Do you believe Jesus existed?

Apparently you can't do polls on here.... but

Do any of you think that Jesus actually existed? What do category do you fall into?

A. Believed he existed, claims are false

B. Believed he existed, claims are exaggerated

C. Don't believe he existed

D. Believe he existed, claims are true (sorry had to leave the idiot category open)

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Permalink Reply by Matt VDB on May 19, 2010 at 8:00am
Take all the time you need.

Cheers.
Permalink Reply by David Prentice on May 10, 2010 at 3:34pm
Oh I disagree with that sentiment. I thought Zeitgeist was highly entertaining. I also thought that, if you disregard the huge leaps to indefensible conclusions, the whole astrology parallel was interesting and adds a bit of flavour to the whole debate about jesus' existence. You just can't take it seriously on the whole. ;D
Permalink Reply by Matt VDB on May 10, 2010 at 3:44pm
Don't get me wrong: I was laughing hysterically all the way through. The stuff they taught could be presented as even an attempt at an argument were just laughable. My favourite was when they claimed that the small etymological difference between "Son of God" and "Sun" was not a coincidence. It took everyone with an IQ above room temperature about a nanosecond to figure out why that was garbage (Hint: Jesus did not speak English). But yeah, it was entertainment for anyone who knew anything about the matter; but it became a whole lot less annoying when we starting seeing people (including to my regret, many atheists) swallowing that garbage.

Regardless, I don't think unresearched crap like Zeitgeist can possibly add flavour to a rigorous academic discussion ("What can we know about the historical Jesus?") or 'make people think'. Unless we also recognise that a film with the arguments in favour of a Flat Earth add some 'flavour' to the discussion.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 11, 2010 at 10:48am
I don't see anyone here arguing for the truth of a biblical Jesus.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 11, 2010 at 6:42pm
You're crazy sir. A loon. Eyes open.
Permalink Reply by Matt VDB on May 12, 2010 at 2:43am
If you believe Jesus is a fabrication because of the above arguments, then your scepticism is not rationally based in reason, evidence and knowledge. So don't be surprised when people who do think rationally will find your case against a historical Jesus convincing.

That doesn't make them Christians, it makes them rational.

"Oh yeah I was a little hash in regard's to "Zeitgeist' being totally shredded to bit's, not quit true, Ive seen the video counter argument to "Zeitgeist' it wasn't that disarming as a counter argument heh anyhow"

You've seen the video counter argument? That explains a lot.
Tell me: would you watch a video to educate yourself about evolution or would you read a book? I hope it's the latter, so why are you basing your knowledge on pagan parallels on a couple of badly written documentaries?

If you had read some more scholarly books you'd soon learn why no scholar on the planet takes Zeitgeist's theory even a little bit seriously. And that's just a statement of fact.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 12, 2010 at 3:15am
No, you're a loon for your emotionally charged responses and bazaar choice of words. Wound up and persecuted you are, lad.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 12, 2010 at 3:17am
And, verily, I was saying your eyes were open, not telling you to open them. You make the poetry of a homeless vagrant.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 12, 2010 at 3:23am
And your poetry frightens me a little bit. Is English your first language?
Permalink Reply by Sam in WV on May 10, 2010 at 10:06pm
From Chris Hedges, today
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/after_religion_fizzles_were_stu...

I grew up in the church and graduated from a seminary. . . .
It makes no difference to me if Jesus existed or not. There is no historical evidence that he did. Fairy tales about heaven and hell, angels, miracles, saints, divine intervention and God’s beneficent plan for us are repeatedly mocked in the brutality and indiscriminate killing in war zones, where I witnessed children murdered for sport and psychopathic gangsters elevated to demigods.
Permalink Reply by nick altman on May 11, 2010 at 10:46am
Hedges is a mental tangle. His idea of a world of nihilistic Marxism and eugenics being the only alternative to these organized religions is not much else but a cleverly constructed moral argument designed to self perpetuate the problem without exploring a solution. His idea that these religions once had pure truths associated with them that became corrupt over time speaks of wishful thinking and an inability to let go of the indoctrinations of his childhood.

His debate with Sam Harris was really nothing but an hour of mental masturbation. His points and counter points really had nothing to do with the points Harris was making, he assumes a position unrelated to the argument he was meant to represent. He bogs down his points in a complicated weaving of observations and life experience. He really has nothing to say beyond that religion is important even though it is an arbitrary truth, and that without it humanism leads to decadence and Darwinian social engineering. It's enough to turn your gills green.
Permalink Reply by Zarta on May 12, 2010 at 12:27am
Hmm. There are many things I could say about this, as I'm what Dawkins describes as a level 7 strong atheist, but I think there are already many worthwhile things stated on this topic here: http://jesusneverexisted.com/

I think Jesus was a common name (like John is presently in the US) and that many persons named Jesus existed (people are still being named Jesus, too), but in regard to the biblical claims about a particular Jesus, I do not believe whatsoever that any of this is true. This Jesus was fabricated for the fictional biblical story and is no more real than Hercules of other fictitious tales.

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