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This website is mostly aimed at providing arguments and evidence for the non-Christian, the Christian who may be struggling with what he or she believes, or those Christians who are interested in reaching out to others.
My opinions may contradict what other Christians believe, but many of my arguments are also based on arguments given by a variety of Christian sources. I especially owe a debt of gratitude to the writings of Glenn Miller, J.P. Holding, Paul Maier, Grant R. Jeffrey, Lee Strobel, and Gerald Schroeder.
Please feel free to borrow ideas or arguments of mine (since many of them were not mine to begin with). I do ask that if you quote from my site directly, to please credit me.
Jesus & Shang-Ti Parallels - A Christian Response
Critics claim Shang-Ti (aka Chang-Ti, Shang Te, or Tien) was worshipped as a God in China about 500 years before Jesus, and was born of a virgin. It took me a fair amount of searching, but I did finally find a site (link at the bottom of this page) with a lot of information on this god. None of it says anything about his being born of a virgin, and none of the information given suggests any strong connection to Jesus.
Here is the information the site gives (I removed sources and repetitive details to save space - they can be found on the site linked at the bottom of the page):
Shang Ti is equated with Indra.
The Yellow Emperor was likened to Shang-Ti: … he had the face of a dragon … the constellation that bears his name had the body of a yellow dragon and ruled thunder and rain, and … he departed on a dragon at the end of his life.
The circumpolar zone was called the 'forbidden polar palace' and the emperor was believed to rule over the north pole in imitation of Shang-Ti.
Shang Ti is invoked as dwelling in the sovereign heavens, looking up to the lofty nine-storied azure vault.
The Polar Star is the Centre of Heaven. And: Shang-te’s throne is in Tsze-wei, i. e., the Polar Star. And: Immediately over the central peak of Kwen-lun appears the Polar star, which is Shang-te’s heavenly abode. And: In the central place the Polar star of Heaven, the one Bright One, the Great Monad, always dwells.
Within the seas, in the valleys of Kwen-lun, at the northwest is Shang-te’s Lower Recreation Palace. It is eight hundred le square, and eighty thousand feet high. In front there are nine walls, inclosed by a fence of precious stones. At the sides there are nine doors, through which the light streams, and it is guarded by beasts. Shang-te’s wife also dwells in this region, immediately over which is Shang-te’s Heavenly Palace, which is situated in the centre of the heavens, as his earthly one is in the centre of the earth.
In Kwen-lun is Shang-te’s lower recreation-palace … Shang-te’s wife dwells in this region, immediately over which is Shang-te’s heavenly palace, which is situated in the centre of the heavens, as his earthly one is in the centre of the earth … The Queen mother dwells alone in its midst, in the place where the genii sport.
The sky god is called T’ien, ‘sky’, ‘sky god’, and Chang-Ti, ‘lord highness, lord on high'.
Shang-ti was the supreme polar god. His seat was ‘the Pivot’.
Shang-ti was the first king.
Shang-ti’s palace is called Tsze-wei, ‘a celestial space around the North pole.
The centre post of a roof was a ki, and the chief upright, ki, of the local dwelling symbolised the Tai-Ki or ‘Great Ki’ in heaven, the central support of the turning cosmos. The ‘Great Ki’ was Shang-ti.
Shang Ti was king of the gods.
Shang Ti was a pillar god.
Shang Ti was married to Kwai-Yin.
Links:
Mythopedia: China (note: information on Shang-Ti is about 2/5 of the way down the page)