Where's the evidence?

@RuyLopez I'd just like to see some of this evidence they claim to have heaps of. They seem to think it's fine to denigrate Atheists and members of other religions. Maybe their sense of place in the universe is that fragile.

@Sharon Funny, I have never seen a post on here by Christian’s calling atheist self righteous, ignorant, spiteful, immoral, hate-filled, narcissistic, close minded, immature, lack wits. Not that I would ever say those things of course. However, not an hour goes by without seeing that, in one form or another, from all the enlighten chosen ones. At least Christian’s, that are true to their faith, have the end desire to save your soul. Isn’t that horrible of those bastards. They also don’t hide their purpose in the guise of a ‘innocent’ question. What is yours? BTW - I’m a terrible Christian.

@RuyLopez You haven't seen many posts from christians directed at Atheists then.

Or trying to drag members of other religions away from their god(s).

@Sharon I’m glad you saw that I emphasized ‘Christians that are true to their faith’. Although they aren’t Jesus just see him as the pentacle of what they should strive to be. He gave himself to torture and a horrible death for the sins of everyone. Seems like a good guy.

@RuyLopez So the story goes, just like Odin on the Yggdrasil Tree. The fact is, though, there is no real, independent, evidence that the biblical Jesus ever existed. Just a few stories in a book that's been shown to be wrong on just about everything it says.

@Sharon I think I could drink a beer with him. But the whole human sacrifice thing would be problematic for me though.

@Sharon Little bed time reading for you.
Titus Flavius Josephus was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ‘The Jewish War,’ who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly descent and a mother who claimed royal ancestry. Not exactly a rabid Jesus disciple type.

What he wrote about the man Jesus

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; (64) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

@RuyLopez You're a bit out of date. For a start, Titus Flavius Josephus (37CS - 100CE) wasn't even born until after Jesus is supposed to have died so his writings are nothing more than hearsay at best. In any case, his claims have been debunked.

The historian Mary Smallwood, in the introduction to the translation of The Jewish War by G. A. Williamson, writes:

[Josephus] was conceited, not only about his own learning, but also about the opinions held of him as commander both by the Galileans and by the Romans; he was guilty of shocking duplicity at Jotapata, saving himself by sacrifice of his companions; he was too naive to see how he stood condemned out of his own mouth for his conduct, and yet no words were too harsh when he was blackening his opponents; and after landing, however involuntarily, in the Roman camp, he turned his captivity to his own advantage, and benefited for the rest of his days from his change of side.

Not exactly the most trustworthy of people.

@Sharon See you can do your own research. Strange I have never seen any historically documented interviews of Odin. Maybe we should look to Loki’s historically verifiable written works? You might do some searching to see the truth rather than to simply confirm your bias. Jesus was crucified around ad 33-36. I didn’t know Josephus personally but he demonstrably existed, was well education, lived, for a practical purposes, contemporaneously with Jesus and eye witness sources along with the disciples. He also had nothing to gain from writing about Jesus. In fact he wrote hardly at all about him. He was a Roman Jew. But I suppose a group of Viking Berserkers, hopped up on hallucinogens are a much more credible source.

@RuyLopez. I have never seen any verified, historically documents inteviews of Jesus either.

You should try taking your own advice.

How could he be a contemporary of Jesus when he wasn't born until after Jesus is supposed to have died?

@Sharon I was a devote atheist long before I choose to believe in Jesus’ teaching. Try opening your mind and ask someone that is a much better person than me to really show you the evidence of Jesus’ existence. The Jews and Muslims don’t believe Jesus was The Christ much less God. However they are open minded and literate enough to actually understand that he existed as a historical figure.

@RuyLopez I was a christian befire I read the bible and, as a result, became an Atheist. Despite searching, I have never found any real evidence that the biblical Jesus ever existed, chiristians just seem to take it as a given without ever daring to question it. I've asked several times for christians to present just some small shred of the evidence they claim there are heaps of but, thus far, not one has ever managed to do so.

;

@Sharon I already did. If you understood how historical evidence is gathered you would at least be able to admit that. You discount a unbiased historian who was born within a year or three of the individual and lived in the same town and culture yet you site a historian that made her determination 2000 years later. Wonder what she used to draw her conclusions. Very consistent of you.

@RuyLopez Where? I want verified or verifiable evidence, not just more unsupported claims.

So at last you admit he wasn't a contemporary of Jesus so his writings were not a contemporaneous account. As I said, they were hearsay at best. Furthermore, his claims have been debunked. You accept them because they support your beliefs. That's called confirmation bias.

@Sharon Never made that assertion. Maybe you missed that in your feverish hate. You don’t want evidence. You don’t recognize it when it is written out of you. At least be honest with yourself. It’s okay really. No one would judge you.

@RuyLopez
I don't call being born after another person has died living contemporaneously with, whether or not "for practical purposes". Considering all the things that Jesus is said to have done, it's simply not credible that nobody, not even the Romans, made a note of it.

I found christians of make that claim to avoid admiiting they don't actually have any evidence. Repeating the same unsupported claim many times doesn't make it true.

I am honest with myself, you should try it sometime, It might make you a happier person.

@Sharon I lie to myself all the time. You are a kind, curious, honest and sincere person. See.

@RuyLopez So, an unknown and possibly fictional character (Titus Flavius Josephus, there was no Josephus at that time) writes about another fictional character (Jesus) and that makes the whole thing believable.

@RuyLopez Do you even know what independently verifiable evidence means? It means following the scientific method. Observation, hypothesis, experimentation, revision. You have presented absolutely nothing that can be used in an experiment. At best you are philosophizing. So put up or shut up.

[@canusernamebemyusername. Wait it’s staring to sound like an echo chamber. I’m sure you all are so excited. Patting yourselves on the back for your elementary lecture on science. (The scientific method.) Works really well balancing the ph in my pool too. Thank you for your observation. You can return that Earth Science book to the library now.

@RuyLopez There's a legitimate theory that the Romans created the Jesus character and Christianity as propaganda against the Jews.

@Diotrephes There's also a legitimate theory that covid vaccines lead to heart disease. Or are you selective in your choice of conspiracy theories? Only those that suit you?

@Diotrephes I have no qualms at all with conflicting theories. However the historical facts do not bother me at all either. State your theory, provide the support, however, try to be tolerant, there’s that word, about the outcome. To me it is somewhat of note we are having this discussion 2000 years later on an invisible, electronic medium after the poor Jewish philosophical upstart/heretic/carpenter/god of creation was crucified. Or wasn’t as you apparently contend. Oh an maybe refrain from virtually crucifying those that choose to believe otherwise.

@Diotrephes Well I am so glad the resident SW Josephus expert happen to opine. This is what’s in my library. As the commercial goes, “what’s in your wallet?”

@RuyLopez How did the fictional character get the name "Josephus" when the letter "J" did not exist until 1524 in Italian? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J