Your argumnet is a strong one if we where discussing the MYTHICAL status of Christ. We are not. As we are not, the fact that the ledgens are drawn from earlier sources and that some aspects of the bible are contradictory does not difflect from an actuall cult leader who collected the myths of earlier civilisations.
For instance, you seem to be suggesting a grand conspiricy. Like all grand conspiricies, it seems a little fanciful. Hundreds of people over 100s of years conspiring together to string up a story of a fictional character and give it backbone by adding secondary evidence without anyone ever hinting that this was going on? It is like the old saying 'three men can keep a secret, but only if two of them are dead.'
The lack of primary evidence is the strongest point. However, if we do not count the miricles, Christ was just another cult figure. As you say yourself, there were plenty around that time. After his death, for one reason or another, his cult took off. This means that there was nothing exiting to note untill after he was dead which may go along way in explaining the lack of primary evidence.
Also, things get lost. We did not even know of the existence of many of the Nag Hammadi Scrolls untill after 1947. Keeping in mind that these were once gosple to many people is a good example of how completly things can disapear. If we assume Christ did little of note in his lifetime and the high liklyhood of that small writting concerning the events going missing, it is hardly surprising.
For instance, you seem to be suggesting a grand conspiricy. Like all grand conspiricies, it seems a little fanciful. Hundreds of people over 100s of years conspiring together to string up a story of a fictional character and give it backbone by adding secondary evidence without anyone ever hinting that this was going on? It is like the old saying 'three men can keep a secret, but only if two of them are dead.'
The lack of primary evidence is the strongest point. However, if we do not count the miricles, Christ was just another cult figure. As you say yourself, there were plenty around that time. After his death, for one reason or another, his cult took off. This means that there was nothing exiting to note untill after he was dead which may go along way in explaining the lack of primary evidence.
Also, things get lost. We did not even know of the existence of many of the Nag Hammadi Scrolls untill after 1947. Keeping in mind that these were once gosple to many people is a good example of how completly things can disapear. If we assume Christ did little of note in his lifetime and the high liklyhood of that small writting concerning the events going missing, it is hardly surprising.
