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

[Confused Ape]

When I advocated the Jesus Myth, I held Jesus to a higher standard on the grounds of extraordinary claims required extraordinary evidence. A philosopher like Socrates or a conqueror like Alexander are ordinary enough. A miracle working godman who brought back the dead on three occasions and performed public miracles should have gotten a write up at some point.

In an earlier post I provided a link to the the Jewish view of Jesus as an ordinary human man who annoyed the Romans with his preaching and got executed. It isn't established fact but I think that it's possible and that he got myths and legends attached to him afterwards. I'm glad you mentioned Alexander the Great because he had myths and legends attached to him.

Alexander As Myth

His life and deeds, as well as his death and burial, became a legend for future generations, far beyond the lands he had conquered. He was remembered in legend1 from Iceland to China and is still invoked as their ancestor or patron by tribesmen in Afghanistan.

In fact, until the Renaissance, it is the legend of Alexander that prevailed, as reliable historical sources were practically unknown.

and

The legend of Alexander started spreading right after Alexander's death and overshadowed his real life. Alexander became a mythical figure, a theme for folk-songs, epics and anecdotes. Even his name was modified or distorted.

Alexander's personality was adapted according to the use each nation or tribe made of the conqueror's fame. He became a local hero. Even the Persians, whose empire Alexander had conquered, made of him a Persian hero, son of Darius.

Ehrman advocates for a moral, non-supernatural Jesus. The problem is that the story of Jesus IS the miracles. Strip all that away and you have an empty shell barely recognizable to the Gospel tale.

The Christian story of Jesus is the miracles etc. The Jewish story of Jesus isn't and, if there was an historical Jesus, his real story wouldn't have any miracles in it either. This is why I'm surprised that Christians who believe in a supernatural Jesus are using Ehrman's work as proof that Jesus really existed.

Can you write the story of Dr. Who without the TARDIS or the time travel? How about the story of Merlin but without the magic? Spiderman but without the mutant powers?

It's certainly possible to write the story of Merlin without real magic the same as it's possible to write the story of King Arthur without the Lady Of The Lake and the search for the Holy Grail. All that would have been needed for a real Merlin to be regarded as a magician was a belief in his claims to be one. People have believed that some individuals can do magic for thousands of years and many still believe it today.

Without the superpowers or divinity, Jesus wouldn't have been Jesus.

He wouldn't have been the Jesus of the Christian religion but he might have been something on the lines of the Jewish view of Jesus.