 |
|
|
|
 Does Easter celebrate a man, a savior, or a myth? Some say Jesus never existed and was a myth created by early Christians.
April 7th, 2012
08:32 PM ET
The Jesus debate: Man vs. mythBy John Blake, CNN (CNN)– Timothy Freke was flipping through an old academic book when he came across a religious image that some would call obscene. It was a drawing of a third-century amulet depicting a naked man nailed to a cross. The man was born of a virgin, preached about being “born again” and had risen from the dead after crucifixion, Freke says. But the name on the amulet wasn’t Jesus. It was a pseudonym for Osiris-Dionysus, a pagan god in ancient Mediterranean culture. Freke says the amulet was evidence of something that sounds like sacrilege – and some would say it is: that Jesus never existed. He was a myth created by first-century Jews who modeled him after other dying and resurrected pagan gods, says Freke, author of "The Jesus Mysteries: Was the ‘Original Jesus’ a Pagan God?" “If I said to you that there was no real Good Samaritan, I don’t think anyone would be outraged,” says Freke, one of a group of mythicists who say Jesus never existed. “It’s a teaching story. What we’re saying is that the Jesus story is an allegory. It’s a parable of the spiritual journey.” CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories On Easter Sunday, millions of Christians worldwide mark the resurrection of Jesus. Though Christians clash over many issues, almost all agree that he existed. But there is another view of Jesus that’s been emerging, one that strikes at the heart of the Easter story. A number of authors and scholars say Jesus never existed. Such assertions could have been ignored in an earlier age. But in the age of the Internet and self-publishing, these arguments have gained enough traction that some of the world’s leading New Testament scholars feel compelled to publicly take them on. Most Jesus deniers are Internet kooks, says Bart D. Ehrman, a New Testament scholar who recently released a book devoted to the question called “Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth.” Your comments on Jesus deniers He says Freke and others who deny Jesus’ existence are conspiracy theorists trying to sell books. “There are people out there who don’t think the Holocaust happened, there wasn’t a lone JFK assassin and Obama wasn’t born in the U.S.,” Ehrman says. “Among them are people who don’t think Jesus existed.” Does it matter if Jesus existed? Some Jesus mythicists say many New Testament scholars are intellectual snobs. “I don’t think I’m some Internet kook or Holocaust denier,” says Robert Price, a former Baptist pastor who argues in “Deconstructing Jesus” that a historical Jesus probably didn’t exist. “They say I’m a bitter ex-fundamentalist. It’s pathetic to see this character assassination. That’s what people resort to when they don’t have solid arguments.” The debate over Jesus’ existence has led to a curious role reversal. Two of the New Testament scholars who are leading the way arguing for Jesus’ existence have a reputation for attacking, not defending, traditional Christianity. Ehrman, for example, is an agnostic who has written books that argue that virtually half of the New Testament is forged. Another defender of Jesus’ existence is John Dominic Crossan, a New Testament scholar who has been called a heretic because his books challenge some traditional Christian teachings. But as to the existence of Jesus, Crossan says, he’s “certain.” He says some Jesus deniers may be people who have a problem with Christianity. “It’s a way of responding to something you don’t like,” Crossan says. “We can’t say that Obama doesn’t exist, but we can say that he’s not an American. If we’re talking about Obama in the future, there are people who might not only say he wasn’t American, but he didn’t even exist.” Does it even matter if Jesus existed? Can’t people derive inspiration from his teachings whether he actually walked the Earth? Crossan says Jesus’ existence matters in the same way that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s existence mattered. If King never existed, people would say his ideas are lovely, but they could never work in the real world, Crossan says. It’s the same with an historical Jesus, Crossan writes in his latest book, “The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus.” “The power of Jesus’ historical life challenges his followers by proving at least one human being could cooperate fully with God. And if one, why not others? If some, why not all?” The evidence against Jesus’ existence Those who argue against Jesus’ existence make some of these points: -The uncanny parallels between pagan stories in the ancient world and the stories of Jesus. -No credible sources outside the Bible say Jesus existed. -The Apostle Paul never referred to a historical Jesus. Price, author of “Deconstructing Jesus,” says the first-century Western world was full of stories of a martyred hero who is called a son of God. “There are ancient novels from that period where the hero is condemned to the cross and even crucified, but he escapes and survives it,” Price says. “That looks like Jesus.” Those who argue for the existence of Jesus often cite two external biblical sources: the Jewish historian Josephus who wrote about Jesus at the end of the first century and the Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote about Jesus at the start of the second century. But some scholars say Josephus’ passage was tampered with by later Christian authors. And Price says the two historians are not credible on Jesus. “Josephus and Tacitus – they both thought Hercules was a true figure,” Price says. “Both of them spoke of Hercules as a figure that existed.” Price concedes that there were plenty of mythical stories that were draped around historical figures like Caesar. But there’s plenty of secular documentation to show Caesar existed. “Everything we read about Jesus in the gospels conforms to the mythic hero,” Price says. “There’s nothing left over that indicates that he was a real historical figure.” Those who argue for the existence of Jesus cite another source: the testimony of the Apostle Paul and Jesus’ early disciples. Paul even writes in one New Testament passage about meeting James, the brother of Jesus. These early disciples not only believed Jesus was real but were willing to die for him. People don’t die for myths, some biblical scholars say. They will if the experience is powerful enough, says Richard Carrier, author of “Proving History.” Carrier says it’s probable that Jesus never really existed and that early Christians experienced a mythic Jesus who came to them through visions and revelations. Two of the most famous stories in the New Testament – the conversion of Paul and the stoning death of Stephen, one of the first Christian martyrs - show that people seized by religious visions are willing to die, Carrier says. In both the Paul and Stephen stories, the writers say that they didn’t see an actual Jesus but a heavenly vision of Jesus, Carrier says. People “can have powerful religious experiences that don’t correspond to reality,” Carrier says. “The perfect model is Paul himself,” Carrier says. “He never met Jesus. Paul only had an encounter with this heavenly Jesus. Paul is completely converted by this religious experience, but no historical Jesus is needed for that to happen.” As for the passage where Paul says he met James, Jesus’ brother, Carrier says: “The problem with that is that all baptized Christians were considered brothers of the Lord.” The evidence for Jesus’ existence Some scholars who argue for the existence of Jesus says the New Testament mentions actual people and events that are substantiated by historical documents and archaeological discoveries. Ehrman, author of “Did Jesus Exist?” scoffed at the notion that the ancient world was full of pagan stories about dying deities that rose again. Where’s the proof? he asks. Ehrman devoted an entire section of his book to critiquing Freke, the mythicist and author of “The Jesus Mysteries: Was the ‘Original Jesus’ a Pagan God?” who says there was an ancient Osiris-Dionysus figure who shares uncanny parallels to Jesus. He says Freke can’t offer any proof that an ancient Osiris figure was born on December 25, was crucified and rose again. He says Freke is citing 20th- and 19th-century writers who tossed out the same theories. Ehrman says that when you read ancient stories about mythological figures like Hercules and Osiris, “there’s nothing about them dying and rising again.” “He doesn’t know much about ancient history,” Ehrman says of Freke. “He’s not a scholar. All he knows is what he’s read in other conspiracy books.” Craig A. Evans, the author of “Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence,” says the notion that Paul gave his life for a mythical Jesus is absurd. He says the New Testament clearly shows that Paul was an early enemy of the Christian church who sought to stamp out the burgeoning Jesus movement. “Don’t you think if you were in Paul’s shoes, you would have quickly discovered that there was no Jesus?” Evans asks. “If there was no Jesus, then how did the movement start?” Evans also dismissed the notion that early Christians blended or adopted pagan myths to create their own mythical Jesus. He says the first Christians were Jews who despised everything about pagan culture. “For a lot of Jewish people, the pagan world was disgusting,” Evans says. “I can’t imagine [the Gospel writer] Matthew making up a story where he is drawing parallels between Jesus’ birth and pagan stories about Zeus having sex with some fair maiden.” The words of Jesus also offer proof that he actually existed, Evans says. A vivid personality practically bursts from the pages of the New Testament: He speaks in riddles, talks about camels squeezing through the eye of a needle, weeps openly and even loses his temper. Evans says he is a man who is undeniably Jewish, a genius who understands his culture but also transcends his tradition with gem-like parables. “Who but Jesus could tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan?” Evans says. “Where does this bolt of lightning come from? You don’t get this out of an Egyptian myth.” Those who argue against the existence of Jesus say they aren’t trying to destroy people’s faith. “I don’t have any desire to upset people,” says Freke. “I do have a passion for the truth. … I don’t think rational people in the 20th century can go down a road just on blind faith.” Yet Easter was never just about rationale. The Easter stories about the resurrection are strange: Disciples don’t recognize Jesus as they meet him on the road; he tells someone not to touch him; he eats fish in another. In the Gospel of Matthew, a resurrected Jesus suddenly appears to a group of disciples and gives them this cryptic message: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” And what did they see: a person, a pagan myth or a savior? Albert Schweitzer, a 20th-century theologian and missionary, suggested that there will never be one answer to that question. He said that looking for Jesus in history is like looking down a well: You see only your own reflection. The “real” Jesus, Schweitzer says, will remain “a stranger and an enigma,” someone who is always ahead of us. soundoff (8,773 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 Next » |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
Alas, too many christians . . . too few lions. Oh how I miss the good old days !
2 Tim 3:1-4: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 5:19
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
My God that is profound and a true miracle my friend. You should pound your chest and yell the tarzan yell. You are truly God's messenger. It must feel so wonderful to know God better than anybody. It sounds like your a pirate and God is the parrot on your shoulder. How very powerful to have the invisible savior as your eternal bodyguard and protector. You are truly blessed. And thanks for your profoundly divine words of God. You are truly better than most people and God knows it I can tell.
Don't you sinners ever forget that the one and only son of God gave his life for yours sins. He had to suffer worse than any human torment imaginable by being beaten while carrying his own cross and being nailed to it and speared in his side. He gave up every ounce of his blood in order to make your sins disappear. He had to suffer coming back to life as a zombie and has to spend the rest of eternity as a freaking zombie because of you sinning sons a biitches!!! I hope your all happy!!!
Scourging and cruxifiction wasn't a worst torment than any other human has suffered, it was precisely how the Romans killed all their enemies. Yeah, lots of people died the same way. And shame on your for worshipping a god who trotted his son to death! Shame, shame, shame, thy name is Christian! Oh the ignorance!
nomdefaitour,
Sinners like you and me deserved to be nailed on the cross. But He is sinless.
Actual person or mythical hero aside, what matters to me is, are the stories in the bible about Jesus credible? Anyone who actually existed could claim to be the son of a God or a thousand other things, but that doesn't make it true. So, for me, it's kind of a waste of time to try to disprove the actual existence of a historical Jesus because, fact or fiction, I don't buy the surrounding story anyway. That makes his existence or nonexistence irrelevant.
amen,bro!
Ill bet if you lived a few years back you would have thought the world was flat so why prove or disprove it.
jesus was a crossdressing,BJ giving, choir boy abusing pedophile
and he loved to get his a$s licked
Funny that the author doesn't mention that the "amulet" mentioned at the top of the article had been identified as a fake decades before it was lost.
They didn't mention the part about Christmas and Easter conveniently occurring around the winter solstice and spring equinox – when pagan festivals unrelated to Christianity occurred! Convenient? More like the church using pagan festivals that were already being celebrated to build their myths around. C'mon people! No rational person can take this stuff literally. It is as mythical as ancient Roman and Greek gods. THINK ABOUT IT!
Well, Easter is linked to the vernal equinox, but not necessarily close to it. It can occur anywhere from just after the equinox to 7 weeks later. What it is definitely tied to, however, is Passover, although the method for calculating its movable date differs from the traditional Jewish calendar.
It should also be noted that Christmas happens to fall exactly nine months after the Annunciation, which happens to be close to the winter solstice but not quite coincident with it.
The article was fine, the comments expected. You see the problem is, who needs proof? I have my proof, I am living that proof. I should be dead or in jail. I found Jesus and turned my life back on the path that I abandoned quite a few years ago. I was raised strict Catholic. Organized religion is plagued with so many problems, the least of which begin with the idea of priesthood ending in The Old Testament (throught the blood of Jesus Christ). Either way, the point is, I've been on both ends of the issue and the end of nonbelief has nothing there. I looked hard for evidence against God but I kept finding evidence for Him. I was living a life against God and I can look through those point in my life where I should be dead or should be in a heck of alot worse shape than I am- there but for the grace of God go I.
I don't need proof. I fully understand the problems that nonbelievers have with Christians, and I know there are extreme Christians (there are extreme followers in any religion), weird Christians (those people would be weird with or without Christ), and I understand the left brain reasoning of the case against Christ. I was one of them. I was the weak and broken man that calls out for Christ when there's nothing left. All of God's greatest giants have been weak and broken men. Why? Like the shell of the seed it needs to happen to spread roots, to produce fruit, to change the world.
Is reading any of this going to change me? No! I love to sit down with non believers and talk about this. None of this will stop me from Investing and Inviting. None of this will stop me from going into the prisons to minister to the prisoners.
It's a passionate topic for me, but why get mad or upset about it? Those ones that I run across that don't believe, even the hateful ones- take your time, talk to them, love them, pray for them. Let them go. God's love is endless and he will love them whether they believe or not!
Thank you for this- I love hearing testimony. People like you do so much for our faith because you have been where these naysayers have been. God bless.
First of all, I want to say I appreciate that you are not judgmental and hateful (an unusual way for Christians to treat nonbelievers). But, the fact remains that you don't need supernatural fairytales to be a good person. You can be a good person because you love your fellow human beings. I hope that more people will be capable of love for love's sake, since anyone with enough knowledge of religious history and the fact that every tenet of Christianity was borrowed from older religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Cult of Osiris to name a few, will prove it all to be just that: fairytales from a time before science.
See...a critical point in one's life can leave an individual in a psychological state of acceptance for religion. I know individuals who grew up on drugs, dropped out of high school, ran with gangs, and were exceptionally violent individuals. A few of them turned out to become drug free, college educated, and on track for entering into very promising careers. In fact, I was one of them. I should have died several times as well, whether from fights, drugs, vehicle accidents, etc. I changed my path in life, and not because of religion, but because of a similar short-circuiting of the brain for a brief amount of time. It was a hallucination, but it was intentionally produced. Long story short, this trip made me evaluate my life and leave my old life behind. I've since been a full time college student for 6 years, earning highest honors, and am currently on track to enter Pharmacy School. I understand how a powerful mind trip can change a person's life. The difference is that I know the experience took place in my mind. Individuals that attribute a change in their life to divine intervention rarely even seriously consider that the event may have been a psychological manifestation opposed to a supernatural communication. I'm all for changing one's life to be a better person, but I'm not for the encouraging of doctrines that are sadistic and twisted. The Doctrine of Original Sin, the Eucharist, and the suffering that is embodied in the iconic cross is just a small example of that which I would consider to be the highest functioning form of Satanism that exists in this world. For me, Christianity is synonymous with Satanism. No darker book has ever been stained with more blood than the Bible, and no hands have ever been coated with so much blood than those hands that are of Christian authority.
Take a note: If you were an Atheist, schooled in logic and self respect, you would never have gotten yourself into such a mess in the first place. Atheists commit less crimes, are mentally healthier, have less divorces, graduate more often from high school and college, and their children have much less drug abuse and juvenile delinquency. Why? Because in Atheism there is no concept of being "forgiven in advance" which sets up in the subconscious mind the idea that you do anything you like...and be forgiven. What happened to you, is your doing. Jesus does not exist other than in your imagination. And if you believe that Jesus saved you, then in reality....you saved you. If Jesus and prayer worked, then there would be no need for doctors, hospitals, science, or research....all you or anyone would need to do is pray and Wallah! you would be healed or be able to escape from the consequences of your actions. Not once in all of known history has anything ever interrupted the laws of physics...which is what Christianity claims that belief in god/Jesus can do. The problem is there is no proof of that statement by anyone at any time in history. Yes, you cured yourself by believing in an imaginary buddy ...and if it worked for you fine. But, again in reality, religion does not cure or do anything for anyone, because it cannot. Magic, and religious magic simply do not exist.
You've turned your life around and I am genuinely happy for you. The benefits of having a belief don't prove the accuracy of the belief. It proves only that believing produced positive results.
Well written, Judy!
Hey Bob! I'm sorry that you view some Christians as hateful. I meant to add to my diatribe up there the true problems I have with organized religion, which really has done so much to destroy the image of God (it might be Christianities biggest enemies). And here is where I think alot of people have problems with religion. Organized religion, or religion in general, is a futile attempt to please God and save oneself by good works. The very nature of Christ was the end of blood sacrifice, forgiveness of sins so we (who believe) don't have to do the silly rituals. I do worship every Sunday by choice. Christianity is a very personal relationship with Jesus. I can honestly tell you I didn't love very many people, let alone Christ. I wan't a good person. But something changes when you fully devote your life to Christ- and I'm talking ALL IN! No more worries, no anxieties, truly no fear. Not sitting down everyday to read the bible for 20 minutes and then saying the rosary 6 times. Treat the bible like a really good book- cause it is!
Yea, I wish everyone would just love for love's sake. I didn't live that and I can only pass on what I know to be true.
I wanted to add one more thing. I think alot of the problem with Chirst is the way the western world has femininized him. He wasn't some long flowy haired surfer looking white dude looking all innocent like we see him in all those catholic paintings (like I grew up with). Statistically speaking he was likely very dark skinned and lost his lid sometimes.
@phosphorus, I did a few of those drugs, never had your experience. I only wanted more drugs, but good for you!
@Judy, you're making the mistake alot of people make in dialogues about religion. For every one Athiest you know who is a great person, I know one who had very little logic and no self respect. I know alot of Christians who are off their flippin' rocker too though
@Bill wasn't trying to prove anything just telling my side of things. Already told you I didn't need proof
With out evidence you are just another opinion
You seem like one of the more respectable individuals of faith. I will not post anything to argue your position on your thread. It's not that I mind Christians (ultimately), but rather what Christianity can turn a person into. I also have a real issue with the concept that a person cannot become a better person on their own, but must seek a supernatural source for guidance and strength. You seem much more sensible, though, than most all of the Christians on this thread. If your faith made you a better person, and you are not spewing forth religious venom, then as an Atheist, I can respect your position. I might not agree with it, but I'll respect it. Here's to living the best quality lives we can, however we derive the strength to do so.
See....at a critical point in life a vulnerable person can leave them selves open to theism or atheism... it doesn't matter as long as the person emerges from this critical point with renewed purpose, passion and respect... for themselves and for others. Kindness and respect for others are necessary goods for the world to emerge renewed.
well written Judy but poorly presented as it is said as so much opinion! lol not an actual fact to be found. As much a fairytale as any christian bed time story! lol
Seems likely that Jesus did exist in real life and was a charismatic moral leader of great importance. Born of a virgin and the son of "god?" - uh, nothing to suggest that part is anything but major hallucination. If Joseph wasn't the father and actually believed that story, it would make him the most gullible man ever to walk the earth.
What do atheist dictators (eg, Stalin) and Roman 'church' Pope dictators have in common?
Answer: They both have a rich history of murdering mass numbers of Christians.
Get ur facts straight Christianity and Islam have killed more people then all the wars in history
And what about Native Americans, the Crusades, Camps etc? Give this a quick read:
http://www.truthbeknown.com/victims.htm
Hitler was a Roman Catholic. As you know, he adored Jews.
Comunisum is just another murderous, dogmantic religion. Just like chrisitanity
Science at worst is secular, agnostic or deist but never atheist. Atheists on here have butchered enough science concepts for me to know better. hatred is the strongest tool for brainwashing. I access n try 2 understand all sorts of religious n secular knowledge. Atheists love ur neighbor as urself
Yes, let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. For centuries, free thinkers and natural philosophers were tortured and put to death. The luckier ones were exiled or placed on house arrest (ahem, Galileo.) We do not love the religious theology that stole away centuries worth of our growth and development; the same religious theology that is trying to turn this country into a theocracy. We are not here to love our neighbors or hate our neighbors. We are here for a much more important endeavor. We are here to assist in the transition of mankind from a theologically minded creature to a skeptical, rational, and logically minded creature.
Good Read
The separation of Church and State. That's what makes us Christians unique. Try that with any other religion and you'll have a religious War on your hands. My 2 cents.
that is wat makes america and other secular governments different. Ther were and still are christian governments.
Another attack on Christianity front page on CNN..what a surprise. If we look through the "religion" section of this website, how many articles are simply attacks on Christianity? 90 percent?
Right on!
Lol, the fact you think this article is an attack on christianity is evidence for your own delusion. Reminds me of a woman who when asking a guy how she looks, gets an answer "you look fine" and she says "whats wrong with it?" or "you think it makes me look fat!" Just like when an atheist tries to tell you that you can't put a nativity scene up on public land without allowing all the other religions to put up sign, suddenly that is an attack on christians instead of being fair to all faiths.
When there is factually verifiable information regarding Christianity, you can get more coverage on a news website.
Brothers and sister,
I am a Muslim Journalist, And i strongly believe that Jesus in reality existed... i have faith supported with various sources that a man was born of a virgin, and had risen from the dead to heavens and told about being appear again you can say Come Back, If You want look for reference intially i would like to refer Quran, the Holy Book and Sahih Bukhari And Sahi Muslim two of our History books comprised of Narrations Of Holy Prophet Mohammad.
Narrations of Chiristian people coming and asking About Jesus some About his existence and his replies.
I believe not only Jesus Existed but was sent By the Lord and promised to sent him again. We all are waiting for HIM to pay our respects and honour. To welcome him with love.
Regards,
Thank you for adding your kind words and respectful tone to this discussion.
Dear Broher and sisters,
I just posted a comment moments back i would like to rephrase and rectify something i wrote explaining my beliefs
"" i strongly believe that Jesus in reality existed... i have faith supported with various sources that a man was born of a virgin, and had risen alive to heavens and told about being appear again you can say Come Back, If You want look for reference intially i would like to refer Quran""
Thanks
Regards,
NO WHERE IN THE QURAN SAYS THAT JESUS PBH.
FOR THE REST OF READERS
PLEASE READ THE QURAN SEE IF IT WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRUE JESUS
NO WHERE IN THE QURAN IT SAYS THAT JESUS PBH DIED.
@ Shakor
i Agree, i clearified this error of my first post in the later posted comment. i appologize to All Muslims for this typo mistake, kindly take it as a human error. Jesus Peace Be Upon Him has risen to Heavens ALIVE.
The Article here discuss about wether JESUS existed physically or its Just a myth.
THE Answer Is He DId Exist......Peace Be Upon Him
What a beautiful and exciting day. A great offering of ideas and beliefs. I'm not very smart though so the only thing I was seemingly able to grasp is that 2000 years ago it was possible to hear God or have visions and enjoy a large following. Today you are mentally ill and wind up in a hospital, in prison, or living on the streets. Times have changed.
where is it?
I am not a particularly religious person myself; and I don`t believe that the Christian Bible is the inerrant word of God. But its rather absurd to deny the existence of a historical person known as Jesus．
It's even more absurd to accept such existence without any actual proof.
Atheists r so funny when they respond as if they were the only ones who cud muster science in their favour. I am an engineer as well as a minister and there are many such Christians. I think atheists are what have made Evangelicals hate science in America whereas science is not Atheistic.
First you were an expert at Mosaic Law, and now you're an engineer. Sorry, but your use of text speak still shows how wet you are behind the ears. As for science, you are right. It is not atheistic. However, science forever questions and seeks to test an educated guess. It derives power from inductive and deductive reasoning and experimentation. Further, it begs for results to be reproduced. It never stays satisfied with an explanation, rather it constantly seeks to update its understanding of a process. Religion takes words as gospel (no pun intended) and encourages blind faith in such words. Of course, an engineer would understand and acknowledge this.
There are accepted histories with one source only. How do we know what happened in ancient sumeria apart from Cuneiform tablets. Yet how mny talk about their kings. If u don't know don't talk. The skeptical challenges are not history.
There IS another external biblical source: The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Would that be the Broadway show you are relying upon?