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

[Captain Colostomy]

I would address one issue...stating that 55CE is 'too early for legend'. Says who??? Anyone familiar with the outlaw West(US), is also familiar with how the James Gang was immortalized in dime store novels even as the gang still was operating. The stories romanticised the lawlessness because it made for sales, not because it was reporting the truth. I see no reason to consider the Jesus story as any different. It actually smacks strongly of legend, and has Jesse James to compare itself with. No doubt there are scores of legends assembled similarly.

Right. Jesus probably just stepped in a puddle and then through countless retellings it became a miracle of him walking on water.

Well, his actually saying 'goddammit' then kicking Judas in the nuts hardly makes for good press.

[Minimalist]

Ehrman's whining on this particular subject would be more convincing if he had not spent his entire career demonstrating that the NT horseshit he now relies upon is full of shit.

When it comes to the HJ - and his version of an HJ is NOT what xtians think.....no miracle-working godboy coming back from the fucking dead... he has no more actual evidence than anyone else.

[LastPoet]

The way I picture a theist is like any other human. But he creams himself in bullshit and claims it to be perfume.

[Esquilax]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if tomorrow we found a whole ton of documentation from the time period Jesus supposedly existed that detailed the life of a fraudulent miracle worker named Yeshua whose life matches up perfectly with Christ's. I think it'd be great fun to watch the slow backing down, the wheedling excuses, and within a week or so, the Orwellian forgetfulness and sudden professions that records from that time don't prove anything anymore.

[Minimalist]

The real assholes would simply deny it...as they do evolution.

[Owlix]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if tomorrow we found a whole ton of documentation from the time period Jesus supposedly existed that detailed the life of a fraudulent miracle worker named Yeshua whose life matches up perfectly with Christ's. I think it'd be great fun to watch the slow backing down, the wheedling excuses, and within a week or so, the Orwellian forgetfulness and sudden professions that records from that time don't prove anything anymore.

No way they'd bow down and admit it was all a lie

[Esquilax]

No way they'd bow down and admit it was all a lie

Of course not: I'd just really like to see the shift in position be super visible for once. It'd be great fun.

[Chas]

I find your faith disturbing. No knowledge comes from faith.

Why do you bother with 'evidence' if you have faith?

[Doubting Thomas]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if tomorrow we found a whole ton of documentation from the time period Jesus supposedly existed that detailed the life of a fraudulent miracle worker named Yeshua whose life matches up perfectly with Christ's. I think it'd be great fun to watch the slow backing down, the wheedling excuses, and within a week or so, the Orwellian forgetfulness and sudden professions that records from that time don't prove anything anymore.

I imagine they would do anything and everything they could to claim that this Yeshua person was not the Jesus of the bible.

[pocaracas]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if tomorrow we found a whole ton of documentation from the time period Jesus supposedly existed that detailed the life of a fraudulent miracle worker named Yeshua whose life matches up perfectly with Christ's. I think it'd be great fun to watch the slow backing down, the wheedling excuses, and within a week or so, the Orwellian forgetfulness and sudden professions that records from that time don't prove anything anymore.

I imagine they would do anything and everything they could to claim that this Yeshua person was not the Jesus of the bible.

After all... Jesus (or Yeshua) was a very common name, back then...
And many claimed to be prophets... as this historical reconstruction illustrates: