Writings during the lifetime of Jesus?

[LastPoet]

I don't think the lack of writing prior to a person's death is necessarily a deal breaker. For example, there is no writing about Socrates prior to his death. But that does not prevent me from discounting the writings of Xenophon, or Socrates disciple Plato as fairy tales!

Sure, as long you wish to believe it hard enough, anything and everything will do to justify said belief.

To some of us, that isn't enough. You are forgetting something important (or purposedly forgetting IMO): Socrates and Xenophon do not claim to have supernatural powers, all writings about them are about philosopphy, something at the grasp of the most simple of humans. Remember that!