Why Didn't They Know?

JosephAlward

The following is excerpted from an article by Frank R. Zindler, "Did Jesus Exist?" at http://www.atheists.org/church/didjesusexist.html

Emphasis is added.

John E. Remsburg, in his classic book The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidence of His Existence (The Truth Seeker Company, NY, no date, pp. 24-25), lists the following writers who lived during the time, or within a century after the time, that Jesus is supposed to have lived:

Josephus * Philo-Judæus * Seneca * Pliny Elder * Arrian * Petronius
Dion Pruseus * Paterculus * Suetonius * Juvenal *Martial Persius * Plutarch * Pliny Younger * Tacitus * Justus of Tiberius * Apollonius Quintilian * Lucanus * Epictetus * Hermogones * Silius Italicus * Statius * Ptolemy * Appian * Phlegon * Phædrus * Valerius Maximus Lucian * Pausanias * Florus Lucius * Quintius Curtius * Aulus Gellius * Dio Chrysostom * Columella * Valerius Flaccus * Damis Favorinus Lysias * Pomponius Mela * Appion of Alexandria * Theon of Smyrna

According to Remsburg, "Enough of the writings of the authors named in the foregoing list remains to form a library. Yet in this mass of Jewish and Pagan literature, aside from two forged passages in the works of a Jewish author, and two disputed passages in the works of Roman writers, there is to be found no mention of Jesus Christ." Nor, we may add, do any of these authors make note of the Disciples or Apostles - increasing the embarrassment from the silence of history concerning the foundation of Christianity.

Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"

* http://members.aol.com/jalw/joseph_alward.html

stocwach

Yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnn.

Pagans are considered hedonists, non -Christians, and for that matter, those with no religion whatsoever.

The fact that Jews have as a majority rejected Christ is no mystery as well.

The Bible foretold that many would reject the message and Christ.

Meaningless and irrelevant drivel once again Joe.

It is very sad that all you have time to do is post nonsense like this, with no hope of anything at all, other than living for moments like these.

Kenneson

Joe, since you maintain that history does not support that there even was a Jesus Christ, perhaps you can tell us the origin of Christianity. How did it ever get that name in the first place?

2SYN

Stocwach: The Bible also fulfills it's own prophecies, in the Bible! That's almost as meaningful as a book promoting itself! Surely if Jesus had been as remarkable as most of Christianity claims he would have made some solid impact on the literature of the time?

"...the greater will be the beneficial effect, because you get more of the ultra-violet rays, which are healing" - The Golden Age
[SYN], UADA - Unseen Apostate Directorate of Africa.

Simon

The fact that *someone* believes in something doesn't make it true ...

Were the Egyption gods real? What about Buddah, allah etc... ?

The religion was an offshoot of judaism and proved very useful to the Roman empire. They understood the power of a state sponsored religion and Christ was perhaps a brilliant invention.

Kenneson

Simon:
Gautama Buddha was an Indian philosopher who founded Buddhism in 483B.C.
Mohammedan was an Arabian prophet and founder of Islam (632 A.D.)who called God Allah.
Akhenaton was an Egyptian Pharaoh (1367 to 1350 B.C.) who promoted worship to the sun god Aton.
Who was responsible for the god of Christianity, whether he existed or didn't?
You state that Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism and it may have been, but who or whom was its origin? You stated "they understood the power of a state sponsored religion and Christ was perhaps a brilliant invention." If you are speaking of Constantine,
he was not the founder of Christianity. It already existed by his time. So who are the "they?"

Satanus

Joe

Sometimes i'm amazed. They say a negative can't be proved, but i think you came close w this thread.

Kenneson

According to acts, paul invented christianity in his antioch group, about 50 yrs after jesus' death. That is amazing too, as paul never even knew jesus.

SS

heathen

You atheists are all alike .When it comes to believing unprovable things you always pull the evolution stuff out your ass yet criticize the bible for inaccuracies.What I would like for you to do is prove evolution first then you may have something, until then these arguments are without base .I mean everyone knows the bible has been tampered with and used to coerce and manipulate people that does not disprove the existence of god or that jesus was the messiah.The idea that life could accidently occur without design or purpose is a pointless arguement that brings no hope to anyone and does not appeal to the human desire to achieve the ultimate goal of living in a better world.[>:(]

Kenneson

St. Satan:
Since you claim Paul never knew Christ, how could he be its founder? Would he not have received his beliefs from some else who passed it on to him? Acts says the name Christian originated at Antioch. It doesn't state Paul founded it.

rem

Kenneson,

Paul never knew the Christ of the Gospel accounts, but he certainly knew of or made up his own Christ. This Christ was most probably a mythical spiritual godman in the tradition of other pagan godmen such as Osiris and Donisys. Paul's Christ bears many similarities to such pagan Mystery godmen, such as being born of a virgin, being half god/half man, various miracles, being executed as a redemption for man, etc. Since Paul was the very first person to ever write about Christ Jesus, then he was most probably the founder of the movement. Of course, his ideas did not come about in a vacuum, and as noted above Paul seems to have copied many concepts from surrounding mystery religions.

rem

"We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking." - Mark Twain

Why Didn't They Know?

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