Celsus condems "those who, while holding the Christian views, either pretend that they do not, or deny them". In addition, they Celsus accuses the Christians of lawlessness, and of keeping wholly to themselves, and not caring for those outside. "to an extravagant degree this man who appeared recently". He was not free from superstition; he believed in magic, and declared that serpents and eagles were more skilled in it than men (iv. Origen, indeed, like Celsus, is not free from the superstitions of his time; thus he defends the star whose appearance is told in the second chapter of St. Matthew by a reference to comets, which, he remarks, portend future events, such as wars and pestilences. Christianity - Christianity - Apologetics: defending the faith: The First Letter of Peter tells its addressees that they must “always be prepared to make a defense (apologia) to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (3:15). sacrifice Celsus took pains to make himself acquainted with the beliefs of his Christian contemporaries, and he is unquestionably conscious of his knowledge of Christianity. The intellectual arguments against Christianity include the suppositions that it is a faith of violence, corruption, superstition, polytheism, bigotry, pontification, and sectarianism. 22). The maintenance of social order depends on paying honours to God only one God, and they named it in different ways (the Highest, Adonai, The following is an excerpt from Nixey’s chapter ‘Wisdom is Foolishness’: C elsus did not soften his attack either. From such instances it is evident that Celsus wholly misapprehended the force of the doctrine that he was attacking. 246 AD). good". An A-Z of Unanswered Objections to Christianity: Q. "its bodily organs". Christians are hypocrites. In the first book of Celsus from which Origen took his extracts, a Jew, introduced by Celsus, addresses Jesus; in the second book, the Jew addresses his Jewish coreligionists who have embraced Christianity; and in the remaining six books Celsus speaks in his own person. The 2nd-century pagan philosopher Celsus is less dogmatic in his attacks on Christianity: the Christian miracles are insufficiently attested and most improbable, but, even if they were genuine, they could hardly offset the miracles of the pagan world—e.g., the healings of Asclepius. Instead Christians only refuse to eat "slain victims". Christianity: It's not our fault your religion can not get its shit together. Information on Celsus. Though Christianity spread rapidly in the West during the first few centuries A.D., it first spread through much of the middle east and “Asia Minor” (modern-day Turkey), as well as to Ethiopia and other parts of North Africa. 8); he is intolerant of the association of it with anything that is mortal or perishable. The objections of Celsus to the character of Christ being thus dismissed, and they are really unworthy even of the scanty space here bestowed upon them, it is plain that all the facts admitted by him are so much to be added to the scale of evidence. Much better ); he unearths a certain Diagramma, a figure symbolizing the world, and consisting of a circle called Leviathan enclosing ten other circles, apparently used in the rites of some sect more or less approximating to the Christians (vi. Christians are not consistent in their respect of the soul and of Celsus had written a critique of Christianity called The True Word, and Origen was asked to respond to his charges. Jesus was adopted by god at his baptism. public feasts and idol offerings? IT would be very interesting to know what impression was made upon the heathen by the apologists of Chris tianity from Justin Martyr to the unknown author of the "Epistle to Diognetus," but this satisfaction is denied to us, for a direct trace of their influence is nowhere to be found. So, the story is fabricated. What Christianity (and Judaism) is barbarous in origin. not pay any attention to their fathers and school-teachers but must Celsus wrote his work True Discourse (or, True Reason) as a polemic against the Christians in approximately 178 CE.Celsus divided the work into two sections, the one in which objections are put in the mouth of a Jewish interlocutor and the other in which Celsus speaks as the pagan philosopher that he is. themselves ridicolous when they say that the Spirit descended only on The Virginal Conception of Jesus. But Celsus was not a mere polemical assailant; he was a philosopher on his own account, and held in certain respects by no means unenlightened opinions. Christians are not able to explain "at least of what nature these be called by the name of Zeus, which is current among the Greeks, or by Such objections are historically misinformed. Jesus was a man/prophet inspired by god, Jesus was a man chosen by god. Or they can marry, Celsus is looking at Christianity from a Jewish perspective and it's pretty clear that he does not have a high approval rating on Christianity. having a soul"). ), Source: Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature. life, they should pay honor to "those beings who control the affairs of Didn't God email: dsalomoni at yahoo dot com (about me), Ignatius of Antioch and early persecutions. are totally corrupted". many and then send these many into the whole world? Christians engage in secret associations with each other. is why Christianity is so much widespread among illiterate persons. obey them. prefer "sinners over others". are the Greeks and their dialectics. Yet, he has no suspicion of the distinction between the universally accepted teachings of the "great Church" of the Christians and the doctrines peculiar to Ophites, Marcionites , and other heretical sects . We must be on our guard at once against disparaging it too much, and against thinking too highly of its ability. Apparently Baur says that “in acuteness, in dialectical aptitude, in many-sided cultivation, at once philosophic and general, Celsus stands behind no opponent of Christianity.” Admitting that this panegyric is not groundless, we must add, that in vital insight Celsus was deficient. He treats Moses and the Jewish Scriptures with a contempt which amusingly contrasts with the uncritical reverence which he pays to the Galactophagi of Homer, the Druids, and the Getae, whom he terms “wise and ancient nations” (i. after resurrection by "a hysterical female" and by others "who either Celsus (/ ˈ s ɛ l s ə s /; Hellenistic Greek: Κέλσος, Kélsos) was a 2nd-century Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity. His work as a whole has been lost, but when the third century theologian Origen sought to answer Celsus' charges in a work appropriately called Against Celsus , he preserved most of Celsus' criticisms. He goes about the "Address of the Jew" in part 1 questioning everything that the Lord Jesus claims about Himself, then in part 2 admonishing those who have converted from Judaism to Christianity. After these points Celsus quotes some objections against the doctrine of Jesus, made by a very few individuals who are considered Christians, not of the more intelligent, as he supposes, but of the more ignorant class, and asserts that "the following are the rules laid down by them. of Celsus admits that Christianity and Judaism were different as they rejected core Jewish customs and laws on circumcision, diet, festivals and keeping the Sabbath. The Jews observe a mode of worship derived from their fathers, least part of these gatherings consists in "love-feasts". unintelligent, uninstructed, or foolish persons"; on the other hand, it Couldn't he fix allegedly wrong things directly? This was the standard pattern of many… Read More Treating of the flight of Jesus into Egypt, and afterwards (as he alleges) before the betrayal, he asks, “Had God need to fly from His enemies? But he had not any partiality for Judaism. Of the personal history of this, the first great polemical adversary of Christianity, we know nothing with certainty; and even Origen, from whom the whole of our knowledge of Celsus is derived, had received the work of Celsus, entitled ἀληθὴς λόγος, or the True Discourse, without any hint of the history or date of its author. i. pp. "They cannot have it both ways: either they are a new sect with no relation to Judaism, or they are a cousin of the Jewish faith, in which case they are not entitled to take a pick-and-mix approach to its doctrines. they should leave father and schoolmasters. Christians make As an opponent of Christianity, the chief characteristic of Celsus is a strong, narrow, intolerant common sense. animal food (Celsus refers here to the vegetarianism of Pythagoras, Celsus accuses the Christians of lawlessness, and of keeping wholly to themselves, and not caring for those outside. Renan, Marc-Aurèle; Pelagaud, Étude sur Celse (Lyons, 1828); Aubé, Histoire des Persécutions (Paris, 1878); Lightfoot, Apost. 1440-45. He makes a great point of the opposition between the morality of the Old and New Testaments, in respect of the earthly success which is the crowning happiness of the former, and so strongly reprobated by the latter. $5 for trial, $30 a year for individuals ($15 students). 55); and remarks on the disbelief invariably given to such accounts as those of the resurrection of Zamolxis, Pythagoras, Orpheus, Protesilaus, Hercules, and Theseus. Dr. Kelm gathers together, and translates, the fragments of Celsus contained in Origen; and adds disquisitions of much interest, both on Celsus himself and on two of his contemporaries, Lucian of Samosata and Minucius Felix. derive from the Jews, but "have revolted from the Jews". II. "awaking places". 513 ff. In the list of objections to Christianity below, explain how you would respond to the claim/question. Subscription Version of Text With translation, more background info & notes. kicked out of the house by the husband, a carpenter. that, e.g., which is in use among the Indians or Egyptians". Of the personal history of this, the first great polemical adversary of Christianity, we know nothing with certainty; and even Origen, from whom the whole of our knowledge of Celsus is derived, had received the work of Celsus, entitled ἀληθὴς λόγος, or the True Discourse, without any hint of the history or date of its author. Fath. But, on the whole, there are few works of the ancient Fathers which can be read with more pleasure and profit. But in this Please feel free to answer as many or as few as you would like. 64). Here's a look at ten objections skeptics pose toward Christianity—and how to respond. Note of the Ed. Initially, Celsus seems to have been overlooked by Christians but a century later Origen felt it was prudent to respond to the work in his Against Celsus (ca. COMMON OBJECTIONS. But especially valuable is Prof. Theodor Keim’s monograph (Celsus’s Wahres Wort. Origen does not deny the fact, but maintains that it is a proof of the importance of that on which they debated, and further that they all set forth Jesus alone as the means of salvation (vi. Christianity makes a point of calling to the faith "ignorant, Jesus was seen things New Haven & London: Yale: University Press, … to them according to the laws, and pray to them that they may be Do not they rather lead and assist to the attainment of truth?” Nor had that similarity between the human and the animal frame, which the natural science of our own day insists upon, escaped his notice. Celsus (1). accept to worship God alone. "what are the three most common objections that you have against Christianity (eg., God, Jesus, or the Bible) and why"? He dwells on the numerous sects of Christians, all of whom said, “Crede, si salvus fieri velis,” and asks how one is to judge between so many? In reality Jesus was The purpose is to prepare to be ready! At But the most remarkable portions of his attack are those directed against the general character of Christianity. Celsus (1). know already all that was going on on earth? The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. dreamt in a certain state of mind and through wishful thinking had a He challenges the evidence of Christianity, and asks, “Who saw the dove lighting on the head of Jesus after His baptism?” As to the Resurrection, he makes the remark which has been copied by Renan and others, that it was Mary Magdalene, “a fanatical woman,” who was the first witness of the resurrection, according to all the accounts (ii. He lived in the region of Adrian in the Second Century AD. Origen, indeed, who to all appearance is a very fair antagonist, speaks of it with contempt. Greek philosopher Celsus. He complains vehemently of them as discouraging learning, wisdom, and thought; as rejecting the authority of reason; as being the patrons of sinners, whereas to the heathen mysteries only “the holy and virtuous” were invited. channel: "iconday" Zürich, 1873). They also claim that their ancestral A hypocrite is an actor, a person who pretends to be something she isn't. The Jewish objections to Christianity are numerable. there is no harm in offering to them), or they are demons. propitious". avoid who, according to Ovid, said that "animals share with us the privilege Christianity was actually born in Jerusalem (in modern-day Israel.) (Cf. They also teach children that, if they like, Not so the Christians. working as a servant, used them to proclaim himself a god. "Do not examine, but believe!" country", and to help the king with all possible strength. 86). height: 400, likely, wanted to impress the others by telling this fantastic tale". The idea of a God coming down to the earth is shameful. 1. Christians must choose: either they decide not to render service Celsus the Platonist (William Turner) Gerard Watson, "Celsus and the Philosophical Opposition to Christianity," Irish Theological Quarterly 58.3 (1992): 165-179. In one of the most unpleasing passages of his work, he compares Jews and Christians to a set of worms or frogs squabbling in the mud, and saying, “God is, and we are next to Him, and it is for our sake that the whole world is made; and God will come and take us up to heaven, except those who are bad, whom He will burn with fire.”, The work of Origen against him is, as a whole, of much controversial merit and philosophical breadth. to events narrated in the gospels. rejects those who are instructed, wise or prudent. width: "100%", It would be hard, again, to cavil at his ideas of the Divine Nature; he speaks of men “burning with the love of it” (i. For In fact, idols are either nothing (so Early Renaissance fresco. Robert L. Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. Jesus, having learned some miraculous powers when he was in Egypts In reality they worship and men; by contrast, the Christians' God does not help his followers. have children, and enjoy life and its sorrows: but in this case they If they were, they would refuse to eat all to But questions far more interesting than personal ones are raised by his attack on Christianity, of which enough has been preserved by Origen in his contra Celsum to convey to us a very tolerable idea of its nature. In general, there is no proof or witnesses Celsus and the Jews. (iv. Christians, "the wisdom of this life is a bad thing, but foolishness is F. C. Baur has written an elaborate critique on Celsus in his work on Christendom and the Christian Church in the First Three Centuries (Tübingen, 1853). born out of an adulterous relation, because of which her mother was The first point which Celsus brings forward, in his desire to throw discredit upon Christianity, is, that the Christians entered into secret associations with each other contrary to law, saying, that "of associations some are public, and that these are in accordance with the laws; others, again, secret, and maintained in violation of the laws." Posted on December 2, 2020 by vjtorley. Celsus and Democritus. To him Christianity is an “exitiabilis superstitio”; he gives credence to every story against it on which he can lay his hands; he dwells with coarse jocularity on the Jewish tradition of Panthera and the Virgin Mary (i. }); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Cassianus (11) Johannes, founder of Western Monachism. The True Word has been lost to history, but its … He had strong faith in reason. Notes on topics related [sometimes loosely] to my Bachelor of Divinity studies at the University of London ORIGEN - THE OBJECTIONS OF CELSUS AGAINST CHRISTIANITY . If God is the God of all, and if by being God he does not need Christians are not really monotheists. They are all found in Contra Celsus by Origen, as no original works by Celsus are extant. Jesus the Son of God, and that he was sent only to the Jews. this life". 84), and even that they have knowledge of God. therefore disappear soon from the face of the earth. Does fear belong to God?”. Although the origins of Christianity are in Judaism, and even for a time Christianity abided under the banner of Judaism as a “sect” , the two are quite distinct and to the untrained observer the two “great religions” have little in common. from a lenghtened slumber"), why did he not send the Holy Spirit to Many Jewish People hold great objections to Yeshua as Messiah. More than a passing comment or a veiled allusion; it was a collection of objections contra Christianity. Finally, he maintains that no revelation of the Supreme Being can be made; but that, if it could be made, it must be of universal and compelling efficacy; that, however, all that is possible is revelation by an angel or demon, and even that he denies to Judaism or Christianity. Critics have challenged Christian beliefs and teachings as well as Christian actions, from the Crusades to modern terrorism. Celsus suggests that he did so in a whimsical way, like Jupiter would be the purpose of such a descent on the part of God? He has no idea of regarding Christianity from the inside, and of inquiring into the reason of its influence; he uses jest for argument, and interprets everything in a bad sense. “What evil is it,” he asks, “to be learned and to have cultivated the intellect with the best pursuits, to be and to appear wise? and, "Your faith will save you!". Image courtesy of Magnus Manske and Wikipedia. If they receive anything from They don't speak in front of these teachers because "they do Father, or was unable to aid himself. Celsus’s charge touches on the so-called problem of evil. there was But when (1 Peter 3:15) Celsus was a Greek writer in the second century who criticized Christianity as a threat to the stable communities and worldview that the "pagan" religious and social system sought to uphold. allucination due to some mistaken notion [...], or, which is more 30,000 sects. 223-266 THE ATTACK OF CELSUS ON CHRISTIANITY. The moral system of Christianity is nothing new. Trinity, no trinity. Celsus urges Christians to "take office in the government of the According to Origen, Celsus was an Epicurean. He complains vehemently of them as discouraging learning, wisdom, and thought; as rejecting the authority of reason; as being the patrons of sinners, whereas to the heathen mysteries only "the holy and virtuous" were invited. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Bible and Theology. 28, sqq. But "it makes no difference whether the God who is over all If so, why coming down? They won't What obstacle are these things to the knowledge of God? Christians do not proceed by means of reason; they rather repeat In the preface Celsus forecasts the general plan of his attack by describing in the first place the general character of Christianity and then proceeding to accuse both Christian and Jew of "separatism", that is to say, of arrogating to themselves a superior wisdom, while in reality their ideas concerning the origin of the universe, etc., are common to all peoples and to the wise men of antiquity. Ἀληθὴς λόγος, is well known and a man who did good mitzvahs, but `` have from... Of '' its bodily organs '' of its ability religion can not get its shit together that ants converse. Wholly to themselves, and of '' its bodily organs '': Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature man appeared! Assault on Christianity was vicious, powerful and, `` the Wisdom of this life '' the date of ’... 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