Jesus Christ "was invented"

Romans: hey look at this guy! He doesn't believe like we do! Let's just kill him and get on with our lives.

Romans after conversion to christianity: Hey look at those guys! They don't believe like we do! Let's just kill them all and get on with our lives.



The only messages that survive are the messages people keep on wanting to hear.

Jung believed that some parts of our unconscious mind were hardwired to recognize certain symbols, just like birds are born with a migratory instinct without having to learn how to migrate.

This hardwiring causes us all to recognize things he called archetypes. Archetypes are symbols that have special significance and meaning. This group of archetypes he called the “collective unconscious” was common to all the cultures he observed everywhere on Earth in their mythologies, legends and histories. Since these symbols occurred worldwide in all cultures, Jung believed that they had to be inborn rather than learned.

The Gods may or may not exist in reality, but they most certainly exist as archetypes within our own minds.

If Jesus did not really exist, he would have to of been invented.

Jayden
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That's why I find the concept of soul kind of ridiculous Jayden. Our bodies have evolved in a way that is adapted to our environment. Why would our psychology not be? Our minds control our body, yet our mind relies on a functional body (mostly brain) to exist. The mind is a part of our body just like our heart is... The reality is what we think is a complex chemical reaction just like our arm moving is a complex chemical reaction. Our arm has evolved into something that was most adapted to supply what we need, our mind has evolved into something most adapted to supply what we need. Our fear of death, our preferring safety, either through being looked after by a father-figure or by siding with a group.... They all make perfect sense. And religion supplies.

Even totjo has something to say about eternal life. "eternal life through the Force" I think most people don't read that the way I do.

Thank You Ren and Jayden . .

Ren, I can see clearly what you see in your response to Jayden and fully understand "fear" as basic human instinct and all that man has made to feel safe, but could you please expand on what you believe "eternal life through the Force" is saying to you.

thanks

Alan wrote: Even without referring to the author’s pitch in detail it is clear that his conspiracy theory is untenable. But in the end, it does not matter if the Jesus story is composed by government operatives for nefarious reasons or the work of faithful disciples. Myth is the narrative embodiment of an idea, and so the mythic Jesus is as true as that of the mythic Buddha or the mythic Dionysus. The respective narratives regarding these ‘gods’ each truthfully embody an idea; an idea that expresses a truth. Their truth is not based upon history or fact. Juxtaposing myth and fact is comparing apples and oranges; it is an invalid because the comparison is across different categories.

I have to, respectfully, disagree with you. The origin of a myth matters. Organic religious myths come from believers. They aren't fabricated stories made as propaganda. At least, that's what most myths are as I understand them. It doesn't matter what idea is being presented. Anyone can make up a story about an archetypal hero and have it "ring true." That isn't what makes something a true myth. Do we call Harry Potter a myth? No. That's fiction. Its distinct from mythology. If, in a few hundred years people start worshiping Dumbledore and Voldemort people will say they're nuts. It is understood that such characters are completely made up. They might fit into archetypal roles, that doesn't make them mythological figures. I'm sorry, I completely disagree with your entire premise.

Fiction is fiction and myths are myths. They are not interchangeable concepts.

From an objective standpoint, this view is plausible, but doesn't seem to mesh well with any of the other historic sources I've studied, or what little I understand about mob psychology.

From a religious standpoint, it makes little difference if Christ was real or an invented vessel for the teachings attributed to Him.

In short, I really don't see this changing the minds of anyone but the lukewarm, though I do have concerns with some of the talking points in Atwill's statements, as they sound (in tone and context) very odd.

Khaos wrote:

I'd heard Part 1 of that film had been entirely debunked. *Shrug* I'll have to research for myself though to add anything more meaningful. When I first saw it I was in shock though.

Thank you Khaos.

I enjoyed this video on so many levels. Insightful and refreshing. True, so true but sorry if I offended you.

In the here and now I would say,

We are not ready for the truth.

Jayden
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Offended me?

No...

How?

I'd heard Part 1 of that film had been entirely debunked.

I would question how religion and myths could debunk such a thing.

Certainly not with hard facts...Obviously.

That said, it is fairly common knowledge that Christianity and its holidays are in direct conjunction to previous pagan celebrations, and rituals, which are far older, lending some credence to this video right off the bat.