(July 15, 2015 at 8:18 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Why do you believe He was a real person?
Because it he is so very place specific, and it is not the sort of place that a made-up god would reside. The whole birth narative is designed to explain that unexceptional place. If he were fiction made up by Jews it would start in Bethlehem. If he were fiction made up by gentiles he wouldn't be Jewish. Because unlike a god, he found baptism necessary and submitted to John the Baptist. Because crucifixion is not a kind a martyrdom Jews would have made up; in fact it is why Saul did not believe he was the messiah. Because Saul/Paul is so concerned about being as authoritative as those who knew him when he was alive.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.