Evidence for Jesus Christ?

[darkblight]

Hey people!

I want to propose a challenge if you will. A challenge to any christians on this forum, or anyone else who wants to get involved.

My question is this, what evidence can you provide me with, OTHER than the bible, that jesus existed?

This may have been discussed before but i've flicked through the threads and not really found a recent one devoted to this particular question.

I want to let you guys know the reasoning behind this question, i've been watching the atheist experience for a few months now, and a popular comeback they have to people who claim the existence of jesus is 'prove it'. Well these particular atheists claim there is no evidence for jesus, and also claim that there are no other writings about jesus other than in the bible.

However i have come across things such as this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus which would suggest that these particular atheists are wrong.

Does anyone here know about Josephus in more depth? and do you guys think that more simple text is enough to prove he existed?

What i really would like is for someone to provide me with some physical evidence, like what he actually wrote, or a tomb or a piece of carpentry he made (he was a carpenter afterall). Otherwise i guess in arguements against Christians i can just use the line 'prove it'?


There's kinda alot here but what the bottom line question i would like to discuss is what evidence if you are a Christian would you give me that jesus existed?

Thanks for reading

Napo!

first i am not christian


but what evidence can you give me other than xxx book to prove that Plato existed.

wasn't christ mentioned in multiple religions, not a rhetoric question.

The bible was written by men, and multiple men at that... and yeah they are more than likely batshit insane but I would guess that they were writing about the actions of a actual man who existed.

[Minimalist]

but I would guess that they were writing about the actions of a actual man who existed.

Using that "logic" one could make a case for Hercules, Quetzlcoatl or Goldilocks.

---

Well...why haven't you?

rofl

Okay, Summer....I took down the fucking curtain rod.

[thesummerqueen]

Okay, Summer....I took down the fucking curtain rod.

[darkblight]

but I would guess that they were writing about the actions of a actual man who existed.

Using that "logic" one could make a case for Hercules, Quetzlcoatl or Goldilocks.

---

Well...why haven't you?

rofl

Okay, Summer....I took down the fucking curtain rod.

good point

[DeistPaladin]

but what evidence can you give me other than xxx book to prove that Plato existed.

I've heard this objection before and there are two problems with it:

First, this is comparing apples to oranges. Plato wasn't a demigod of a religion come to earth (Hercules, Perseus, etc) or the subject of folklore (King Arthur, Beowulf, etc), he was a philosopher. The same kind of religious and folklore mechanics aren't at work here. In other words, there was no movement of Platoists who prayed to a celestial Plato for redemption nor are there any epic myths of him completing the quest of finding the maguffin so he could slay the foosil. They simply respected the mortal man for the philosophies he created. There was neither a motive to make him up nor a process of urban legend to create him.

Second, people who knew Plato, who were part of the school founded by him, wrote down what he taught, not 40 years later in accounts laden with unlikely supernatural claims, but simply what he taught.

So no, I don't have a double standard with Plato. This is simply extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence while mundane claims are accepted with mundane evidence.

wasn't christ mentioned in multiple religions, not a rhetoric question.

One religion that I know of: Islam. This religion came six centuries later and seems like an offshoot.

The Jews had nothing to say on Jesus until about 300 AD, and even this Talmudic reference might not be about the same "Yeshua".

[thesummerqueen]

[snark snark]

The only Jesus we care about is the one we pay to mow the lawn and flick light switches for us on Saturdays

[/snark]

[Violet]

Use of word evidence when one really means scientific evidence? Check.

Demands for proof? Check.

Absence of bungee cord? Check.

Seems like a typical atheist so far. Looks like he's already dived, so it's a little late for me to assist *twirls bungee cord in circles because it makes funny noises*.

[Minimalist]

Bungee cord?

[Violet]

Bungee cord?

Yes, he was missing his. Can't bounce back up out of the depths he's hit. Poor sod.

[Minimalist]

Ah.

Got it.