Jesus and Paganism

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

but I was talking more about people proclaiming Jesus is entirely a myth with no historical basis.

As it turns out,there is no credible evidence for an historical Jesus. BUT, absence of evidence is not proof of absence,,although it's usually a pretty good indicator.

Nor is their enough credible evidence [in my opinion] to assert categorically that the figure of Jesus is entirely myth.


My position: It's plausible,even likely that in first century Judea: There lived a wondering ,devout Jewish teacher with a small band of followers. That his name was something like Yeshua/Yoshua bar Yusuf. That he founded a small,very Jewish sect. That he was crucified as were THOUSANDS of Jews during the Roman occupation.

The same may not be said of the Jesus of the New Testament. HE is almost certainly a mythical figure,fleshed out over 300 years,by anecdote, hyperbole,censorship and forgery.He did not emerge as full god/man until after the first Nicene council in 325 ce. The emperor Constantine dragged church leaders kicking and screaming and forced them to cobble together a canon for purely political reasons; order and stability in his empire.

There is no credible evidence that Constantine became a Christian,although it is thought he may have done so shortly before his death. The Roman empire did not become officially and intolerantly Christian until the emperor Theodosius in 380 CE. Official persecution of 'pagans' began in 381