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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris G on October 5, 2009 at 2:37am
The most of Q's bible writings were left out.
Permalink Reply by markystar on October 5, 2009 at 5:20am
the jesus of the old testament?
Permalink Reply by Venger on October 5, 2009 at 12:05am
C. Jesus is as real as Mithras was before him, and Horus and many others before that. Jesus is just the latest face, name and story on the core masculine solar religion that extends much further back in time than Christianity. Something like 80% of everything Jesus is supposed to have taught predates his teachings often by centuries, the Lord's prayer often attributed directly to Christ predates him by centuries, and of the remaining material most is gibberish. Most of the Bible, both old and new testaments is plagiarized from earlier sources, older myths and legends where retold with new names and faces to claim ownership of them. There is some wisdom to be found in the book, some poetry and effective language, but little of it is original, there's little real history, no real science, little that could be taken as fact and much that is deeply ignorant and vile. Perhaps real people have been attached to the roles over time, but nothing is actually known about any of them, they certainly weren't divine or worthy of the sheer mindless fervor they have attracted down through the ages. If anything the Jesus story is just one more refinement of the core myths that have followed mankind since the rise of organized religion in the first place, perhaps this time they came as close to optimal as possible to last for so long. Or perhaps simply the relative success of Western secular culture has maintained the environment in which religious status quo could be maintained for so long, if things have been less stable perhaps these current religions would have been torn down for the next big rewrite. Or perhaps it is simply much harder for new ignorance to make any headway.
Permalink Reply by Jason Spicer on October 5, 2009 at 2:38am
I dunno. Fresh ignorance seems to take flight regularly. I submit for your consideration Mormonism and Scientology, just to name two extremely well-documented and yet increasingly popular frauds. And there are innumerable New Age cults stumbling about. Not to mention all manner of profitable woo in the paranormal basket.
Permalink Reply by Jaume on October 5, 2009 at 4:13am
Mani would be a better comparison. His story has a lot in common with our perception of an hypothetical historical Jesus, and his existence is not disputed.
Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on October 9, 2009 at 8:34pm
To see the model upon which Paul and his followers modeled Jesus just read the myth of Hercules. The Jesus myth is built around what the Greco-Roman culture at the time would accept - a mystery cult.
The division between Paul and the Jerusalem church was center around that fabrication - not that he was teaching to the gentiles but that he was teaching what the gentiles wanted to hear, that there was a new hero to worship in a comfortable format.
Permalink Reply by markystar on October 5, 2009 at 5:19am
given the lack of any tangible contemporary evidence, i'd have to choose "(E) the jury is out on this one."

while i'm sure it's possible such a guy could have existed and if so, clearly the claims were exaggerated. the possibility of a composite character based on many real people is also just as likely as his existence or non-existence.
Permalink Reply by markystar on October 5, 2009 at 5:22am
btw - have you seen this website:

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/
Permalink Reply by Gerald Scott on December 22, 2009 at 9:32pm
Went to jesuaneverexisted.com. Great website. Didn't like the forum. Too many christians. Too much preaching. Rather be here. Normal people suite me just fine.
Permalink Reply by Kevin on October 5, 2009 at 5:45am
Jesus of the bible mirrored pagan stories dealing with his birth, life and death. I am sure there were people with the name jesus at that time, just as there are now but he was no son of a non-existant god.
Permalink Reply by Juliet Defarge on October 5, 2009 at 6:46am
I lean toward the "overabundance of historical Jesuses" viewpoint, myself.
http://www.egodeath.com/DefiningNoHistoricalJesus.htm#_Toc64390965
Permalink Reply by Brandon Benkosky on October 5, 2009 at 7:18am
A. He was a probably something like a magician today, and he swindled enough people to have someone write a story about him.

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