The (non) existence of Jesus

[ShaMan]

Serious question...do you all think Buddha was a myth too?

Buddha, like Jesus, is a form of archetype, though Buddhism is at least intellectually honest about it.

[Crossless2.0]

Serious question...do you all think Buddha was a myth too?

The Buddha as presented in much of the canon? Absolutely, yes. However, I tend to believe that there was a person behind the mythology -- just as I tend to believe that there was a an ill-fated Rabbi behind the Christian mythology. Jesus? Sure, I'll tentatively hold to a belief in an historical personage. Jesus Christ? Absolutely not.

[FatAndFaithless]

The existence of a guy known as Siddartha Gautama who then took the title of Buddha? Sure, seems there's enough evidence to make it likely he existed. The Buddha that attained enlightenment after sitting under a tree for a while and was born through a cut in his mother's side to avoid a prophecy given to his father, who understands not only the existence of samsara and karma but how to escape it? Nah, no evidence for that.

[Minimalist]

Serious question...do you all think Buddha was a myth too?

Yes. And mohammed. And Moses. And Tammuz. And Osiris. etc. etc.

Your boy wasn't the first.

[CapnAwesome]

I'm curious if there is anybody who doubts the existence of Ghenghis Khan? He also lacks primary sources (Nothing contemporary was written about him) has many mythic qualities attached to him and his early life that people don't take seriously historically.

[vorlon13]

Even Marco Polo's story of visiting China might be somewhat specious. Curiously, it is my understanding the Chinese have no record of his visit, and it seems they were pretty anal about chronicling things.

[Anomalocaris]

Except Marco Polo's accounts of china, although not of his visit, is replete with verifiable, and for an European of the time spectacular and unbelievable, details. If he didn't visit himself, he must have had very close contact with someone who did visit, and was truthful in telling Polo what he saw and experienced.

The story of Polo's unknown source must be as amazing as the journey polo attributed to himself.

[Mudhammam]

Except Marco Polo's accounts of china, although not of his visit, is replete with verifiable, and for an European of the time spectacular and unbelievable, details. If he didn't visit himself, he must have had very close contact with someone who did visit, and was truthful in telling Polo what he saw and experienced.

The story of Polo's unknown source must be as amazing as the journey polo attributed to himself.

There are some places Polo visited so remote but written about in such vivid detail, that only within the past 150-200 years did explorers confirm the accuracy and authenticity of his record.

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Also, don't Christians ever consider the fact that the (alleged) most important decision a person is obliged to make rests on the confidence one is able to summon in a trivial (and again, alleged) historical detail and think, "Wow, this theology really is stupid!"

[Anomalocaris]

I'm curious if there is anybody who doubts the existence of Ghenghis Khan? He also lacks primary sources (Nothing contemporary was written about him) has many mythic qualities attached to him and his early life that people don't take seriously historically.

Except the existence of a genghis khan associated with least one nearly mythical quality attributed to him is attested by genetic evidence from modern population along the route of genghis khan's, well, alleged, conquest. We know from these evidence genghis khan belonged to haploground C-M217, and his own particular lineage can be identified by 25 distinctive Y chromosome markers.

The mythical attribute is he slept with another conquered woman every night and personally fathered 10,000 offsprings. The genetic evidence is 30 million men in the world today, mainly from the route genghis khan followed during his conquest, can trace their ancestry one single man with the above described genetic attribute, who lived at the time genghis khan is alleged to have lived. 30 million male offsprings is a unparalleled pool of descendants for a men who lived only 800 years ago. But it could be explained by that man fathering thousands of offsprings.

To put in perspective, genghis khan slept with so many women and fathered so many children during his conquests that 1 in 5 men that live today In the land Genghis conquered is a descendant of genghis khan.

[Minimalist]

A pope sent an emissary to the Mongols in 1246. Friar Giovanni di Plano Carpini not only accomplished his mission he did so less than 20 years after Genghis Khan's death and wrote a history of them. Less than 20 years is a shitload better than any of the claims by the jesus freaks.

Besides, there are Chinese and Arabic accounts of Mongol atrocities. To be sure there are stories which grow up around any such man but Genghis actually did something....unlike these alleged holy horseshitters.