Ask a atheist.

[Randy Carson]

Why do you say that Jesus never existed when noted scholars such as Bart Ehrman and historian Tim O'Neill, who are also atheists, have explained how we can know that he did exist?

Conflating historical and magical Jesus again I see. No one would say there wasn't some guy around at the time that you could say it was based on. Any one of the madcap preachers would do. Even the HJ cases are weak as shit and cover barely anything. Ehrman had to practically debate his former self to make the case. We certainly can't "know" he exists, you play fast and loose with epistemology.

If I know a guy called Harry who goes to school and likes to think he is a wizard, does that mean Harry Potter is real if he was the inspiration? You'll dismiss this analogy as stupid but to a sceptic there is very little difference.

Rob-

I realize that you atheists are all over the map on this, but I was asking the OP because (s)he specifically denies that Jesus ever existed. 

So, it was a specific question directed to a specific poster.

Btw - you said that you met Tim O'Neill...so have I in a manner of speaking through his writings online. I've printed out a lot of his articles and blog posts and I'm working my way through them. It's a pity that more folks don't know history as well as he apparently does...it would save a lot of wasted posting.

In an article entitled "The Jesus Myth Theory: A Response to David Fitzgerald" (which I've just started reading), O'Neill just crushes Richard Carrier, and I can only assume Fitzgerald is going down, too, as I get further into the piece.

After reading hundreds of posts here over the past three weeks, O'Neill is truly a breath of fresh air.