It is the greatest story ever sold. what if the jesus story was just a popular fiction series of the ancient world?
2007-11-03 01:17:15 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
man, i do not know where christians study history but it is absolutely incorrect to assert that 'all the historians' agree about Jesus. They do not. the only ones that do are members of the christian church or they interpret history according to stories of the bible which does not make good historical fiction, let alone accurate history accounts. if you want to prove Jesus existed, use something other than the rewritten and over edited bible which cannot be proven anyway. As for the Quran, it was written almost 600 years after Jesus so it can in no way be used to prove he existed.
2007-11-04 01:49:30 · update #1
writings of josephus are a joke. scholars agree they were edited in 1150 CE to show an account of Jesus. the changed records of history according to josephus are not true.
2007-11-04 01:52:33 · update #2
What do you mean just a popular fiction series? That's exactly what it is.
2007-11-03 01:21:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋
You know there's a verse in the Bible that said you're a true Christian if you believe in Jesus without looking at him directly, without touching Him for real. But if you think the Jesus story is just a popular fiction series of the ancient world, why does the time when Jesus has borned effect the world so much? You know about BC and AD? BC stands for Before Christ which means the time before Jesus was borned. AD is in Latin, it stands for Anno Domini which means 'in the year of our Lord' which means Jesus. If it's just a fiction character, why would the birth of Jesus be the most popular way to count years? Besides, if you think that Jesus is fictional, I can also say that the other religion's gods are also fictional and in that way, there will be no religion at all.
2007-11-03 08:40:07 · answer #2 · answered by Pinkygirl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What is true and what is legend is what should be the question. I think I have read (but did not research the writer's credentials) that Jesus ben Joseph was shown to exist on a Roman census of the time. But that is like Richard Smith or Jack Black. In a large populace you will find many people with that exact name. Okay, say that he did exist and was born in Bethlehem, etc. He became a young Rabbi, the dream of every Jewish mother, but he also became a reformer. His opinion was that the Jews who ruled the religious side of the area the Romans named Palestine were corrupt, that their practices were improper. And he set about to change things. There were many such young rabbis in that time, he wasn't the first or the last. But the Romans wanted a peaceful area, so they decided to arrest and kill him. Again in order to stabilize the people the Romans took made it look like the Jewish king of the time, a petty vassle of Rome, was complicit in his death. So, he was placed on a cross and executed by the Romans. It was no big deal. He had only a small following and most of them were frightened and ineffective. It quieted the crowds (and scared them). He died on a Friday and was entombed that afternoon. There were two reasons for this. Jews bury within 24 hours and do not bury on Shabbot (Saturday) because one does not work then. He was in the grave Saturday and then one Sunday one of his followers (Mary M, likely his bereaved wife) 'saw' him. His frightened few wanted to believe and wrote (some then, some later, some never) accounts of his life because they loved him. There isn't anything wrong with this, even from a Jewish POV, until one believes he was G-d or any portion there of. One may not divide or cheapen, The One Who Is. Most of the New Testament was written decades and centuries later by people who had been told the verbal stories. It is likely that many factual errors were introduced in this process. People of that time were regularly and savagely brutalized and his group was trying to give hope to them and themselves that there was hope (if only in a peaceful, wonderful afterlife). This was good even if only partly based on fact. It's sad that 'the church' began to pervert doctrine in later centuries and modern Christianity is therefor very dissimilar from early practices and beliefs. All this not withstanding it has been sold to many millions. However, the sale of it dims in comparison with the fairy tale of Islam. Therefor I can state that the difinitive answer to your direct question of the 'greatest' story ever sold interms of numbers who buy into it is a resounding 'NO!'
I'll also add that if Christians chose to use as their single 'proof' the numbers that have believed in it, then perhaps all of them should convert to Islam since they have many times more believers.
2007-11-03 08:57:54 · answer #3 · answered by Nightstalker1967 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Strip away the myth from the man. Get a copy of Jesus Christ Superstar.
2007-11-03 08:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by charlesdclimer 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think Jesus was real, just like Kris Kringle was real, but like Kris Kringle's story, I think Jesus' tale grew in the telling and over the years he did things that no one else could do, etc. Its how all myths start. Its based on factual info at first, then grows and grows until it becomes this fantastic tale.
Santa Claus was a real man, but it turned into the merry old chap in the North Pole surrounded by elves. They did the same with Jesus.
Its a fun story not to be taken too seriously, but unfortunatly people do (Jesus I mean). Santa's is just for fun :)
2007-11-03 08:22:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
A "fiction" story that governments of the time tried to stamp out? A "fiction" story that caused a bunch of people at the time the events in the story took place to be killed for believing in it? A "fiction" story that caused a huge amount of persecution towards its followers?
I don't think so.
If the persecution had started a couple hundred years later, maybe. But it took place at a time when eyewitnesses were still alive. The New Testament itself was written at a time when eyewitnesses were still alive.
If it was fiction, someone at the time would have said so. No one did.
2007-11-03 08:22:28 · answer #6 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 5⤋
Certainly people are entitled to believe that.... It is not illegal yet.......
Believe what you will.....
Some say "sold" because it is big business, this selling of Scriptures and words........
yet, not all who speak the word of God are true Christians....
as I have heard, there was a fellow who went into ministry.... and in college he told his roommate that he was going to get into the church and make a lot of money......
He certainly did.... His name was Robert Tilton.....
Your sister,
Ginger
2007-11-03 08:25:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I thought Star Wars was the greatest story ever told...damn...wrong again
2007-11-03 08:20:25 · answer #8 · answered by Seán 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It could be. I wonder if 1,000 years from now they will be trying to find Hogsmeet(sp? I have not read Happy Potter in a long time.)
2007-11-03 08:24:26 · answer #9 · answered by Doll 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just recycled Mithra stories.
Love and blessings Don
2007-11-03 08:48:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's the greatest story ever given away for free, I don't know maybe sold also. If it was fiction then it probably would be the greatest fiction story ever sold BUT! it's not so it isn't. GOD BLESS!!!
2007-11-03 08:27:30 · answer #11 · answered by Allan C 6 · 4⤊ 3⤋