over the course of a year. It also reflects the 12 months of the year, the 4 seasons, and the solstices and equinoxes. The term Zodiac relates to the fact that constellations were anthropomorphized, or personified, as figures, or animals. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary on December 25th/a> in Bethlehem, his birth was symbolized by a star in the east which three kings or magi followed to locate and adorn the new savior. He was a child teacher at age 12 and at the age of 30 he was baptized by John the Baptist, and thus began the ministry. Jesus had 12 disciples whom he traveled about with performing miracles such as healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on water, he was also known as the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Light of the World, the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God e.g. After being betrayed by Judas his disciple and sold for 30 pieces of silver, he was crucified, placed in a tomb and after 3 days resurrected and ascended to Heaven. The birth sequence of Jesus is completely astrological. The star in the east is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky at night, which on December 24th aligns with the three brightest stars in Orions Belt. These three bright stars are referred today what they were called in ancient times, The Three Kings. The Three Kings and the brightest star Sirius, all point to the place of the sunrise on December 25th. This is why the Three Kings follow the star in the east, in order to locate the sunrise or the birth of the sun. Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo, also known as the Virgo the Virgin which in Latin means virgin. The ancient glyph for Virgo is the altered m. This is why Mary with other virgin mothers, such as Adoniss mother Myrrha and Buddhas mother Maya begin with an M. Virgo is also referred to as the House of Bread, and the represents of virgin holding a sheaf of wheat. The House of Bread and its symbol of wheat represent August and September, the time of harvest. In turn, Bethlehem literally translates to house of bread. Bethlehem therefore refers to the constellation Virgo, a place in the sky, not on Earth. Another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around December 25th is that from the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the days become shorter and colder. From the northern hemisphere perspective, the sun appears to move south gets smaller and more scarce. The shortening of days and the expiration of the crops when approaching the winter solstice symbolizes the process of death to the ancients. By December 22nd, the Suns demise was fully realized, for the Sun having moved south continually for 6 months, makes it to its lowest point in the sky. And here a curious thing occurs, the Sun stops moving south, at least for 3 days. In the three day pause, the Sun stays in the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or Crux, the constellation. After this time on December 25th, the Sun moves 1 degree, this time north, foreshadowing longer days, spring and warmth. And thus it was said, the Sun died on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again. This is why Jesus and num erous other Sun Gods share the crucifixion, 3 day death, and resurrection concept. It’s the Suns transition period before it shifts its direction back towards the Northern Hemisphere bringing spring and thus salvation. However, they didn’t celebrate the resurrection of the Sun until the spring equinox, or Easter. This is because at the spring equinox, the Sun officially overpowers the evil darkness, as daytime thereafter becomes longer in duration than night, and the revitalizing conditions of spring emerge. Therefore the obvious astrological symbolism around Jesus regards the 12 disciples. They are simply the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, which Jesus, being the Sun, travels about with. In fact, the number 12 is seen more often throughout the Bible which has more to do with astrology than anything else. Looking at the cross of the Zodiac, the figurative life of the Sun, this was not an artistic expression or tool to track the Suns movements. It is a Pagan adaptation of the cross of the Zodiac. That is why Jesus in early occult art is shown with his head on the cross the Sun of God, the Light of the World, the Risen Savior, who will come again, as it is every morning, the Glory of God who battles against the works of darkness, as he is born again every morning, and can be seen coming in the clouds, up in Heaven, with his Crown of Thorns, or, sun rays. Now, of the many astrological-astronomical metaphors in the Bible, the most important has to do with the ages. In the scriptures there are numerous references ‘Age’. To understand this, we need to familiarize with the phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes. Ancient Egyptians along with cultures long before them recognized that approximately for every 2150 years the sunrise on the morning of the spring equinox would occur at a different sign of the Zodiac. This is concerned with the slow angular wobble that the Earth maintains as it rotates on its axis. It’s called a precession because the constellations go backwards, rather than through the normal annual cycle. The time that it takes for the precession to go through all 12 signs is roughly 25 to 765 years. This is also called the Great Year, and ancient societies were very aware of this. Each 2150 year period was called an age. From 4300 b.c. to 2150 b.c., it was called the Age of Taurus, the Bull. From 2150 b.c. to 1 a.d., it was called the Age of Aries, the Ram, and from 1 a.d. to 2150 a.d. it was called the Age of Pisces, the age we are still in to date, and in and around 2150, we shall enter the new age called the Age of Aquarius. The Bible reflects a symbolic movement through 3 ages, while foreshadowing a 4th. In the Old Testament when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, he was very upset to see his people worshiping a golden bull calf. He reacted by shattering the stone tablets and instructing his people to kill each other in order to purify themselves. I would attribute this anger to the fact that the Israelites were worshiping a false idol or something to that effect. The fact is that the golden bull is Taurus the Bull, and Moses represents the new Age of Aries the Ram. That is why Jews even today still blow the Rams horn. Moses represents the new Age of Aries, and upon the new age, everyone should shed the old age. Other deities mark these transitions as well, a pre-Christian god who kills the bull, in the same symbol. Jesus is the figure who ushers in the age following Aries, the Age of Pisces the two Fish. Fish symbolism is very repetitive in the New Testament. Jesus fed 5000 people with bread and 2 fish. When he began his ministry walking along Galilee, he befriends 2 fishermen, who followed him. I have seen Jesus-fish on the backs of peoples cars. Yet they do not know what it actually means. It is a Pagan astrological symbolism for the Suns Kingdom during the Age of Pisces. Also, Jesus assumed birth date is essentially the start of this age. In Luke 22:10 when Jesus is asked by his disciples where the next Passover will be, Jesus replied ‘Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water follow him into the house where he entereth in.’ this scripture is one of the most revealing of all the astrological references. The man carrying a pitcher of water is Aquarius, the water bearer, who is always seen as a man pouring out a pitcher of water. He represents the age after Pisces, and when the Sun leaves the Age of Pisces (Jesus), it will go into the House of Aquarius, as Aquarius follows Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. Also what Jesus is that after the Age of Pisces will come the Age of Aquarius. We have all heard about the end times and the end of the world. Apart from the depictions in the Book of Revelation, the main source of this idea comes from Matthew 28:20, where Jesus says ‘I will be with you even to the end of the world.’ Otherwise, in King James Version, ‘the world’ is a mistranslation, among many mistranslations. The actual word being used is aeon, which means ‘age.’ ‘I will be with you even to the end of the age.’ Which is true, as Jesus Solar Piscean representation will end when the Sun enters the Age of Aquarius. The entire concept of end times and the end of the world is a misinterpreted astrological allegation. Lets tell that to the approximately 100 million people in America who believe the end of the world is coming. Furthermore, Jesus character, a literary and astrological hybrid, is most explicitly similar to the Egyptian Sun god Horus e.g., inscribed about 3500 years ago on the walls of the Temple of Luxor in Egypt are images of the enunciation of the immaculate conception, the birth, and the adoration of Horus. The images begin with Thaw announcing to the virgin Isis that she will conceive Horus, then Nef the holy ghost shall impregnant the virgin Isis, and then the virgin birth and the adoration. This exactly entails Jesus’ miracle conception. In fact, the literary similarities between the Egyptian religion and the Christian religion are staggering. The plagiarism is continuous. The story of Noah and the Ark is taken directly from the traditions. The concept of a Great Flood is common throughout the ancient world, with over 200 different cited claims in different periods and times. However, one needs look no further for a pre-Christian source than the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in 2600 b.c. In this story is told of a Great Flood commanded by God, an Ark with saved animals on it, and even the release and return of a dove, all held in common with the biblical story, among many other similar occurrences. Then there is the plagiarized story of Moses. Upon Moses birth, it is said that he was placed in a reed basket and set adrift in a river in order to avoid infanticide. He was later rescued by a daughter of a king and raised by her as a Prince. This baby in a basket story was lifted directly from the myth of Sargon of Akkad of around 2250 b.c. Sargon was born, placed in a reed basket in order to avoid infanticide, and set adrift in a river. He was in turn rescued and raised by Akki, a royal mid-wife. Furthermore, Moses is known as the giver of the Ten Commandments. However, the idea of a Law being passed from God to a prophet on a mountain is also a very old motif. Moses is just a law giver in a series of law givers in mythological history. In India, Manou was the great law giver. In Crete, Minos ascended Mount Dicta, where Zeus gave him the sacred laws. While in Egypt there was Mises, who carried stone tablets and upon them the laws of god were written. The Ten Commandments are taken outright from Spell 125 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. What the Book of the Dead phrased I have not killed Thou shall not kill, I have not told lies became Thou shall not bear false witness I have not stolen became Thou shall not steal,† and so forth. In fact, the Egyptian religion is likely the primary foundational basis for the Judeo-Christian theology. Baptism, afterlife, final judgment, virgin birth and resurrection, crucifixion, the Ark of the Covenant, circumcision, saviors, Holy Communion, the great flood, Easter, Christmas, Passover, and many more, are all attributes of Egyptian ideas, long predating Christianity and Judaism. Justin Martyr, one of the first Christian historians and defenders, said: When we say that Jesus Christ, our teacher, was produced without sexual union, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into Heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those who you esteem Sons of Jupiter. In a different writing, Justin Martyr said He was born of a virgin; accept this in similarity with what you believe of Perseus. Its quite obvious that Justin and other early Christians knew how similar Christianity was to the Pagan religions and practices. However, Justin had a solution, as far as he was concerned, the Devil did it. The Devil had the foresight to come before Christ, and create these characteristics in the Pagan world. The Bible is just but an astro-theological literary fold hybrid, just like nearly all religious myths before it. In fact, the aspect of transference, of one characters attributes to a new character, can be found within the bible itself. In the Old Testament theres the story of Joseph. Joseph was a prototype for Jesus. Joseph was born of a miracle birth; Jesus was born of a miracle birth. Joseph was of 12 brothers, Jesus had 12 disciples. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver; Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. Brother Judah suggests the sale of Joseph, disciple Judas suggests the sale of Jesus. Joseph began his work at the age of 30; Jesus began his work at the age of 30. The parallels go on and on. At the time of Jesus, the Mediterranean world was ruled by the Roman Empire. The Romans were pagans, who had their own gods namely; Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and so on. The names of these gods have survived to date in the names of the planets, the days of the week, names of months and general linguistic usage. The other cultures in the area also had their own gods and goddesses, who corresponded more or less to the Roman pantheon. Greek was the language of culture in the Middle East; the main centre was Alexandria in Egypt and the Roman world was one in which trade and religion passed rapidly between the cities and towns along the marvello. Celebrating the Solstice was forbidden by the Church, but many customs survived anyway. In the 4th Century, Pope Julius I declared that 25th December was Jesus birthday and so celebrations were in order. This effectively transformed the Pagan occasion into a Christian holy day (holiday). This was not, however, merely a convenient way to Christianize a Pagan celebration. There is no historical evidence to prove what date Jesus was born on, or the season, or even the year. But after many years of calculation, contemplation and argument, 25th December was assigned. And since the why is more important than the when, that date has been good enough for Christians ever since. Conclusion Paganism has a wider influence on our lives than we might care to think. Take for example, the simple wedding ring. This has profound Pagan origins yet is considered an essential part of the wedding ceremony by many Christians. Overemphasizing the relevance and importance of religious symbols can lead to conflict. Consider the tensions that rose in France during 2004/5, following the banning of Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps, large Christian crucifixes, and other conspicuous religious symbols that dont blend into secular state schools5. The headscarf issue resulted in just a handful of school expulsions but more damagingly generated ill-feeling, divided the country and achieved nothing positive. Paganism has had a wide influence on Christianity given the many examples of rites and regalia that support this assertion. And this raises the question: So what? Christians should be cautious about condemning practices as Pagan, just because of their origins. The origins may be interesting, but not so important. What is really important, however, is what we do with these things. References: J. G. Frazer (1993) The Golden Bough, Macmillan Co. Ltd, London R. Graves (1961) the white Goddess, Faber Faber, London A. His lop: (1990) The Two Babylon’s, Loizeaux Brothers; 2nd edition. M. D. Magee Sun Gods as Atoning Saviors an online resource investigating the origins of Christian and Jewish teachings Strabo:( 1982) The Geography of Strabo, Loeb Classical Library Tertullian:( 870) Adversus Judaeos, trans. Rev. S. Thelwall, 1870 B. G. Walker 🙠 1983) the Womans Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Harper Row, NY