Sunday, April 05, 2015

It's Easter so let's talk about another book purporting to disprove the existence of Jesus. (It's like an IM tradition.)

The author's name is David Fitzgerald, his book "Jesus Mything in Action" will be out later this year, and this is a portion of his argument courtesy of the Daily Mail:

'There is a paradox that Jesus did all these amazing things and taught all these amazing things yet no one heard of him outside his immediate cult for nearly 100 years. 

'Or it means he didn't do all these things at all. 

'The first gospel of Christianity appears to have been a literary allegory that were written decades after the time they portray. 

'I believe that Christianity started as one of the many mystery faiths that appeared at the time where old Gods and old traditions were rebooted. 

'Christianity appears to have been a Jewish mystery faith. 

'By the time of Paul there appears to have been plenty of different "Lord's suppers" as he complains about the existence of other gospels and messiahs. 

'It appears that early Christianity managed to take the stories from these other faiths and incorporate them into the story of Jesus.' 

Mr Fitzgerald said: 'There is nothing implausible to think that Jesus was a real person, but I just don't think that he can have been a single person if he existed at all. 

'We also have no mention of Jesus in other historical texts from the time. There were certainly people writing about Judea at the time like Philo of Alexandria. 

'During this period there were many other messiahs and wannabe messiahs who did far less exciting things than Jesus, but all of them managed something Jesus did not - to make a dent on the historical record. 

'Two billion people believe all these miracles happened yet there is no evidence they did.'

If you are anything like me you have probably heard most of these arguments before. In fact a number of them have appeared right here on IM many times in the past.

However there have been new discoveries since I first started writing here, such as the fact there is no archeological evidence to support the exodus from Egypt, Egyptians never even kept Jews as slaveincreased scrutiny of the Bible, and new questions about the historicity of Jesus, all of which is being disseminated at an ever increasing rate over the internet.

It seems that each new scientific revelation takes us further and further away from the Biblical explanations provided to us by our Sunday school teachers. 

I personally have been working on a post that would demonstrate the logical infallibility supporting the idea of the supernatural. In a nutshell since everything that can be observed, weighed, or quantified is by definition a part of the natural world, then everything, regardless of how miraculous or magical is may seem, is simply a natural phenomena that we have not yet managed to put under our metaphoric microscope.

Remember the Arthur C. Clarke quote, "Magic is just science that we don't understand yet."

With that realization in mind one can simply no longer entertain the possibility of a supernatural entity being responsible for ANYTHING. Therefore no gods, and of course no son of said gods.

I actually have no problem with the idea of faith, I just believe it to be displaced.

We are far better served to direct our faith not toward the gods of mythology, whether Christian or otherwise, but rather towards humanity. Because ultimately it is faith in what we can achieve together that will ensure our survival as a species.

And I believe to survive as a species we are going to have to suppress our need to identify our differences, be they gender, race, religion, or geographic location, and instead see ourselves as one people, on one planet, looking toward a shared vision for our future.

32 comments:

  1. Curious Christians6:51 AM

    Let's hear from Sarah Palin today, on the Christian day of rejoicing, the "reason for the religion," and what she's doing at church and with her family to celebrate this holiest of holy days.
    We're not talking Easter eggs or cute bunnies, but the torture, death, decay, and resurrection of the son of her God. Let's hear her tell her flock all about it. Did she observe Good Friday? Did she attend a celebration at sunrise on Easter Sunday? What did she give up for Lent? What does life everlasting mean to her? Let's hear all the details.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:30 AM

      I have found that it is the love of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny that brings sanity to these two holidays :). Just look at the children.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:54 AM

      G, I find it interesting and kinda cool that as a Atheist you have done research and know probably more about the "Bible" than the fundy faker bible thumpers themselves...like Palin, Fuckabee etc.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:06 AM

      Why do you care?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3:45 PM

      @anon at 10:06 am
      Isn't Sarah the Sno Ho supposed to be your "Esther"? Shouldn't she be a shining example of Christianity? Why so crabby? Or do you actually realize Sarah and her lithium cocktail weren't even awake until the afternoon?

      Delete
  2. The significant thing about this argument is that it's possible. No monuments. No conquests. Small footprint, great impact. According to the tale, He didn't even leave a stinking corpse!

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  3. Anonymous7:15 AM

    "At the very least, we don't support faith by appeals to the unknown. Organized faith, especially, is a self-serving error, a way of forming unimpeachable beliefs as a shield against questioning and the distress of new knowledge. The very nature of codified faith is to resist all argument and proof, all rational longing to learn more, by ending all discussion. Faith forbids all questioning of itself. It is at bottom something familiar-- life's natural self-confidence, but this should not be mistaken for knowledge" (George Zebrowski in "In the Distance and Ahead in Time)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for posting Zebrowski’s quote, I have never seen it before. It’s concisely boils down the dogma of religion and how it forbids even the most basic questioning or examination of what it teaches. Is there any question then why its most faithful followers in general seem to be less inquisitive and more easily duped than others. Their naive and unquestioning personalities makes them more acceptable to propaganda, especially when they hear it from something they trust, even though they only know that person by what they say and as long as its what they want to hear.

      Delete
  4. Good post, as ever, but
    hey, Gryph, you don't need to tell ME twice!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you Gryphen. Buckminster Fuller first conceived of our planet as Spaceship Earth decades ago. And he was enormously optimistic about our ability to design a future that used our limitations to our advantage.

    When will we learn that our diversity is our greatest strength and stop trying to battle, bully and legislate it away?

    The biggest impediment to our own well-being is our fear of the Other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The biggest "Other" today is the President and his colour -- so much evil being done because of it. It seems to be the driving purpose of the GOP, Faux Noose, the "Christian" "right"...

      Delete
    2. So true, Barbara. The hatred directed toward President Obama is exhibit A for the ignorance and fear of the right and the Christianists. They worship a deluded (and dangerous) self-interest over anything else.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous7:28 AM

    Alaska State Senate last Friday. Listen to the closing statements presented under "special orders."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Duncan7:30 AM

    Another one of interest... The First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity
    by Thomas Sheehan

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:49 AM

    Easter is when Jesus steps out of the cave and if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter.

    Last century, this biblical tradition was taken over by a bunch of glory seeking groundhogs.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:56 AM

    Nice post, well stated.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7:58 AM

    Quinn, Thomas. “What Do You Do With a Chocolate Jesus?: An Irreverent History of Christianity.”

    http://www.nautis.com/2013/08/the-messiahs-hercules-mithras-osiris-horus-dionysus-attis-and-apollonius/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous8:02 AM

    Easter effing Sunday. My most unfavorite day of the year, even worse than Xmas. All escapees from evangelical families hate this holiday and this year I'm doing it sober. Wish me luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck, and do I ever thank god I was born a 3rd generation atheist! You and yours serve to remind me what a blessing that be.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:04 PM

      Thanks so much! I envy you. So far, so good...I'm doing lots of spring cleaning and watching Netflix. A few more hours and we won't have to hear about all this crap until the next "Jesus weekend". I don't pay for cable teevee so I can isolate pretty well :)

      Delete
  12. Anonymous8:16 AM

    It is Easter Sunday. We are looking forward to the photojournals of true believers like Sarah, Bristol, Dakota, Piper, Trig, Tripp and Todd dressed in their Easter best attending the church service of their choice.

    The Meyers in Kentucky are also loyal Christian church goers?

    The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, KY
    http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cq6lXJXPhsQ/hqdefault.jpg

    Exploration Peak Park - Easter Egg Hunt
    http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ohmE5wh0QwE/0.jpg

    Pastor
    http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/WBIR/USATODAY/2014/02/17//1392652491000-Jamie-Coots.jpg

    Kardashian easter
    http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kardashian-easter__oPt.jpg

    There is always time after church for a family to bond over what brings them joy!
    http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-do-they-keep-giving-his-lunatic-guns.html

    They will have time after today to get back to the big wedding.

    Where do we find the gift registries? The bridal showers have started!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:05 AM

    Charlatans, fake Christians won't bother showing up at church.

    Scarah and DuhcoDuh are slacking. They can't even pull of this wedding event. WTF? Are they going to have poor puppet Bristol get married on a bus tour or some crap like that? Scarah is still a REPUBLICAN! No matter how much she fails them they keep her around their neck because they are suicidal and they are powerless and can't stop powerless Palin.

    Fake Christians will hide behind Facebook. Fake Christians will hide behind Nancy French pretending to be fake Christian daughter of reality show dreamer and chronic failure.

    Jobs, Vets and Climate Change....

    Obama May Have Inadvertently Announced The Death Of The Republican Party
    http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/04/05/obama-jobs-climate/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:13 AM

    Happy Zombie Day everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:33 AM

      Zombies Never Die. How to prevent returning from the dead, stick stones
      stones into the mouths of the deceased.
      http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/zombie-skeletons-ireland-grave-110916.htm

      Delete
  15. Our Lad9:37 AM

    All and I mean all of mankind's strife is due to religion. It's the oldest hustle on Earth and the most divisive and destructive. Dumb fucks being gamed in the cosmic three card monte game, I just shake my head. I live in the bible belt and these yahoos take this shit beyond seriously, they'll fuckin kill you over it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leland10:29 AM

      I couldn't agree with you more! (I, too, live in the BB.)

      Delete
  16. Anonymous10:21 AM

    snl: Scientology’s Creepy Underbelly

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/brilliant-snl-fake-ad-ridicules-scientology-and-cultish-fad-religions/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous10:53 AM

    Sarah Palin's Easter Sunday
    https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#tbm=nws&q=Sarah+Palin%27s+Easter+Sunday

    6 mins ago SARAHPAC (someone woke up!)
    https://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/photos/a.10150723283643588.424640.24718773587/10153225847718588/?type=1&theater

    MawHAHAHAH!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:29 AM

      Nancy French is still in bed!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:38 AM

      What a lazy ass-clown.

      We know how they all love fashion and gettin' gussied up.

      https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-6BBiuVIAILMmo.jpg:large

      Where are the happy wonderful family photos of the Palins favorite church services?

      Delete
  18. Anonymous11:54 AM

    It's a wonderful day for the fugly hypocrites to expose themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous4:57 PM

    Excellent Post, Gryph. The problem is that the ones who need it most either won't read it, won't believe it nor approach it with an open mind. Another book on my kindle list. Thanks Again.

    ReplyDelete

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