Theists: What is the most compelling argument you have heard for Atheism?

[Brian37]

Well said.  I would be interested in looking at those further.  Feel free to share them with me.

I'd start here. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. If he develops his thoughts on Mark demonstrating (contrary to received opinion) a high christology further it will surely have a profound effect on NT scholarship.

Reading Backwards

There is no "NT scholorship" anymore than being an expert on Star Wars makes Yoda real. Theologians are apologists nothing more. 

"Reading Backwards" yea so what? The first 3 original Star Wars movies ended up being prequels to which the following new movies were written after the fact to be stories BEFORE the original 3. 

There is no evidence that a man named Jesus existed outside the bible's claims to confirm he existed. The oldest gospel was written way after the alleged death of the Jesus Character. Josephus does not count and also was not an "eyewitness". The first compiled completed book didn't get voted on until 329 at the Council of Nicea. It took over 1,000 years from the OT to the first VOTED ON completed bible and over 40 authors with books left out. It seems inefficient to me to have an alleged "all powerful" god take all that time and use flawed humans to complete it with even further revisions and newer versions since. Not to mention in that 1700 years since the first completed version even among Christian sects humans have been arguing and even murdering over those different interpretations. 

But lets pretend he did exist, he didn't, but lets pretend he did. He would not have been a god or the "son of a god". He would have simply been a man who looked at the current surrounding religions and decided to start a new one. Just like L Ron Hubbard, a si fi writer conned people so much Scientology was started. Nobody magically is born without a second set of DNA. Nobody survives the act of torture the death story would have you believe. 

The way the NT is written reads like people trying to score political points using a popular name of that era trying to compete to create a new movement. It is far more likely during the alleged time that a legend was created over a movement to which a minority group stood up to authority. Much like Plato's Apology is a story not a real account of Socrates challenge to authority. Everyone likes an underdog story.

It does not matter to me one bit if he existed, there is no evidence he did. It still would not make men with magic super powers real. It would merely mean a person managed to split off from the social norms of the time and start a new business. No different than when Coke and Pepsi compete. No different than saying Yuengling beer is much older than Budweiser but both are still beer, and even today you have aspiring brewers making beer in their homes hoping to make it big.

There is no such thing as a magic baby with super powers and nobody survives rigor mortis. There are just humans whom market claims, some truly believe what they claim, and some are flat out con artists and don't care.