Theories about Jesus?

[Mister Agenda]

Obviously I'm a Christian... but as an observer?

How could Jesus have so much pump after 2000 years, unless He indeed rose from the dead. I don't believe anyone has pulled that stunt yet!

I like the turn of phrase. And I put the odds of there having been an 'historical Jesus' as commonly defined as at least 50%. But it's like asking how Siddhartha Guatama could have so much pump after 2,500 years unless he indeed reincarnated numerous times to continue fostering Buddhism?

Not-to-mention the many followers that saw Jesus afterwards, and were willing to die horrible deaths themselves fearlessly witnessing for Him.

Were said to have seen Jesus afterwards. The Heaven's Gate people were willing to die pretty horrible deaths, that doesn't mean their beliefs were true.

As far as the historic mentions of Jesus. There are some... but Christianity was persecuted. And why wouldn't they try to wipe out any mention of Him.

Maybe they did. You make more sense than the bunch who keep claiming there's less evidence for Julius Caesar than for Jesus.

The followers went underground for 300 years! Who would be openly writing about Jesus?

This is the first I've heard of a prolonged period of being underground, but I'm not a scholar of ancient Judea. Anyone who wanted to preserve the story of Jesus and could write could choose to take the risk of writing it down and hiding the manuscript. You can't invoke people willing to die horrible deaths on the one hand and claim they were too scared to write anything down on the other.

Unless of course he wanted to be fed to Lions or crucified!

Or thought he could hide a bundle of papers from the Romans.