A Look At Reality Through The Eyes Of Writers During Biblical Times

One of the most controversial claims by some atheists is that the Jesus of the Bible is mythical. I have posted many times regarding the issue. There is not enough evidence to settle the issue either way. However, clearly, many of the stories about him are mythological in nature. Recently, Richard Carrier, a noted historian of Christianity and a proponent of Christian mythicism, was recently interviewed and presented in-depth how the writers of that time in history viewed reality. Click on the link below for a video of the interview:

Why People Don't Understand Mythicism

Paul And The Founding Of Christianity

The question of how Christianity started is a very much open question, as there is NO objective evidence supporting its founding. Since Paul's writings appear to be the first written material for a Jesus of the Bible and were written decades after the supposed events, some Bible scholars (especially the secular ones) support the claim that Paul was the founder of Christianity as we know it today. 

Click on the link below for an 18-min video interview with Richard Carrier Ph.D., a noted secular scholar who has devoted his professional life to the study of early Christianity:

How Did Christianity Really Start?

Is Philosophy Stupid?

Richard Carrier presents a very interesting analysis of philosophy in this hour-long video. While he criticizes some scientists, notably Lawrence Kraus and Stephen Hawking here, for their opinion of philosophy, his comparison of philosophy with science AND the comparison of "good" philosophy with "pseudo" philosophy is enlightening.

Click below for the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLvWz9GQ3PQ

Don't Strawman Mythicism

I am agnostic regarding the question of a historical Jesus. However, I lean toward accepting that there was no historical Jesus and I do accept that the stories about Jesus as found in the New Testament are probably myths.

That said, I find that Biblical scholars, whether Christian or atheist, who don't accept the claim that there probably was not a historical Jesus frequently use the Strawman Fallacy.  The following videos are excellent in clarifying the evidence behind the claim that Jesus was probably not a real person.

Mystery Faith (Part 1 of 2) - Richard Carrier

Mystery Faith (Part 2 of 2) - David Fitzgerald

Pondering Parallels and Mythicism - Robert M Price

Following are other links looking at this issue:

There are clearly good reasons to doubt Jesus’ historical existence

Christ Myth Theory

Did Jesus Exist?

Debunking the Historical Jesus

The Crazy Facts You Didn't Know About the History of Christianity

There IS A Proper Way To Do History

Among Richard Carrier's skills is the ability to communicate what is involved with the Historical Method:

• "Historical method is the collection of techniques and guidelines that historians use to research and write histories of the past. Primary sources and other evidence including those from archaeology are used.

• "In the philosophy of history, the question of the nature, and the possibility, of a sound historical method is raised within the sub-field of epistemology. The study of historical method and of different ways of writing history is known as historiography."

This hour-long presentation delves into the subject in a logical and understandable manner:

Miracles and Historical Method
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NOTE: John W Loftus, an atheist author who has earned three master’s degrees from Lincoln Christian Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Loftus, a former student of noted Christian apologist William Lane Craig, got some of the biggest names in the field to contribute to this book, which represents a critical analysis of the very idea of miracles.

Is There Only One "Historical" Jesus?

Richard Carrier delves into the historicity of the supposed Jesus in light of OTHER people with the same name in and around the same time period.

Click on link below:

Jesus Is Not The Only Jesus
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***If you disagree with this post, how do you justify or verify that your beliefs are true? What is your view regarding the value of evidence?***

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Brief Presentation On The History of Christianity

Richard Carrier is a noted scholar focusing on early Christianity and Roman Era history. This video is a 12-minutes synopsis of his beliefs regarding Jesus and his reasons why he holds them:

Click on the link below:

The Crazy Facts You Didn't Know About The History of Christianity
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***If you disagree with this post, how do you justify or verify that your beliefs are true? What is your view regarding the value of evidence?***

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Mystery Cults And Christianity

If you are a devout Christian who can't be dissuaded from your dogma, move along. That said, this is an excellent video from Richard Carrier, who has devoted his professional career to the history of Christianity and the Roman Empire. He not only debunks the uniqueness of Christianity but also some of the faulty claims made by atheists regarding the influence of pagan religions on Christianity.

Mystery Cults And Christianity (YouTube)