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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]And what you are saying is that you know more than the experts.[/quote]

Why do you rely so much on those heavily biased "experts"? Are you that desperate for confirmation?

The fact is there is no independent evidence that he existed.

He [i]may[/i] have existed - but given the lack of evidence we may never know one way or another.

[/quote]

I don’t rely on experts out of a need for confirmation, but rather to synthesize the current academic consensus. In the fields of secular history and classical studies, the consensus isn't built on "proof" in the mathematical sense, but on the probability of the available data.

The Nature of Ancient Evidence

For almost anyone living 2,000 years ago who wasn't an Emperor or a wealthy Senator, we have zero "independent" physical evidence (like archeological remains or contemporary DNA).

No "Primary" Sources: We have no writings from the person themselves and no eyewitness accounts written at the exact time of the events.

The "Standard" for Antiquity: If we applied a "zero-bias" rule to all ancient figures, we would have to doubt the existence of figures like Socrates, Hannibal, or Boudica, whose lives are also documented primarily by people with specific agendas or writing decades later.

Why Historians Lean Toward Existence

Most secular historians (not just theologians) argue for a "Historical Jesus" because it is actually harder to explain the data without him. They generally point to two main pillars:

The Pauline Epistles: Written within 20–30 years of the traditional date of death. Paul mentions meeting James, "the brother of the Lord." Historians argue it’s unlikely a fabricated myth would involve a living sibling known to the community.

The Criterion of Embarrassment: Early accounts include details that were actually "problems" for the early movement (like the person being from Nazareth—a place of no importance—or being executed as a criminal). If the story were a pure invention, creators usually "smooth out" those inconvenient details.

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The probability is that he [i]maybe[/i] existed, but no one can be 100% certain because we don't have any evidence.

[/quote]

Gee it's too bad Jesus didn't go in for graven images. We could have found Inri Coins and Christcoin in archaeological sites. Well at least we will know Caesar and TheDon existed. [/quote]

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