I'm neutral as to whether or not Jesus existed. Knowing how these things work, though, if there ever was such a person it's pretty improbable that historical Jesus would much resemble the popular modern version.
As to "how" it started: Christianity was built upon the Old Testament, which it interpreted, edited and perpetuated into another saga called the New Testament, which includes the Gospels. It needn't have gone that way, and of course with the Jews, it didn't. But every epic needs a main character, an Achilles or Odysseus, and in this case Jesus got elected. If the Jesus character was based on a real person, his name might as well have Bill or Chuck, since Jesus/Yeshua means "salvation/savior" in Hebrew and that's a bit convenient. Since the name was likely attributed, there's no reason to assume his actions and attributes weren't also an amalgam of myths and legends from other characters who themselves may or may not have existed.
As to "why" it started: Then as now, religion was a tool used to manipulate the masses. As Buddhism was a response to Brahmanism, Christianity was a response to Orthodox Judaism and the Roman occupation.
As to "how" it started: Christianity was built upon the Old Testament, which it interpreted, edited and perpetuated into another saga called the New Testament, which includes the Gospels. It needn't have gone that way, and of course with the Jews, it didn't. But every epic needs a main character, an Achilles or Odysseus, and in this case Jesus got elected. If the Jesus character was based on a real person, his name might as well have Bill or Chuck, since Jesus/Yeshua means "salvation/savior" in Hebrew and that's a bit convenient. Since the name was likely attributed, there's no reason to assume his actions and attributes weren't also an amalgam of myths and legends from other characters who themselves may or may not have existed.
As to "why" it started: Then as now, religion was a tool used to manipulate the masses. As Buddhism was a response to Brahmanism, Christianity was a response to Orthodox Judaism and the Roman occupation.
