Mythic Jesus

Sky Dancer

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Jan 21, 2009
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One of the problems faced by Christian scholars is that there is no record of Jesus's existence in any contemporary source. The earliest literature concerning him was written by Paul, who never knew him or anyone else who might have known him and who never heard anything about his life story. Paul mentioned none of these now-so-familiar details, which were added much later by unknown writers who pretended to bear the names of various disciples and who sprinkled their writings with mythic data gathered from sacred-king traditions of contemporary Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and Levantine salvation cults.
http://stellarhousepublishing.com/jesusmyth.html
 
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One of the problems faced by Christian scholars is that there is no record of Jesus's existence in any contemporary source. The earliest literature concerning him was written by Paul, who never knew him or anyone else who might have known him and who never heard anything about his life story. Paul mentioned none of these now-so-familiar details, which were added much later by unknown writers who pretended to bear the names of various disciples and who sprinkled their writings with mythic data gathered from sacred-king traditions of contemporary Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and Levantine salvation cults.
The Jesus Myth | Is Christ a Historical Person?

Hmmm. You are really concerned with the beliefs of others, aren't you? So then, Christians who are really concerned with your beliefs are just like you! I bet you really appreciate them.
 
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I don't understand your point. Jesus is ok with me as a mythic character. Great story.
 
Sky Dancer, one problem with that is that we are then faced with a tougher job of explaining where Christianity came from. When Paul did his thing, there was already a community of Jews who claimed to be followers of Jesus living in Jerusalem (they weren't called "Christians" then and saw themselves as a Jewish sect). We do have independent confirmation of this sect. If Jesus did not exist as a man, it becomes harder to account for the sect's existence. Not impossible, but Occam's Razor suggests that a real historical Jesus is the more likely hypothesis.

Also, while Paul never knew Jesus himself, he lived in a time when Jesus (if there was such a person) was living memory, and his preaching could easily have been refuted by anyone who knew the truth, assuming there was no such person. As that did not happen, and as Paul is definitely known to have preached that Jesus was a real person (we see that in his surviving letters), again the most likely hypothesis is that Jesus did exist.

Now, to be sure, the likely existence of a real flesh-and-blood Jesus is not to say that he had all of the characteristics of the mythical Jesus. I'm just saying that a hypothesis of "he never existed" is unlikely on the face of it, given what we know to be true.
 
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Sky Dancer, one problem with that is that we are then faced with a tougher job of explaining where Christianity came from. When Paul did his thing, there was already a community of Jews who claimed to be followers of Jesus living in Jerusalem (they weren't called "Christians" then and saw themselves as a Jewish sect). We do have independent confirmation of this sect. If Jesus did not exist as a man, it becomes harder to account for the sect's existence. Not impossible, but Occam's Razor suggests that a real historical Jesus is the more likely hypothesis.

Also, while Paul never knew Jesus himself, he lived in a time when Jesus (if there was such a person) was living memory, and his preaching could easily have been refuted by anyone who knew the truth, assuming there was no such person. As that did not happen, and as Paul is definitely known to have preached that Jesus was a real person (we see that in his surviving letters), again the most likely hypothesis is that Jesus did exist.

Now, to be sure, the likely existence of a real flesh-and-blood Jesus is not to say that he had all of the characteristics of the mythical Jesus. I'm just saying that a hypothesis of "he never existed" is unlikely on the face of it, given what we know to be true.


There is no historical proof of Jesus. If Jesus did not exist, it makes Christianity a much more incredible phenomena than if he did.
 
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I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.
 
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I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.

Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.
 
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One of the problems faced by Christian scholars is that there is no record of Jesus's existence in any contemporary source. The earliest literature concerning him was written by Paul, who never knew him or anyone else who might have known him and who never heard anything about his life story. Paul mentioned none of these now-so-familiar details, which were added much later by unknown writers who pretended to bear the names of various disciples and who sprinkled their writings with mythic data gathered from sacred-king traditions of contemporary Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and Levantine salvation cults.
The Jesus Myth | Is Christ a Historical Person?

You will never find proof that Jesus existed. The Christian faith is based on faith.

I beileve that Jesus was real

He is the son of God

He died and shed his blood on the cross so that all may be forgiven and be with him and his father in heaven.

I have faith in all those things in spite of the enormous amounts of evidence to the contrary. If you could prove those things to our carnal minds that would not mean anything because we are saved by His grace through our faith.
 
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One of the problems faced by Christian scholars is that there is no record of Jesus's existence in any contemporary source. The earliest literature concerning him was written by Paul, who never knew him or anyone else who might have known him and who never heard anything about his life story. Paul mentioned none of these now-so-familiar details, which were added much later by unknown writers who pretended to bear the names of various disciples and who sprinkled their writings with mythic data gathered from sacred-king traditions of contemporary Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and Levantine salvation cults.
The Jesus Myth | Is Christ a Historical Person?

You will never find proof that Jesus existed. The Christian faith is based on faith.

I beileve that Jesus was real

He is the son of God

He died and shed his blood on the cross so that all may be forgiven and be with him and his father in heaven.

I have faith in all those things in spite of the enormous amounts of evidence to the contrary. If you could prove those things to our carnal minds that would not mean anything because we are saved by His grace through our faith.

Exactly. Believe whatever you choose. You believe he was the son of God and I'll believe he was a yogi who achieved 'rainbow body'.
 
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Further, the three years of Jesus life, when he was "in the desert", he was actually in Tibet receiving meditation instructions from masters of awareness.

See how easy it is, we can believe anything we choose to.
 
Nothing about Jesus of Nazareth was committed to paper until at least 70 years after his death. There is also compelling evidence that he lived and died and was buried in Israel. http://www.usmessageboard.com/religion-and-ethics/166938-if-a-tomb-was-found.html

The fact that a dude by the name of 'Jesus' lived a political life in Israel 2000 years ago I've never questioned - what you have to ask yourself is, "Did he walk out of his tomb?"

Knowing that the stories of his miracles were committed to paper some 70 years after his death and done so during unstable and revolutionary times makes me highly skeptical. A complete absence of the miraculous during modern times, and a world history that mocks the existence of righteousness makes me call 'bullshit!' on the whole thing.
 
I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.

Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.

To others, he was a very successful con-man.
 
I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.

Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.

Myth and facts aren't mutually exclusive.

You wanted contemporary record. I provided one. If you choose not to believe that's fine. But it doesn't change the fact that there evidence from a contemporary record.

What's so frustrating is that the Spirit will testify that Jesus is the Christ. You can learn from God, Himself, that the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are real. Anyone can. But so few bother trying to find out for themselves.
 
I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.

Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.

To others, he was a very successful con-man.

A corporate genius.
 
I'd dispute that. The Book of Mormon is a comtemporary record. The people in it saw the Risen Lord. They testified to the nail prints in his hands, his wrists, and his feet.

However, if you want to know for yourself whether Jesus is real, the most conclusive way to find out is through asking God and being taught by the Spirit as Peter was.

Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.

Myth and facts aren't mutually exclusive.

You wanted contemporary record. I provided one. If you choose not to believe that's fine. But it doesn't change the fact that there evidence from a contemporary record.

What's so frustrating is that the Spirit will testify that Jesus is the Christ. You can learn from God, Himself, that the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are real. Anyone can. But so few bother trying to find out for themselves.

Contemporary record? :eusa_eh:

:eusa_think: Does that make "Jaws" a contemporary record of shark feeding habits?

It's FICTION.
 
Jesus is a myth. But he's a myth many people believe in. The Book of Mormon is based on the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet another myth...

It doesn't bother me that people believe in myths.

To some, Joseph Smith was a prophet, to others, he was paranoid schizophrenic.

Myth and facts aren't mutually exclusive.

You wanted contemporary record. I provided one. If you choose not to believe that's fine. But it doesn't change the fact that there evidence from a contemporary record.

What's so frustrating is that the Spirit will testify that Jesus is the Christ. You can learn from God, Himself, that the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are real. Anyone can. But so few bother trying to find out for themselves.

Contemporary record? :eusa_eh:

:eusa_think: Does that make "Jaws" a contemporary record of shark feeding habits?

It's FICTION.

Yes, it is.
 
Sky Dancer, one problem with that is that we are then faced with a tougher job of explaining where Christianity came from. When Paul did his thing, there was already a community of Jews who claimed to be followers of Jesus living in Jerusalem (they weren't called "Christians" then and saw themselves as a Jewish sect). We do have independent confirmation of this sect. If Jesus did not exist as a man, it becomes harder to account for the sect's existence. Not impossible, but Occam's Razor suggests that a real historical Jesus is the more likely hypothesis.

Also, while Paul never knew Jesus himself, he lived in a time when Jesus (if there was such a person) was living memory, and his preaching could easily have been refuted by anyone who knew the truth, assuming there was no such person. As that did not happen, and as Paul is definitely known to have preached that Jesus was a real person (we see that in his surviving letters), again the most likely hypothesis is that Jesus did exist.

Now, to be sure, the likely existence of a real flesh-and-blood Jesus is not to say that he had all of the characteristics of the mythical Jesus. I'm just saying that a hypothesis of "he never existed" is unlikely on the face of it, given what we know to be true.


There is no historical proof of Jesus. If Jesus did not exist, it makes Christianity a much more incredible phenomena than if he did.
archeologist just recently discovered Pontius Pilot's grave !!
 
One of the problems faced by Christian scholars is that there is no record of Jesus's existence in any contemporary source. The earliest literature concerning him was written by Paul, who never knew him or anyone else who might have known him and who never heard anything about his life story. Paul mentioned none of these now-so-familiar details, which were added much later by unknown writers who pretended to bear the names of various disciples and who sprinkled their writings with mythic data gathered from sacred-king traditions of contemporary Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and Levantine salvation cults.
The Jesus Myth | Is Christ a Historical Person?
many Christians [Christ Like] do not practice what they preach ...but Jesus Christ practiced what he preached !! love,forgiveness,understanding,piece ,humility,charity ,and many more wonderful things !! Sky it is understandable to doubt Christianity when you see so many so called Christians and sinners ,but even if you doubt what is the harm in believing that once there was a man that did all these wonderful things !! And remember Jesus said let he who is without sin cast the first stone !! I know you've seen my posts and some of them are over the top !! but I don't claim to be greater than thou !! i just like to have a little fun !! but on the serious side maybe you should seriously look into Jesus ....and even though you are not perfect and you are ridiculed by others Jesus doesn't teach that ...remember let he who is without sin cast the first stone !! I know I don't live by that creed, very few people do !! but what would life be like on earth if everybody did !!:eusa_angel:
 
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