Christians, is this the best you can come up with?

Question

Rebuttal: There were secular people who existed during the time of Christ who wrote about him outside the Bible.

My answer: No there weren't. Everything wrote about Jesus pertained directly to the Bible or writings derived thereof. There were many famous philosophers from that area alive during the time Christ was, and none of them mentioned Jesus.

Rebuttal: There is archaeological evidence to prove portions of the Bible.

My answer: No, there most certainly isn't. I'd love to see this evidence you claim to know about, because it would be a major breakthrough and you'd become a billionaire.

If any of you religious people ask me to explain anything about atheism or want me to debunk anything about Christianity, ask me here and I'll add additional info.

Yeah, the History Channel. But sadly they don't produce any solid evidence, just coincidences and unproven speculation.

You're assuming the Bible was the only place Sargon was mentioned, rendering your argument invalid.

dreamdress, all the early references to Christianity were simply mistranslations from Greek and other languages that were altered to parallel to the teachings of Christianity. Even so, it's still just more writing with no provable merit.

Yeah, after reviewing some of the "facts" presented in the answers, it's making me even more skeptical. It's all based on coincidences and "people writing stuff." None of it has been observed or proven or anything even close. Nice try, but you all fail.

Answer 1

Oddly enough, that IS the best they can come up with.

Answer 2

How about Temple of Solomon? It's been found.
How about Golgotha? It exists and is in the same place outside jeruslam as it was in the Bible.
How about Nebuchanezzer? He's a historical figure
Then there is Kadesh-bar-ne. It's there, just the name has been changed over time.
Jerusalem is in the same place as the Bible, and there have been sepluchres found with the name of Joseph, Mary, John, Peter on them.
The Q'uran mentions Christ, but they call him Isa.
People have found the remains of the cities of Sodom and Gamorrah, and discovered the ashes in those remains.
Pontius Pilot is a real person, he ruled over Jerusalem in the first century AD.
Ceaser is mentioned in the Bible, and the Ceaser's ruled rome in the first century AD.

The romans were great recordskeepers..and I'm sure that there was something from that time listing the crucifiction of a man name Jesus, or Immanual, or Joshua, but it was destroyed when the Library at Alexandria was destroyed.

Answer 3

Many secular people of that time would have no reason to write about some prophet anymore than they would write about the group of Christians (which existed), or the Jewish community (which also existed!)

"Discoveries such as the water tunnel beneath Jerusalem dug by King Hezekiah, the Well of Jacob where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a crippled man, the stone in the Roman theater at Caesarea inscribed with the name of Pilate, the tribunal at Corinth where Paul was tried, and the theater at Ephesus where the riot of silversmiths occurred, to name a few, help to give historical credibility to the Bible."

I'm not Christian, but the links below should verify what I said.

Answer 4

Critics charge that there are no ancient writings about Jesus outside the New Testament. This is another ridiculous claim. Writings confirming His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection include Flavius Josephus (A.D. 93), the Babylonian Talmud (A.D. 70–200), Pliny the Younger’s letter to the Emperor Trajan (approx. A.D. 100), the Annals of Tacitus (A.D. 115–117), Mara Bar Serapion (sometime after A.D. 73), and Suetonius’ Life of Claudius and Life of Nero (A.D. 120).
Sit down,and go to school Mr.Wizard.

Answer 5

I do believe that the census Jesus supposedly went to Bethlehem for, the same one mentioned in the Bible, was actually discovered partially intact. The Jesus of the Bible was also supposedly discovered as registered on it. The fact that the census was from Nazareth as opposed to Bethlehem was overshadowed by the fact that it stated Jesus was born in July as opposed to December.

Answer 6

The evidence that Jesus lived in Judea in the first century is overwhelming. Jesus was a historical person recorded by Christian, Jewish and pagan historians. In fact, there are many well-known non-Christian historians who mention Jesus:

• Tacitus in his Annals (c.115 A.D.) mentions that Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate and gives detailed descriptions of Nero's persecutions — which are also alluded to in several places in the New Testament.

• The correspondence between Pliny the younger and the Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.) corroborates the New Testament history including the persecution of the Christians under the Emperor Nero.

• Flavius Josephus (37-100 A.D.), the first century Jewish historian, makes mention of Jesus, John the Baptist and James, the brother of Jesus.

Scholars note that the New Testament corroborates Josephus in minute detail. Keep in mind that Josephus wrote his history after the time of the New Testament. In other words, both sources were written independently, but both agree with each other. So Josephus testifies to the historical reliability of many passages in the New Testament.

We know of many other early references to Christ by pagan writers, but there are also manuscripts from the first and second centuries written by Christians. The fact that early Christians recorded their own history does not discount their reliability. Christianity is not a religion that has its origin in shadowy legend, but has definite historical roots, strong personalities and a tremendous amount of source documents to prove it.

Other first and second century writers who wrote about Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah and Lord of Creation, are:

• Clement (A.D. c. 30-100) the Bishop of Rome

• The writer of the Epistle of Barnabas (A.D. c. 70-130)

• Polycarp (A.D. 70-155) the Bishop of Smyrna, a student of the Apostle John

• Ignatius (A.D. 35-110) the Bishop of Antioch

• Irenaeus (A.D. 130 -200) the second century Bishop of Lyons

• Tertullian (A.D. 160 -220) a second century apologist

• Clement (A.D. 150 -215) the second century Bishop of Alexandria

Despite the overwhelming testimony from the early centuries that confirm the Gospel stories, the Higher Critics continue to search for a "historical Jesus."

Answer 7

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The End.

Answer 8

Sargon, king of Assyria was said not to exist as he is named in the Bible, but archaelogists proved the Bible correct.

Answer 9

Sorry to debunk your personal perspective, but here are a few things that if you refute them, it's coming from "you", and not a reliable resource. Billionairre? Why would you falsely equate finding reliable secular evidence of a spiritual matter a monitary equation. Your sarcasm displays your lack of knowlege. Here are a few things for you to pocket and consider...

1. Scholars have traced the roots of many of the Old Testament stories to the ancient, pagan myths of the ancient Mesopotamian cultures. In the Fertile Crescent, the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in present-day Iraq, gave birth to some of the worlds first civilizations.

2. One of the most important discoveries that relate to the time of the Exodus is the Merneptah stele which dates to about 1210 BC. Merneptah, the king of Egypt, boasts that he has destroyed his enemies in Canaan.

3. Therefore the name "Jacob" found in the Bible would be the same as the name "Jacob-El" which is found on a number of Hyksos Scarabs. Although this name was common among the Arameans, but uncommon among the Canaanites and Phoenicians (Zobel 1990, 189), R. Weil was the first to connect the Hyksos princes with the Biblical story of Jacob (Kempinski 1985, 134).

4. The ancient city of Jericho is identified with Tell es-Sultan. The first large scale excavation was by Sellin and Watzinger from 1907 to 1909. The next major excavation was directed by Garstang from 1930 to 1936. Garstang believed that the fourth city was destroyed by Joshua just after 1400 BC A third major excavation was done by Kenyon between 1952 to 1958.

5. The writings of Josephus { Josephus' Antiquities (early 2nd century A.D.) refers to Jesus in two separate passages. The common translation of the first passage, Book 18, Ch. 3, part 3, is disputed and is most likely from an altered source. F. F. Bruce has provided a more likely translation: Now there arose at this time a source of further trouble in one Jesus, a wise man who performed surprising works, a teacher of men who gladly welcome strange things. He led away many Jews, and also many of the Gentiles. He was the so-called Christ. When Pilate, acting on information supplied by the chief men around us, condemned him to the cross, those who had attached themselves to him at first did not cease to cause trouble, and the tribe of Christians, which has taken this name from him is not extinct even today. }

6. Other secular sources of evidence "Tacitus (c. A.D. 55 - c. A.D. 117) Annals, book XV:
Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.

7. Hundreds of facts such as the names of officials, geographical sites, financial currencies, and times of events have been confirmed. Sir William Ramsay, one of the greatest geographers of the 19th century, became firmly convinced of the accuracy of the New Testament as a result of the overwhelming evidence he discovered during his research. As a result, he completely reversed his antagonism against Christianity.

I could go on and on, but your questions and answers seem to point to an arguing spirit, despite facts or testimonies. I recommend humbling yourself and admitting that you concede to information that is higher than your opinions.

http://www.housefellowship.org
http://www.splashdesignworks.com

Answer 10

Both rebuttles are certainly true!
However, my "evidence" WAY surpasses
anything that science can even touch!
That is why atheists don't belong in
this section unless they are actually
trying to learn sumthin - instead of being
here to sling their "religious" ARROGANCE
around to make themselves feel better
about their stance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

Do you watch the History Channel? It's Good for Christians and Good for atheists.

Its just what you want to believe.