I actually believe there was a Jesus, but, as I said, not because of the reasons presented. But the debate does interest me.
One thing I was thinking last night, what it would take to provide real concrete documented evidence of Jesus. Why are there no contemporary sources? Where are the arrest records? The execution records? The trial records? Tax records? Census records? Contemporary observers and commentators? We have these types of documents dating from this time, but not ones concerning Jesus.
Of course this doesn't mean that he didn't exist, but it is odd. Wouldn't the early church be very interested in preserving these records? It wasn't that long after the alleged events that they began copying and preserving these documents. These records most likely would have been readily available. So I'm led to believe there must be three possibilities:
1) the records don't exist, and never did. Possible, and at least the case for some of those records that would help.
2) The records were consciously suppressed or destroyed. It is likely that the cult paul used to base his religion was very different from what it later became. They would not want records that showed a figure different from what doctrine stated. Or they could have been destroyed as "idolatry" as churches were destroyed during the reformation, believing the man would distract from the message.
3) the records were overlooked and lost. However I find this unlikely. With the church preserving many roman and Greek texts, especially those they believed fell in line with their values, I doubt they would have overlooked these documents.
One thing I was thinking last night, what it would take to provide real concrete documented evidence of Jesus. Why are there no contemporary sources? Where are the arrest records? The execution records? The trial records? Tax records? Census records? Contemporary observers and commentators? We have these types of documents dating from this time, but not ones concerning Jesus.
Of course this doesn't mean that he didn't exist, but it is odd. Wouldn't the early church be very interested in preserving these records? It wasn't that long after the alleged events that they began copying and preserving these documents. These records most likely would have been readily available. So I'm led to believe there must be three possibilities:
1) the records don't exist, and never did. Possible, and at least the case for some of those records that would help.
2) The records were consciously suppressed or destroyed. It is likely that the cult paul used to base his religion was very different from what it later became. They would not want records that showed a figure different from what doctrine stated. Or they could have been destroyed as "idolatry" as churches were destroyed during the reformation, believing the man would distract from the message.
3) the records were overlooked and lost. However I find this unlikely. With the church preserving many roman and Greek texts, especially those they believed fell in line with their values, I doubt they would have overlooked these documents.
