Do you know why people are claiming that Jesus never exsisted?

Question

I know some of you will say, um because he didn't. But really the theory that "Jesus never exsisted." is realatively new. I first came across this claim about 6 years ago when I was 18. I have read various scholarrly essays and papers that claim he never exsisted.

Since 6 years ago the popularity of this claim seems to be rising. BTW, I know this has been a "claim" for a long time its popularity is more recent however.

So the reason? Because they realize if they admit that Jesus of Nazareth in fact exsisted, then the most logical and ratonal conclusion to the identity of Jesus is that He is the Son of God. Since they can not accept that they simply claim he did not exsist despite the evidence to the contrary.

The VAST majority of historical scholars believe that Jesus of Nazareth exsisted.

Answer 1

I have been an avid student of history for over eighty years .There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was a living person . He is a historical figure , he same as Caesar , Attilla , Alexander , Cleopatria , and all the others .
That , in no way makes him a "god" . Nero existed ( not exsisted ) too and claimed he was god . Caligula existed and claimed he was god . Father Devine existed and claimed he was god. All of them, and many others who claimed to be gods , including Jesus are all fakes. Nobody ever was, or ever will be anything but what you see right here. Gods are only in the superstitious imagination .

Answer 2

It's just simply an attack on Christianity. They have came in different forms since the death of Christ. Soon after His death burial and Resurrection, the Sanhedrin began fabricating the lie that the disciples stole His body from the grave. They've been trying t discredit the Gospel stories ever since.They are fighting a losing battle. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." D. James Kennedy once said he remembered what his seminary professor, Dr. William Childs Robinson, said"You have to remember that you chose your scholars. There are scholars that say everything! To whom you chose to listen determines the outcome."

From the Old Testament alone, more than 2000 specific prophesies have been fulfilled.
No other so called Holy book compares.Most of the 333 prophesies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled by the birth and life of Jesus Christ and the rest will be fulfilled at His second coming. A mathematician, Peter Stoner, had his graduate students calculate what the odds would be of any one person fulfilling just eight of these prophesies. He found the chance was one in 100,000,000,000,000,000 !Only a God who knows the future could have revealed these prophesies to those that He would have record them in His Word.

In spite of what is being taught today, the truth is we can reconstruct most of the life of Jesus Christ through non - Christian writers of the first century. Even Celsus who despised Christianity, never considered claiming that Jesus Christ did not exist.This is what can be learned from the writing of Celsus...

He was born of a virgin in a small village of Judea;
He was adored by wise men;
His birth was followed by the slaughter of infants by order of Herod;
He took flight to Egypt, where Celsus supposed Christ learned the charms of the Magicians;
After returning, He resided in Nazareth;He was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a voice was heard from heaven;
He elected disciples;
He was a friend with publicans and other low people;
He cured the lame and blind;
He raised people from the dead;
He was betrayed by Judas;
He was denied by Peter;
In addition Celsus refers to several details of Christ's passion, crucifiction, and resurrection.

Twenty seven books of the New Testament, nineteen Pagan writers, and three Jewish writers testify to Jesus Christ's historical reality. When I hear people say that Jesus or the Bible is just a myth I just realise that they are simply unaware of the facts.I recommend The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel and or Skeptics Answered or The Gate Of Hell Shall Not Prevail by D. James Kennedy, and The Signature of God by Grant R. Jeffrey. May all your thoughts be taken captive by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Answer 3

A lot of wise men and alleged prophets existed. The existence of one more will not stop me being an atheist.

There is good documentation that Mohammad existed, but that does not mean that I jump to become Muslim.


As more modern archeology is done in the holy lands the more it is seen that previous archaeologist have found what their religion told them to find, rather than what was actually there. Until relatively recently the account of Jesus in the works of Josephus were taken as true. Better recent analysis shows fairly clearly that it was added by an unknown hand at a later date.

There are serious questions about the status of the towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth in the early 1st century. But few people in the area actually want independent archaeological study done. There is too much money coming in from all the pilgrims that visit these places.

The vast majority of historians recognise that the claim that people had to return to their birth city for a census is utter rubbish. However the residents in Bethlehem will claim it is true as they sell you the souvenirs and take you on the guide tours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quirinius

Answer 4

Links to these VAST majority of historical scholars please?
Oh and believing that a man named Jesus lived and believing the Divine Jesus lived are two separate beliefs. We know the name Jesus is a mistranslation but the name Yashaua was a popular name at the time. There is NO proof a divine Jesus ever walked among men.

Answer 5

Jesus probably existed, yet there's a nil% hazard he grow to be something extra beneficial than a everyday guy. the human beings believing that Puerto Rican guy from Miami is the 2d coming of Jesus practice that individuals are gullible sufficient to have self assurance in something.

Answer 6

Why does the existence of Jesus lead to the "most logical and rational conclusion...is that He is the Son of God"? It isn't. I believe Jesus existed, and doubts about his existence go back well over 100 years, it isn't something that cropped up a few years ago. I know, I went to college and studied religion in the 1980s, and I had seen doubts about his existence then.

I do believe he did exist, but I reject that he wass the Son of God. The fact he existed does not lead to a most logical conclusion that he was. He was a man, plain and simple. Paul turned him into a religion.

Regardless, there is no "proof" of his existence, beyond mentioning in the Gospels. I often find many Christians trying to use Josephus, but it's been pretty well known Josephus's mentionings of Jesus were forged. Still, for Christianity to have grown up as quickly as it did, it would be nearly impossible for Jesus not to have existed, at least as a historical person.

Answer 7

Belief does not require evidence. People can freely believe what they will. However, if one cares about examining an issue rationally and with a keen eye towards possible evidence; then one can only logically conclude that Jesus is just another protagonist, like Tammuz, Attiz, and Osirus, in the dead and resurrecting hero-god myth that was common in the Middle East in ancient times.

Answer 8

The first person to posit that Jesus never existed was German historian F.C. Baur (1792-1860), tutor of the young Karl Marx. People still like the idea, even if it isn't supported by many current scholars. The present line of thought among secular academics is that Jesus was a (normal) Rabbi who achieved cult status, later misrepresented and deified.

Correction: the historian was Bruno Baur (not F.C. Baur) who died in 1841. He was the first to outright deny the historicity if Jesus. It was F.C. Baur who denied the authenticity of the Gospels and Pauline letters.

Answer 9

Just because he existed, which we have no proof of besides books, doesn't mean that "god" was his father. Plus if you found out he was real, what are you going to do give "your god" a paternity test. Horrible attempt at justifying the illogical.

Answer 10

Just because you only came across the theory 6 years ago doesn't mean people haven't held it for hundreds of years. The reason it's more popular now is because improved scientific methods and knowledge of history make the question of his existence potentially verifiable.