Challenge to atheists: I find your lack of faith disturbing!

[Aractus]

First of all thank you for the scholarship. I'm not a bible-phile but even I can appreciate the concise, even manner in which you've written this. I lack the background knowledge to form an informed opinion of whether you are completely correct. But I'm at least inclined to allow there was a man named Jesus who was crucified, if only to meet your politeness with my own.

I appreciate your honesty, and it's rare to see that on this site.

But what the significance of this event may be is another matter. Even if there are characters in the bible who did in fact exist, there is no reason I can see to believe this Jesus died for anyone's sins or that he was resurrected. All of that does seem the stuff of legends and one which arises all over the world.

Well resurrection remains the only explanation that makes sense. If there were a bunch of people claiming that Jesus had risen, and he had not, and they were increasing in number, and the Christian movement had spread throughout the entire Roman empire - why didn't the Roman authorities pull the body out of the grave and then put it up on display? That would have immediately proven to everyone that he had not risen.

If it was an elaborate hoax perpetrated by his disciples, well they all died (as in they were martyred for it), who would be willing to die for a hoax?