rlogan

To the OP:

There were many who took on the mantle "Jesus". Twenty-some mentioned by Josephus, for example. But the gospel "Jesus Christ" is not chronicled in any way save the bizarre christian forgery (Testimonium Flavianum) clung to by most "historicists", usually with a plea that the forgery is only partial.


To the above:

Tacitus nowhere chronicles a Jesus Christ. He asks Trajan what he should do with the bizarre cult that has sprung up in the second century, but Tacitus has no writing describing exploits of one Jesus Christ from the 1st century.


To the "statistical proof" by prophecy argument:

The "logic" goes like this: The gospel Jesus fulfilled some three hundred to three thousand Hebrew Bible prophecies (depending on how many things you are willing to stretch as "prophecy fulfillment". Therefore he was the Jesus Christ of prophecy.

Well, first of all this is actually proof of the reverse. It was not Jesus bringing prophecy to fruition. It was prophecy being used to construct the fictional Jesus. The Hebrew Bible was mined for these details, and then put to use exactly as the Christians have done: to use this as "proof" the fictional character must be the Christ.

Moreover, we can use the counterproof by contradiction: There are even more "prophecies" that did not come to fruition with this alleged Jesus Christ. Apologists are slippery by asserting the "covenant" changed and employ the circular reasoning that anything inconsistent between the two testaments (old and new) is resolved in favor of the fictional Jesus. The "new" testament.

Well, sorry. You can't simultaneously claim the Hebrew Bible as "proof" where it helps you and then just deny everywhere it hurts you. Now you've got a "Word of God" that is contradictory.

Athrond

Feh.

It doesn't matter. If jesus did exist, it proves nothing more than just that. All the miracles and son-of-god voodoo doesn't follow.

Athrond

Iacchus

One thing we do have to understand, however, is the "Christian" sect, began about the time it was purported to begin. Whereas if it is just a big conspiracy, then whoever came up with it and documented it (the New Testament) must have been a genius. There's too much about it that is too original. Whereas I have been able to ascertain much of what it says about spiritual things, for example, that spirits do exist and, that the Book of Revelation is a valid document for describing what the spiritual world is like after we die which, is what most people don't understand and, is why they are apt to get confused. The Last Judgment, according to my sources, has already occurred, and was performed in the spiritual world in the year 1757. All it signifies, is the end of the Old Church (for having outlived its usefulness) and the establishment of a New Church.

makerowner

This is the craziest shit I've ever seen! How did you ascertain that spirits exist? How did you ascertain that Revelation is an accurate description of the spirit world after you die? (You're not a zombie, are you?) How the fuck did you figure that the last judgement happened in 1757?

Iacchus

No, I saw the whole thing on a South Park episode. This is where Kenny was put on life-support and they took his soul up into heaven, because he was the only one good enough at playing a certain PSP game and could defeat Satan's army. That was hilarious! And, except for the PSP game, it was quite accurate in many respects.

RandomCoolzip

How many pieces of the True Cross do you own?

Emil

Seconded, but for the smiley part...

spamandham

Same old same old. I closed the page in disgust the second Josephus was mentioned as it was obvious at that moment there was not even an attempt at intellectual honesty.

diana

I know it can be confusing, but Existence of Jesus (EOJ) isn't the stuff of Existence of God (EOG). Moved thread to BC&H for relevant feedback.

d

lulu

Does this mean you all doubt that my tortilla has Jesus's image on it? DAMN!