Tortoise, with all of the Christian church’s that are around, do you feel those people that attend them have lost their collective minds?
I think that there is as much evidence for him as there is for a huge variety of other historical figures that we take as a given. Frankly, that he was entirely fabricated is far more incredulous than believing that there was a preacher in the Levant in the 20’s BCE. There were plenty of mystery cults, it fits quite well. Likewise, these mystery religion preachers routinely had miracles attributed to them, so it follows that miracles attributed to any given mystery religion preacher isn’t terribly surprising. High profile criminals were certainly recorded, but Jesus wasn’t really even that high profile – a minor rabble rouser that the local elites wanted taken out. Hardly worth taking notes on from a roman perspective. A very routine execution from the roman’s perspective.
Then I feel further discussion on this matter with you will not produce a satisfactory debate.
I’d be curious to see some of those lists from around that time. I certainly buy that they exist, but I think that those seeking to disprove Jesus’ existence might also be using too strenuous a criterion for finding him. If we already accept that Jesus is not the son of God, we already recognize that parts of the NT are incorrect/fabrications. The question then becomes: how much?
Something to consider: The Talmud references two potential individuals who could have been the inspirations for the Biblical Jesus. Both these individuals were preachers and wonder-workers who were either stoned or hanged around passover. So you have individuals being executed who could have been the teachers they claimed to be. They also lived later than the Biblical Jesus is supposed to have, so it would actually fix most of the problems of chronology the Gospels normally have.
It’s perennial, I suppose.
I think it more probable then not of his actual existance. However, being God… Not so much.