Posted: Feb 27, 2010 1:50 pm
alienpresence wrote:Jesus is a fictional character. The clue is in the name. A real smoothy that one isn't it? In those days people didn't get out much and scribes needed to make stuff up. Once the name reached some popularity a limited amount of singing to the choirbook, pardon the pun, meant some parts got themselves consistant (believers and unbelievers). No real Jesus required.
All the phony archeology that's coming out of israel usually carries the name somewhere, it seems like it's still a popular name. Whether he existed or didn't isn't really important except to people who either believe he did or those who base a religion on the idea that he didn't. It's a stupid story to base a religion on anyway, but it made lots of money for the people who sold the story, and still does for the ones who still do, so in that respect he isn't really required, you only have to believe he did exist to be a follower.
alienpresence wrote:I never thought of Jesus as a real entity. A name written in a book. Just about the time when Roman/Ancient Greek civilization goes into decline this 'nowhere sect' takes off. The stories are filled with soundbites supporting a declining Roman Empire. Give unto Ceaser what is Ceasers....pay your taxes and be friendly with the tax collectors because you know Jesus was. Yeah. He was real. He was about as real as Bugs Bunny.
The Empire had actually only just taken off actually. You're thinking of the republic.
That whole thing of giving to Caesar business, it smacks to me of someone who was trying to convert an Emperor writing those words. But then I don't know what I'm talking about because I've never been a Christian.