Who would agree that Christ is a mythological figure?

Question

The Bible (Old and New Testaments) is a myth. The surface story is blatantly NOT to be given historical or literal interpretation but invites us to a deeper "story" of discovery. Please share your ideas.

Interesting responses so far.
My comments to date:
1.There is NO historical evidence of Christ.
2. The "story" is set in time therefore there are geographical references etc.
3. to understand Christ as a mythological figure does not detract from the importance of the archetype.
4. The "story" was probably based on several hundred different Messiah figures...the Middle East was awash with individuals who claimed to be "the one"
4. Try writing about your Grandmother's time from stories you have heard. The book of Mark was not written until 70 years later.
5. Heaven and Hell are NOT places but an understanding we bring to the "here and now"
Just more "food for thought"

Interestingly enough I DO "believe" in Christ...but not as a concrete, historical figure. The archetype is universal and life changing and applies to all peoples and all religions. I just don't believe that Christ existed as a historical person. The importance lies in the STORY...It is the big story that helps us understand what would otherwise lie beyond our ability to comprehend.

I seem to be getting some excellent responses but also some rather derogatory ones as well. Please rather than just contradict - ie the total lack of historical evidence, do try and offer something to work with.

Answer 1

Christ is a real individual, both God and man, who lived and died and came back to LIFE again. Historical FACTS cannot be swept under the rug.

Answer 2

I'm an atheist, but I don't think the bible can accurately be described as a "myth." Although some argument can be made about the stories of the Old Testament in that regard, I do believe that Jesus was a real person who lived approximately 2000 years ago. There are too many written accounts that have been uncovered dating from that time period for Jesus to have been a total fabrication. That doesn't mean that he was the child of any deity, only that he was this nice guy that had some novel things to say, and a lot people listened to him. Leave it to human nature to foul up the message and add a bunch of mystical baggage and moral directives for personal gain.

Answer 3

History and science both have proven the Bible's existence as well as information in the Bible. Jesus is not a mythological figure.

IE: Before people believed the world was a circle (sphere) the Bible told us so. Before people believed the world hung on nothing, the Bible told us so. The Bible tells us how to be health, safe and secure. Many Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, some are being fulfilled now, and the rest will be fulfilled soon.

Answer 4

Are you hinting at the idea of a pilgrimage to heaven is simply a myth, an allegory, or a dream?

Answer 5

Most well read Atheists know Jesus the man was here and he had a following called Christians.

Christianity has a rich history which started with the jews at the beginning of time. The bible is filled with historical facts that Archaeologists use and has been proven very reliable. We have over 5000 documented ancient findings of scripture, many in different languages, all the same. WE have the dead sea scrolls to prove this also. The Vatican just bought 2 gospels dating 90 ad, the same as we have today. There is prophesies that has come to pass from the bible that proves it's reliability. Over 300 just for the man Jesus.

We have non christian evidence of Jesus from Tacitus and Josephus both historians. And a Governor named Pliny the Younger who all wrote about "Christos" and his followers the Christan's.

Archaeologists have found the tomb of Caiaphas who was the Pharisee that brought Jesus to trial.
Jesus WAS a real person who was an historical figure. Even well read Atheists KNOW this.

We have eye witnesses who had every thing to loose by claiming to be a follower of Jesus. Why? When Jesus was killed they scattered. Afraid. BUT when they saw he was resurrected they became bold. Why?
Since the bible is reliable, and Jesus WAS here you must decide.
Was he a nut? A liar, Or who he claimed to be.

Answer 6

You show your ignorance by stating that there is no historical evidence of Jesus.Have you ever read "The traditions of Glastonbury".That is to just name but one.
I'll cast no more pearls before swine.

Answer 7

There is no evidence that the Jesus in the christian bible ever existed. In fact, according to available evidence, the Jesus character is based on god-men from older religions. The story of a resurrected "savior" is neither unique nor original to christianity.

* * *
Did a historical Jesus exist?
http://www.nobeliefs.com/exist.htm
[Excerpt]

ALL CLAIMS OF JESUS DERIVE FROM HEARSAY ACCOUNTS

No one has the slightest physical evidence to support a historical Jesus; no artifacts, dwelling, works of carpentry, or self-written manuscripts. All claims about Jesus derive from writings of other people. There occurs no contemporary Roman record that shows Pontius Pilate executing a man named Jesus. Devastating to historians, there occurs not a single contemporary writing that mentions Jesus. All documents about Jesus got written well after the life of the alleged Jesus from either: unknown authors, people who had never met an earthly Jesus, or from fraudulent, mythical or allegorical writings. Although one can argue that many of these writings come from fraud or interpolations, I will use the information and dates to show that even if these sources did not come from interpolations, they could still not serve as reliable evidence for a historical Jesus, simply because all sources derive from hearsay accounts.

Hearsay means information derived from other people rather than on a witness' own knowledge.

Courts of law do not generally allow hearsay as testimony, and nor does honest modern scholarship. Hearsay provides no proof or good evidence, and therefore, we should dismiss it.

* * *
The Myth of the Historical Jesus
http://mama.indstate.edu/users/nizrael/jesusrefutation.html

Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead?
http://www.ffrf.org/about/bybarker/rise.php

Pagan origins of Jesus:
http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/index.html
http://geocities.com/christprise/
http://mama.indstate.edu/users/nizrael/jesusrefutation.html
http://www.rationalresponders.com/a_silence_that_screams_no_contemporary_historical_accounts_for_jesus
http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/pcc/pcc09.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa3.htm
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/resurrection/lecture.html
http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/virgin.html
http://www.harrington-sites.com/motif.htm
http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa052902a.htm
http://www.apollonius.net/bernard1e.html
.

Answer 8

For Jesus to be mythological, that would have to mean that he never existed. There is plenty of archaeological evidence proving he existed. There's actually more proof that he existed than proof that he didn't. There is tons of tangible proof that events that happened in the Bible actually happened. The real debate is the meaning attached to Jesus and the meaning attached to the provable events.

Answer 9

Well, I don't think he's mythological in the same sense that Odysseus or Thor is. There is enough evidence, in my view, that Jesus of Nazareth was an actual historical person. That said, he is _heavily_ mythologized in the Gospel accounts. As you have clearly suggested, this doesn't mean that those accounts are of any less value than a historical one would be. Rather, they have different aims and seek to convey a different kind of truth.

Answer 10

Disagree. A mythological figure could not change a person from the inside out with no effort on the part of the person being changed. Sorry, but I know Him and there is nothing mythological about Him.

Answer 11

I believe in Christ, you do not. If you are right and I am wrong, then death will be the end, and nothing happens after I die. but If I am right and you are wrong, then death is the beginning of some serious problems for those who do not believe in the Christ.