Atheism = disbelief in God only. Do atheists believe Jesus was real?

Question

To those who call themselves atheists:
Do you believe there was a person named Jesus who preached and died on the cross but did not go to heaven because heaven/God does not exist?

I'm impressed with the responses I got so far - stated in clear English with no recriminations just your knowledge and opinions. You're a bunch of smart people (except from MC Hummer - who is better described as MC Glummer). How come I don't hear from you more often?.

Answer 1

Most atheists do not dispute whether or not Jesus of Nazareth ever lived. We simply don't believe a lot that was written about him since we don't believe in God or the inspiration of the Bible.

Answer 2

Is this a question about history?

It's pretty clear that the historical record has been tampered with---hundreds of years of Christians destroying evidence that contradicts, or appears to contradict, their version of the Gospels. Back-tracking the record got particularly bad once the civil authority, Rome, became controlled by Christians.
For example:

1) From Roman records, it seems likely that the town of Nazareth was founded in the second century by a wealthy Christian who thought that there should be such a place. It is likely that the phrase "Jesus of Nazareth" in the Gospels does not actually refer to a place, but some other attribute of Jesus whose translation is now lost.
2) The Christmas story does not make sense in any historical context---there was no census, and no reason for Joseph and Mary to pass through Bethlehem.

The historical record has been distorted by well-meaning believers to the point where there is essentially no remaining objective evidence. So there is no way to know.

Answer 3

There is actually little doubt amoung historians that a person or even group of people (Jerusalem at that time was a chaotic place with many religious leaders of the people, the story could easily involve several people who were thought of as the Messiah) called Jesus that brought about a new religious spiritual movement.

However, we not believe in any of the supernatural claims made about his miracles nor do we believe that he could have died and come back to life. If Jesus did exist he was a man and nothing more.

Answer 4

It's possible, but considering the books of the Bible are the only evidence towards his existence, and most of them contradict each other or confirm knowledge that the authors would never have access to themselves, the facts around Jesus' life and his very existence remain questionable.

But basically if Jesus did exist, which I guess is possible, I think he was not the man that the Bible claims him to be and I certainly do not believe that he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.

Also, atheism is disbelief in all gods, not just yours.

Answer 5

Yes. There's evidence that there was a man named Jesus, and I believe he probably did exist.

"Most scholars in the fields of biblical studies and history agree that Jesus was a Jewish teacher from Galilee who was regarded as a healer, was baptized by John the Baptist, was accused of sedition against the Roman Empire, and on the orders of Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was sentenced to death by crucifixion.[1] A small minority argue that Jesus never existed as a historical figure, but merely as a metaphorical or fictional figure syncretized from various non-Abrahamic deities and heroes.[2]"

"Of the non-Christian writings from that time that have been preserved, very few mention Jesus or Christianity, and for that matter few of their authors showed much interest in Judea or the Near East in general. Nonetheless, the works of four major non-Christian historians contain passages relevant to Jesus: Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny the Younger, among others. However, these are generally references to early Christians rather than a historical Jesus. Of the four, Josephus' writings, which document John the Baptist, James the Just, and possibly also Jesus, are of the most interest to scholars dealing with the historicity of Jesus (see below). Tacitus, in his Annals written c. 115, mentions popular opinion about Christus, without historical details (see also: Tacitus on Jesus). There is an obscure reference to a Jewish leader called "Chrestus" in Suetonius."

I believe that he did not go to heaven, did not sacrifice himself for us, because there is no God and Christianity is a superstition.

Answer 6

Why do you refuse to believe in purple elephants?

1) Atheism is not refusal to believe in something that exists, despite the lies you believe. Atheism is the recognition that there are no supernatural entities or powers of any sort. If you want to claim one, prove one exists by bringing a maggot-ridden corpse back to life.

2) How arrogantly you assume your fables are right and all others are wrong. There is just as much evidence for your mythology as any other, ie. none.

3) There is no historical record for a mythical "jeebus". Of more than 40 writers whose work has survived 2000 years (eg. Pliny the Elder), NONE make any mention of the mythical "jeebus". Nary a one, and since "jeebus" was supposedly a shift disturber (or words to that effect), it's odd that the Romans made no mention of such a being. The Soviet concept of "nonperson" wasn't around then, and the Romans were meticulous record keepers.

As well, Nazareth has been proven to be less than 1800 years old. It existed at the time the perfidious old men in Rome wrote the fable, but NOT at the time the fable is alleged to have happened. Claiming that "jeebus" lived in Nazareth 2000 years ago is like claiming "moses" used an electric jackhammer to inscribe the ten condoms - oops, commandments.


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Answer 7

It is not impossible that a man named Jesus existed and preached and was executed. However, that does not mean the guy was magical or godly.

There are other figures in history that are real and attributed with special powers. We know they existed but we know to ignore certain special power stuff.

Black Beard was said to have died only after his head was cut off and the body was tossed into the ocean. The body swam laps around the ship while the head cursed at the killers.

Davy Crockett was said to have killed a bear when he was only three. (Not only part of the song but something that Crockett himself bragged about in real life)

Many pharohs of Egypt were believed to be gods and have godly powers.

It is possible to believe in a person and that person not have godly connections.

Answer 8

There may be a historical bases for the stories of Jesus, but those stories have been so distorted, rewritten, edited, mangled, twisted, and changed to fit the needs of 3rd and 4th century "church fathers" (remember no copy of any Gospel is older than about 300 AD and even if they were 'written' at an earlier time the real originals no longer exist.) that the real original Jesus is lost.

Answer 9

I believe there was probably a man named (roughly) "Yeshua" who was considered a Messianic figure in some parts of the ancient Mid-east and was (a separate perhaps) executed on a cross. The name "Jesus" was then attatched to the stories of that figure in the 17th century. Whether he did all of the things attributed to him, much less existed as the divine incarnate, is impossible to say, but the second is highly unlikely.

Answer 10

Some Atheists believe that and some think he was probably a myth altogether.

I believe he probably existed because there are many references sighting his existence besides the bible, but I would say that it is more than likely that the story would have been elaborated on and changed as it was told. Also, there may have been stories that sort of mixed together.

To Sum Up: I think he existed and was probably crucified as well, thereby being martyred.

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There were many men claiming to be profits and messiahs in the time Jesus was supposed to exist. This clouds things up a bit.