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Did Jesus Christ ever exist?
EmperorSwordMan
A Fantasy turned Real
I believe there was once a man named Jesus during the roman empire. While he most likely wasn't the "son of god", he was probably a very wise and spiritual person, similar to a buddhist monk.
lostwanderingsoul
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but you will not settle it once and for all. People have been trying to settle it for hundreds of years. Those who believe Jesus existed will continue to believe and those who do not believe will continue to not believe. Some parts of religion are based more on faith and less on absolute proof.
buddhist
Well-Known Member
@Naganami , are you looking for evidence, or proof?
Remember that evidence can be interpreted by different people in different ways.
For example, the existence of Earth itself is interpreted by Christians as evidence for Jesus. The existence of Earth is interpreted by Buddhists like myself as evidence - and proof - for the existence of Earth.
A Christian archaeologist can find a pottery fragment in Palestine under 3 meters of sediment with the words "Yeshua" and interpret it as evidence for Jesus. Someone else can see that same evidence, and interpret it as evidence for an ordinary boy with the fairly common name "Yeshua" practicing his writing skills.
In conclusion - evidence, on its own, essentially means nothing, except as proof for the piece of evidence itself.
Remember that evidence can be interpreted by different people in different ways.
For example, the existence of Earth itself is interpreted by Christians as evidence for Jesus. The existence of Earth is interpreted by Buddhists like myself as evidence - and proof - for the existence of Earth.
A Christian archaeologist can find a pottery fragment in Palestine under 3 meters of sediment with the words "Yeshua" and interpret it as evidence for Jesus. Someone else can see that same evidence, and interpret it as evidence for an ordinary boy with the fairly common name "Yeshua" practicing his writing skills.
In conclusion - evidence, on its own, essentially means nothing, except as proof for the piece of evidence itself.
allfoak
Alchemist
What is at question here is the roots of Christianity.
What are the original teachings?
Was Jesus God and someone to be worshiped or was he our brother?
Should we simply be doing what he did in order to become like him?
If all i have to do is believe in the Jesus God to assure my passage into heaven then morality has no meaning.
If on the other hand Jesus was just like us and came to show us who we are by his example, then modern Christianity is a farce.
The Bible is not a history book it is one of the many life manuals that everyone says doesn't exist.
What are the original teachings?
Was Jesus God and someone to be worshiped or was he our brother?
Should we simply be doing what he did in order to become like him?
If all i have to do is believe in the Jesus God to assure my passage into heaven then morality has no meaning.
If on the other hand Jesus was just like us and came to show us who we are by his example, then modern Christianity is a farce.
The Bible is not a history book it is one of the many life manuals that everyone says doesn't exist.
Sapiens
Polymathematician
There is no archaeological or historical evidence that Jesus ever existed. There are fragmentary and debatable mentions of Jesus and Christians in writings dating from well after his alleged death.
allfoak
Alchemist
It is necessary.
New people means lots of repeat.
You should be good at this by now.
Use your experience to help not disparage.
Naganami
Member
Christians say there is and send me this link Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible - Biblical Archaeology Society
=_=
allfoak
Alchemist
Ask them why it is so important to them that he existed.
What you will find is that he is their ticket to heaven.
Neo Deist
Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
The forums have this nifty little feature called "Search." They should start there. Chances are, half a dozen people have already asked the question.
allfoak
Alchemist
People don't come here to read, they come here to talk.
Neo Deist
Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
You mean type.
allfoak
Alchemist
communicate.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I doubt he ever existed.
Josephus and Pliny points to a referencing of a Christian cult and their belief in Christ.
It seems Christianity really wasn't anything worth concidering until Constantine made it bigger than it really was. People like it and it stuck as it is today. It's a dying out religion anyways going slowly back to the days before Constantine when Christianity was nothing more than a fleeting thought about a small yet loud group of people.
I'm pretty assured that Christ was just a character of legend, and not any real person in perticular prompted up by it's leaders like any other messianic cult.
As already mentioned, you won't settle this. The evidence is scant, but not non-existent, and the interpretation of it (as mentioned) is where the rubber hits the road anyway.
But if I could suggest this...
Jesus existed, in so far as there were people called 'Jesus'. Whether one was the Christ becomes more a question of religious belief than factual dissertation, regardless of the historicity of the 'guy on the cross'.
arthra
Baha'i
You could ask the same question of anyone living two thousand years ago ... Is there any archeological evidence that Appolonius of Tyana existed? Appolonius lived after Jesus and there's only one major source for his life.. Philostratus and he wrote about Appolonius over a hundred years after Appolonius lived.
There are some archeological evidences of Pilate
Pilate Stone 1961 - Bing images
but he was a Roman governor of Judea and not an itenerent wandering preacher.... awhile ago there was an interesting program about the supposed tomb of Jesus...Talpiot Tomb - Wikipedia
Honestly I don't know.. but there are several reasons to believe it is more likely there is no trace of any evidence to be found for the existence of Jesus in terms of archeology. (1) Jerusalem was destroyed in or around 70 CE.. there was also (2) a subsequent diaspora.. How likely do you suppose it is that there can be any archeological evidence after these events?
There is I believe fairly strong circumstantial evidence that Jesus was a historical person in my view... there are many sources in different languages such as Coptic, Greek and Hebrew ... fragmented though they be that suggest Jesus was a real person. Historical Jesus - Wikipedia
Do you believe that Prophet Muhammad was a historical figure? I do.
Baha'is accept that the Bab and Baha'u'llah lived as "real" persons.. We have Their direct Writings and there are descendents walking around to day but that was around only a hundred and seventy years ago.
Very informative, thanks!