Re: What do atheists think of Jesus?
Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:45 am
Thank you for honest reply, Jebus. I'm curious, do you think that Jesus actually existed, that he's a myth, or something else?
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I think he probably existed. However, given the lack of contemporary writing about him he was probably not that well-known. Most likely he was a local celebrity because of his magic tricks. I'm not sure if he was executed or not, but his skills and impact probably began to be exaggerated after his death.Deathdude650 wrote:Thank you for honest reply, Jebus. I'm curious, do you think that Jesus actually existed, that he's a myth, or something else?
Interesting ideas, why do you think his skills and impact was probably exaggerated after his death? What reason would people have to exaggerate his life after he died? The reasons people do such things that come to mind for me are personal monetary gain, increase of power, or social influence. Until Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire in 313 AD (CE) Christians were persecuted and often killed for what they believed. I'm not claiming this shows its true, but I think its something that ought to be explained.Jebus wrote:I think he probably existed. However, given the lack of contemporary writing about him he was probably not that well-known. Most likely he was a local celebrity because of his magic tricks. I'm not sure if he was executed or not, but his skills and impact probably began to be exaggerated after his death.
You're correct in saying that Jesus lived in a time where most of the world was illiterate, last I read about it i think i heard about 10% of the Roman empire could read and write. However, this didn't inhibit keeping history at all. Because writing was so expensive and education was hard to get the people memorized it orally. This might seem like there's room for exaggeration, but in an oral culture, especially in a Jewish context. The Jews had a tradition that no one could discuss a passage of Scripture until they had committed it memory because to avoid exaggeration. Christianity grew out of Judaism, so I don't think much exaggeration, if any, would have taken place. Memorization was viewed as something valuable then, you can even see this today, some rabbis still have large sections of the Hebrew Bible committed to memory.Jebus wrote:As Jesus lived in a mostly illiterate part of the world, his stories were spread by word of mouth. It is not unusual for people to exaggerate stories to make them just a bit more interesting.
First I would like to say that I am glad that there are theists on here! Most discussions about religion I have had online has been on reddit, and theists get downvoted just for being theists, and as a result, never speak up.Deathdude650 wrote:I'm new to the forum and was wondering if anyone has any thoughts to share on Jesus. I've noticed that I'm the minority on the forum [i.e. a theist] which I think is a great opportunity to learn and discuss with people who have a different worldview than I do.
There is no evidence to support a historical Jesus, beyond the Bible, which is an extremely unreliable source due to bias, contradictions, and the censorship/editing of the council of nicea.Deathdude650 wrote: First, did Jesus even exist? Do you have any thoughts to share on a historical Jesus ignoring whether he rose from the dead, preformed miracles or was God?
The character of Jesus mirrors previous gods such as Horus, Mithra, Krishna, Osiris, and many more.Deathdude650 wrote: Second, in correlation with the first, if you don't believe a historical Jesus existed where did this character come from? Obviously there are a lot of people who believe there was a man named Jesus of Nazareth two thousand years ago who wasn't just a man, but more than a man. How do you think this came about?
I disagree with his philosophy of love and selflessness. I believe in kindness/love to those who deserve it "instead of love wasted on ingrates!" And as for selflessness, I put myself first. I help my those who can help themselves, or if it benefits me.Deathdude650 wrote: Third, what do you think about the person of Jesus portrayed in the four Gospels? Do you agree with him on anything? Disagree? I'm interested in your thoughts.
Well... you're not wrong lolknot wrote:I think Jesus was a virgin hippie carpenter who got crucified... In other words he's a lot better role model than a slave-owning, pedophile warlord :- )