Ms. Kinzenbaw, you stated in your letter on Nov. 18 that prayer to Jesus is different than prayer to any other deity because “Many have claimed to be divine or a prophet of some god, but only in Christianity has Jesus claimed to be god and supported it by performing vast miracles, fulfilling numerous prophecies and, most of all, by rising from the dead.”

That statement is absolutely false. There have been numerous “only begotten sons of god” throughout the ages, and Jesus is, in fact, the most recent in the genera. Others include Krishna, Salivahana, Osiris, Orus, Baal, Indra, Bali, Thammuz, Atys, Mithra, Zoroaster, Mikado, Beddru, Hesus, Thor, Hil, Gentaut and Quexalcote.

Many were born of virgins: Jesus, Sakia, Krishna, Zulis, Quexalcote, Bacchus, Alcides and Hesus. Many were born on what is now celebrated as Christmas: Jesus, Bacchus, Adonis, Krishna, Chang-ti, Chris, Mithra, Sakia and Jao Wapaul.

Jesus, Mithra, and Krishna were born in caves or mangers and were visited by shepherds and wise men bearing gold frankincense and myrrh.

An evil king ordered the deaths of all infant boys at Krishna’s birth as well as at Jesus’ birth. All performed miracles and wonders and fulfilled prophecies.

Many raised the dead. Horus raised an Egyptian pharaoh named El-Azar-Us from the dead. Sounds sort of like Lazarus, doesn’t it?

Many were known as “the word” and “the way, the truth, and the light.” Many were sons of carpenters. Most started their ministries around the age of 30 and their ministries frequently lasted for about three years.

At least 16 of them were killed, most by crucifixion, buried, and then raised from the dead, usually three days later and usually on what is now celebrated as Easter. Some were even crucified between thieves.

Mithra had 12 apostles, and at the last supper before he was killed, he broke bread and drank with his apostles and told them that it represented his blood and his body, instituting the “Lord’s Supper” centuries before Christ was born.

Mithra’s holy day was Sunday, which was later adopted by the Christians as their holy day as well. The hierarchy and vestments of the Catholic Church were lifted straight out of Mithraism. See “The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors or Christianity Before Christ” by Kersey Graves.

The Christ story in the Bible is far from unique. It fits the mold for a host of other “only begotten sons” and “man-god” myths, all of which predated it by hundreds to thousands of years. Like the other “man-gods,” there is no independent evidence to support the existence of Jesus.

You can believe what you like about prayer and Jesus, but you are mistaken if you think your belief in Jesus is more reasonable than belief in any other deity because he was in any way unique.

You also suggested that the fact that someone is willing to die for something proves it is not a lie.

Does that mean you believe the views of the suicide bombers in Israel and Palestine? How about David Koresh? What about Applegate and the Heavens Gate group and Jim Jones? Do those events speak clearly of the power of god, too? After all, how many would die for something they knew to be a lie?

You closed your letter suggesting that the right to prayer may be legally taken away. Nobody in the United States has ever tried to take away the right for you to pray, although many have tried to take away your right not to pray.

What people have done is try to protect their right not to be subjected to your prayers in public places. If you want to pray, do it the way Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:5 “But when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in secret.” That doesn’t mean use the school PA system to beg your god for favors before a football game.

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Tim Morgan, D.V.M.

Adjunct instructor

Veterinary pathology