Do I believe Jesus existed?
This is a tough question for me because I'll admit I haven't studied it that much. I have a lot of atheist friends who are scholars and they have studied this for a long time. And even atheists who study the subject are divided.
They all don't believe he was resurrected, but they disagree on whether an actual Jesus existed, or whether that was like a figment of some people's imagination; that they created him.
So, but here's the thing: I don't actually care. I don't think it actually matters if Jesus existed. You know, let's put it this way: maybe some guy named Jesus actually existed and actually had this philosophy, of being kind and being good to other people.
Also read: All The Problems With Noah's Ark Story
Maybe that person existed. In which case, good for him. Like I'm glad he spread that philosophy. And maybe they created him to do all these things, too.
And in which case, hey, that's a pretty good character to create. The only thing that really matters to me is a couple of questions: Did he perform miracles as they said he did?
Did he actually die and then come back to life? Did he get resurrected? Because that would validate that entire Christian story. And both of those things I have zero evidence for.
You know, people always say like, you know, "We found this box and it belonged to Jesus" or "Jesus wiped his face on the shroud" or something.
And we could debate whether those things are lies, you know, hoaxes or if they actually happened. -- They're always hoaxes, by the way, you know, we could debate that, but all that might show is whether he actually lived as a person.
But again, who cares? The question is: did he actually perform these miracles? Did he do all those supernatural things that people give him credit for?
And there is no evidence of any of that happening. So, that's all I'm curious about, because if we can't prove he got resurrected if we can't prove that he, you know, healed the paralytic person, if he didn't actually walk on water, if he didn't turn water into wine, then that whole supernatural aspect of him would disappear because we don't have evidence for that.
And if we don't have evidence for that, what is all of Christianity founded upon? I know it would be nice to say Christianity is founded upon these principles of "Be kind to your neighbor," but it's not. It's founded on this idea that he resurrected and you have to believe in that resurrection and accept him as this divine being, you know, from a virgin birth and all that.
But if all those supernatural things didn't happen and there's no proof that it actually happened, does it really matter whether he actually lived as a historical figure or not?
And to me, no, it doesn't. I mean, if he lived, that's nice, but it doesn't change how I would live or what I would believe one way or the other. So, the only thing that would matter is the supernatural aspect of Jesus, and there's no evidence for that one way or the other, and there may never be.
And in that case, I don't really care what the answer to the question is. It's worth noting that, you know, even if Jesus existed, even if he did perform the miracles, even if he did do some of the things that we ascribe to him, none of that would mean all the other.
It wouldn't mean he's the son of God. It wouldn't mean the Christian faith is the one true faith. It just means, "Oh, wow! There was this guy who did these amazing things way back when," but it doesn't mean, you know, gay people can't get married. Like there is a huge disconnect there.
Maybe that person existed. In which case, good for him. Like I'm glad he spread that philosophy. And maybe they created him to do all these things, too.
And in which case, hey, that's a pretty good character to create. The only thing that really matters to me is a couple of questions: Did he perform miracles as they said he did?
Did he actually die and then come back to life? Did he get resurrected? Because that would validate that entire Christian story. And both of those things I have zero evidence for.
You know, people always say like, you know, "We found this box and it belonged to Jesus" or "Jesus wiped his face on the shroud" or something.
And we could debate whether those things are lies, you know, hoaxes or if they actually happened. -- They're always hoaxes, by the way, you know, we could debate that, but all that might show is whether he actually lived as a person.
But again, who cares? The question is: did he actually perform these miracles? Did he do all those supernatural things that people give him credit for?
And there is no evidence of any of that happening. So, that's all I'm curious about, because if we can't prove he got resurrected if we can't prove that he, you know, healed the paralytic person, if he didn't actually walk on water, if he didn't turn water into wine, then that whole supernatural aspect of him would disappear because we don't have evidence for that.
And if we don't have evidence for that, what is all of Christianity founded upon? I know it would be nice to say Christianity is founded upon these principles of "Be kind to your neighbor," but it's not. It's founded on this idea that he resurrected and you have to believe in that resurrection and accept him as this divine being, you know, from a virgin birth and all that.
But if all those supernatural things didn't happen and there's no proof that it actually happened, does it really matter whether he actually lived as a historical figure or not?
And to me, no, it doesn't. I mean, if he lived, that's nice, but it doesn't change how I would live or what I would believe one way or the other. So, the only thing that would matter is the supernatural aspect of Jesus, and there's no evidence for that one way or the other, and there may never be.
And in that case, I don't really care what the answer to the question is. It's worth noting that, you know, even if Jesus existed, even if he did perform the miracles, even if he did do some of the things that we ascribe to him, none of that would mean all the other.
It wouldn't mean he's the son of God. It wouldn't mean the Christian faith is the one true faith. It just means, "Oh, wow! There was this guy who did these amazing things way back when," but it doesn't mean, you know, gay people can't get married. Like there is a huge disconnect there.
More from the author:
- Hate Religion, but Love Jesus?
- Can Atheists Date Christians?
- Why Even Atheists Should Appreciate the Bible
Originally published by Hemant Mehta on the Atheist Voice. Published on Fadewblogs by Dave Martin.
Disclaimer: This article is published on Fadewblogs with the permission of the author.
Support Hemant Mehta:
- Support on Patreon
- You can also make a one-time donation here: https://paypal.me/FriendlyAtheist
