Advertisement
The Jesus Challenge
Whether you may be a Christian who believes in the biblical Jesus or a freethinking skeptic who believes in a historical Jesus, there are some questions that must be answered:
* Why don't we have the original Gospels in their original language written by the hand of actual eye witnesses of Jesus with the correct authorship and dates on them?
* Why were the Gospels originally written in Greek when Jesus supposedly spoke Aramaic?
* Why do Christians uphold the King James Version of the bible as the inerrant word of God when it contains literally thousands of errors?
* How many Christians can read the bible in its original languages i.e. Hebrew and Greek?
* The Gospels as we have them today did not enter the historical or literary records until toward the end of the second century around 180CE - WHY? Prior to that the Gospels were anonymous. That's 150 years after the supposed death of Jesus!!! How can this be if they're suppose to be written by eye witnesses?
* The canonical Gospels are not considered reliable accounts of history by biblical scholars - WHY?
* The epistles of Paul were written long after Jesus supposedly lived and resurrected from the dead - why do they lack any facts about Jesus' life?
* Why didn't Jesus/God leave behind valid, convincing evidence to alleviate Christians from persecution and ridicule and to convince the rest of the world of his existence?
* Why didn't anyone ever describe what Jesus looked like?
* If Jesus was a "carpenter" why don't we have anything created by his hand?
* Why isn't there any artwork, writings or carvings by the hand of Jesus or anything to demonstrate a historical Jesus?
* Where are the court documents for the trials & crucifixion of Jesus proving a historical Jesus?
* Why doesn't the 10 commandments unmistakably forbid war, tyranny, taking over other people’s countries, slavery, exploitation of workers, cruelty to children, wife-beating, stoning, treating women--or anyone--as chattel or inferior beings, government corruption?
* There are over 20 passages in the bible claiming that Jesus was famed far & wide: Mt 4:23-25, 5:1, 8:1, 8:18, 9:8, 9:31, 9:33, 9:36, 11:7, 12:15, 13:2, 14:1, 14:13, 14:22, 15:30, 19:2, 21:9, 26:55; Mk 1:28, 10:1; Lk 4:14, 4:37, 5:15, 14:25 - Why didn't any contemporary historians write anything about Jesus?
* Why do Christians hold-up the writings of Josephus (37-100 CE), Pliny the Younger (62-113 CE), Tacitus (c. 56-120 CE), Suetonius (c. 69-c. 122 CE), as the very best so-called "evidence" for Jesus when even *IF* we consider their writings authentic they are far too late to be considered eye witnesses as they were all born after Jesus' supposed death?
* If Jesus lived and the bible is true then why the need for Christians destroy all the Pagan temples, writings, history and kill the Pagan Priests?
* If Christianity is the one true faith then, why isn't the world convinced?
* The cross is the most important symbol to Christians representing eternal life - how is that any kind of a new divine revelation when the cross/ankh existed in ancient Egypt symbolizing eternal life?
* The primary passage for the Rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Christians are gleefully awaiting Jesus' 2nd coming & rapture etc - WHY, when Jesus said "...There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28 KJV) ? Or in Matthew 24:34 Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
Jesus is implying that he would return within the lifetime of his contemporaries, and indeed the Apostles expected Jesus to return before the passing of their generation. Isn't that a failed prophecy? If not, then why did Jesus lead them to believe he would return before their own death? Shouldn't he have said something?
* Why should anyone accept the biblical story of Jesus as historical fact when 1.) There's no valid scientific evidence supporting it and 2.) We have similar concepts via Pagan religions long prior to Christianity.
* Where's the genealogy of Jesus' family tree? Where are his family today? And why didn't anyone in Jesus' immediate family write anything at the time about Jesus at all to pass on? We have no writings from any siblings or descendants claiming any heritage whatsoever.
How in the world can anyone believe the biblical character named Jesus existed when it appears he simply appeared for 30 to 33 years and just vanished with out a trace - and I guess his immediate family disappeared too as there is no trace left, no genealogy of Jesus' family tree to track down.
Whether you may be a Christian who believes in the biblical Jesus or a freethinking skeptic who believes in a historical Jesus, there are some questions that must be answered:
* Why don't we have the original Gospels in their original language written by the hand of actual eye witnesses of Jesus with the correct authorship and dates on them?
* Why were the Gospels originally written in Greek when Jesus supposedly spoke Aramaic?
* Why do Christians uphold the King James Version of the bible as the inerrant word of God when it contains literally thousands of errors?
* How many Christians can read the bible in its original languages i.e. Hebrew and Greek?
* The Gospels as we have them today did not enter the historical or literary records until toward the end of the second century around 180CE - WHY? Prior to that the Gospels were anonymous. That's 150 years after the supposed death of Jesus!!! How can this be if they're suppose to be written by eye witnesses?
* The canonical Gospels are not considered reliable accounts of history by biblical scholars - WHY?
* The epistles of Paul were written long after Jesus supposedly lived and resurrected from the dead - why do they lack any facts about Jesus' life?
* Why didn't Jesus/God leave behind valid, convincing evidence to alleviate Christians from persecution and ridicule and to convince the rest of the world of his existence?
* Why didn't anyone ever describe what Jesus looked like?
* If Jesus was a "carpenter" why don't we have anything created by his hand?
* Why isn't there any artwork, writings or carvings by the hand of Jesus or anything to demonstrate a historical Jesus?
* Where are the court documents for the trials & crucifixion of Jesus proving a historical Jesus?
* Why doesn't the 10 commandments unmistakably forbid war, tyranny, taking over other people’s countries, slavery, exploitation of workers, cruelty to children, wife-beating, stoning, treating women--or anyone--as chattel or inferior beings, government corruption?
* There are over 20 passages in the bible claiming that Jesus was famed far & wide: Mt 4:23-25, 5:1, 8:1, 8:18, 9:8, 9:31, 9:33, 9:36, 11:7, 12:15, 13:2, 14:1, 14:13, 14:22, 15:30, 19:2, 21:9, 26:55; Mk 1:28, 10:1; Lk 4:14, 4:37, 5:15, 14:25 - Why didn't any contemporary historians write anything about Jesus?
* Why do Christians hold-up the writings of Josephus (37-100 CE), Pliny the Younger (62-113 CE), Tacitus (c. 56-120 CE), Suetonius (c. 69-c. 122 CE), as the very best so-called "evidence" for Jesus when even *IF* we consider their writings authentic they are far too late to be considered eye witnesses as they were all born after Jesus' supposed death?
* If Jesus lived and the bible is true then why the need for Christians destroy all the Pagan temples, writings, history and kill the Pagan Priests?
* If Christianity is the one true faith then, why isn't the world convinced?
* The cross is the most important symbol to Christians representing eternal life - how is that any kind of a new divine revelation when the cross/ankh existed in ancient Egypt symbolizing eternal life?
* The primary passage for the Rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Christians are gleefully awaiting Jesus' 2nd coming & rapture etc - WHY, when Jesus said "...There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28 KJV) ? Or in Matthew 24:34 Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
Jesus is implying that he would return within the lifetime of his contemporaries, and indeed the Apostles expected Jesus to return before the passing of their generation. Isn't that a failed prophecy? If not, then why did Jesus lead them to believe he would return before their own death? Shouldn't he have said something?
* Why should anyone accept the biblical story of Jesus as historical fact when 1.) There's no valid scientific evidence supporting it and 2.) We have similar concepts via Pagan religions long prior to Christianity.
* Where's the genealogy of Jesus' family tree? Where are his family today? And why didn't anyone in Jesus' immediate family write anything at the time about Jesus at all to pass on? We have no writings from any siblings or descendants claiming any heritage whatsoever.
How in the world can anyone believe the biblical character named Jesus existed when it appears he simply appeared for 30 to 33 years and just vanished with out a trace - and I guess his immediate family disappeared too as there is no trace left, no genealogy of Jesus' family tree to track down.
posted by:
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
