Why is Jesus so famous? (Challenge to atheists)

[metis]

Christianity was a social movement. They had established many social programs, where the state did nothing for people. So it became quite popular with everyone for that reason. There is a great PBS special I would highly recommend watching in the 2 part series. They get into what I'm mentioning here in a lot more detail.

I also saw that, and it was very good, imo.

 

[Wildswanderer]

I take this as your way of saying "I was wrong. Jesus isn't the only person who came back from the dead."

Only that's not what I said.

"Because he was the only man to ever die, in full view of everyone and then return from the dead .."

I didn't say he was resurrected in front of everyone or that only he came back from the dead.

 

[RestlessSoul]

It's not as if media exposure means the public attach to a story. Extraordinary stories can really appeal to people. Let's note that extraordinary doesn't mean true or realistic. Look at all the fables and legends that were popular in ancient times. The illiad was popular with popular characters. Word got around back then through other means.

Yes, the Iliad was a great story. The Odyssey even more do. They both benefited from being the first epic poems in European culture to be written down - or the oldest extant, anyway.

The Gospels as well were great stories. Or one great story, told four ways. Revolutionary too, both in the manner of their telling and in their their themes and morals.

 

[viole]

Imagine a charlatan faking miracles in the middle east today….how likely is that an emperor/king/president would end up worshiping (or even knowing about his existence) this charlatan 300 years from now?

Are you comparing today with 2000 years ago?

Incidentally, a vast portion of humanity, including political organisations, embraced a religion that claim Muhammed took a cab, in the form of a winged horse, to heaven.

How is that possible? Isn't that maybe the case that Muhammed really flew to heaven on a winged horse? Or are all those people, nations, political organisations, hopelessly deluded?

According to the higher reproduction proclivity of Muslims vs. Christians, Muhammed will be in a few generations more popular than your hero. Why is that?

Ciao

- viole

 

[shunyadragon]

In full view of an entire cities population? And those only prove Jesus has power.

There is no evidence for this.

 

[shunyadragon]

Only that's not what I said.

"Because he was the only man to ever die, in full view of everyone and then return from the dead .."

I didn't say he was resurrected in front of everyone or that only he came back from the dead.

Ir still remains ans undocumented claim without evidence.

 

[Wildswanderer]

There is no evidence for this.

You need to do more research.

 

[shunyadragon]

You need to do more research.

I have researched for over 50 years. You need to provide the evidence contemporary with the life of Jesus, There are absolutely no written records documenting the Resurrection within fifty years of the life of Jesus. In fact there are not any independent references to Jesus during his life time.

 

[shunyadragon]

Any other history book would be accepted 300 year later, some of the gospels were written only 50 years later.

No, concerning miraculous events academic historical books do not accept them as factual. As with all religious scripture the Bible is not considered a history book. It is a religious narrative set in history.

Ir is accepted by historians that Jesus existed during the time the gospels describe and some of the historical references in the gospels to events, places and names, but not all as previously referenced. Unfortunately like all miraculous claims in all religions there is absolutely no evidence that these events rook place. They are religious claims only based on 'faith' and not historically documented as you claimed

 

[PearlSeeker]

Jesus is so popular because of Emperor Constantine I 's buy in, or conversion, to Christianity. Once Christianity had the power of Empire to enforce belief, there was no going back.
Any particular details to the life of Jesus were immaterial.

Rubbish. Jesus became popular long before Constantine's conversion. Otherwise Constantine wouldn't even hear about him.

 

[McBell]

How could someone like Jesus become so famous and influential?

Oh, I don't know, the same way Mohammed has become so famous?
In fact, Mohammed is about to become more famous than Jesus (and the Beatles)...

 

[leroy]

Rubbish. Jesus became popular long before Constantine's conversion. Otherwise Constantine wouldn't even hear about him.

agree

 

[Moonjuice]

Interesting question. What surprises me is that people met Jesus in person, heard him speak and didn't follow him at all. The vast majority of the Jews Jesus interacted with in his lifetime, didn't follow his version of Judaism, in fact, he had very few "followers". Getting more popular 50-100 years later, seems to prove that Paul made him famous by telling a story about Jesus that was more powerful than the story Jesus was telling himself.

 

[MikeF]

Rubbish. Jesus became popular long before Constantine's conversion. Otherwise Constantine wouldn't even hear about him.

Obviously, the term 'popular' is subjective and relative to some scope, as is the term 'famous', which is the word used in the OP. Additionally, I interpreted the OP to mean that today, Jesus is famous globally. Famous as in known, not necessarily popular.

In the 2nd century CE, I do not think we can characterize Jesus as being globally famous or popular.

Constantine I instituted a number of social and political reforms to consolidate and build his Empire. We cannot discount political considerations in change in state policy towards Christianity and other minority religions that occurred well before his official deathbed conversion. It most likely had nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus specifically.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Jesus was so popular that there is not one single mention of him during his lifetime, Christianity is almost entirely the result of Paul and therefor his interpretation of a man he never met.

That might be the case but there was also Apollos spreading the good news and there was also a community that produced Gospel of Thomas...

 

[metis]

Jesus became popular long before Constantine's conversion. Otherwise Constantine wouldn't even hear about him.

That depends on what one means by "popular" as that's a relative term.

Prior to Constantine's decision to embrace the Church, local churches were pretty much only found in some cities along the Mediterranean and some east of eretz Israel and into as far as India. It wasn't until Constantine whereas the Church rather quickly spread to central Europe and further south in northern Africa and western Asia.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Have you ever asked yourself, why Is Jesus so famous?

He was just a random carpenter in some distant town in the middle of palestine, he was not wealthy, he had no political power, he didn’t make any contributions to science or art, he didn’t travel much, etc.

So why is Jesus so famous? How did a random carpenter/ (or fisherman) became the most important and influential person in the whole world.

For Christians that question is very easy to answer, “He resurrected” (+some other miracles) if a random guy from Palestine resurrects tomorrow he would become famous.

But from the point of view of an unbeliever, (someone who rejects the claim that Jesus resurrected) what alternative explanation do you offer? How could someone like Jesus become so famous and influential?

I dunno. I think Thor, Hercules, Zeus, Isis, Apollo, Odin, and many more are equally famous and arguably exceeding the fame of Jesus.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Interesting question. What surprises me is that people met Jesus in person, heard him speak and didn't follow him at all. The vast majority of the Jews Jesus interacted with in his lifetime, didn't follow his version of Judaism, in fact, he had very few "followers". Getting more popular 50-100 years later, seems to prove that Paul made him famous by telling a story about Jesus that was more powerful than the story Jesus was telling himself.

Jesus was at first a local celebrity in Galilee. Paul's mission was surely broader.

 

[shunyadragon]

Rubbish. Jesus became popular long before Constantine's conversion. Otherwise Constantine wouldn't even hear about him.

Well ah . . . it still remains that Christianity became Roman in theology and structure with Constantine and his mother.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Have you ever asked yourself, why Is Jesus so famous?

He was just a random carpenter in some distant town in the middle of palestine, he was not wealthy, he had no political power, he didn’t make any contributions to science or art, he didn’t travel much, etc.

So why is Jesus so famous? How did a random carpenter/ (or fisherman) became the most important and influential person in the whole world.

For Christians that question is very easy to answer, “He resurrected” (+some other miracles) if a random guy from Palestine resurrects tomorrow he would become famous.

But from the point of view of an unbeliever, (someone who rejects the claim that Jesus resurrected) what alternative explanation do you offer? How could someone like Jesus become so famous and influential?

For the same reason Superman is famous. He is a cool character and has been marketed well.