fredhsu

I thought about this question for a long time. One day, I sat down and wrote down my conclusion in the form of a short story. A few years later, someone found it by chance and translated it to English.

Didymus

When you say that Jesus wasn't based on ONE actual person, you imply that this character was based upon a MULTIPLICITY of actual persons. Whom do you have in mind? Can you supply some names?

(Surely a character constructed of such a mulitplicity can't be termed "historical." By definition, a historical figure is a single historical person, not some sort of archetype.)

Do you think he was kludged together from one myth, a set of myths, or a whole bunch of myths?

If so, which myths?

See why I'm so confused?

Didymus

wordy

Funinspace, I agree, if Jesus did exists it looks he was a kind of "Joseph Smith" or some other cult leader. The Paul if he existed came and made his interpretation and that one dominated for a while until the Constantine supporters made their take on it the established canon. Luther made his attempt and latest such is the Fundamentalists of early 2000 century around 1910?

Latest attempt maybe is Words of Faith from Tulsa or the Group of Twelve scheme that Mega Churches sets up. A kind of socially tight community building that allows high social control while also allowing 10 to 20 thousands of members while the older style of management only allowed maybe 150 to 3000 members. Religions are like corporations they are inventive in how the do outreach and how they organize.

Why do the religious believer behave like they do. Because they can! It works for them. To them it is the most effective way of getting what they want.

Our ways as atheists is much less satisfying to the believer. Sterile Desert they tells me.