Q. Yes, I remember that forward by that Monsignor guy... I liked it to be honest... Any more rational reasons to debunk the myth theory?
A. Yup. Three more actually...
What number were we at?
Q. Next is 8
A. Thanks. So.
8. If the divine Jesus of the Gospels is a myth, who invented it? Whether it was his first disciples or some later generation, no possible motive can account for this invention. For until the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, Christians were subject to persecution, often tortured and martyred, and hated and oppressed for their beliefs. No one invents an elaborate practical joke tin order to be crucified, stoned or beheaded. And if they didn't know they would be persecuted for their "myth", they would certainly give it up as soon as they were. Yet no one ever confessed that they made it all up - even when martyred. Some refused martyrdom, rejecting Christ and worshiping the emperor, to save their lives; but not one of these ever said Christ was a myth that they had fabricated. They simply did what the emperor commanded them to do to save their lives.
9. First-century Jews and Christians were not prone to believe myths. They were already more "demythologized" than any other people. The orthodox were adamantly, even cantankerously and intolerantly, opposed to the polytheistic myths of paganism and to any ecumenical syncretism. Nor would anyone be less likely to confuse myth and fact than a Jew. Peter explicitly makes the point that the Gospel story is historical fact, not "cleverly devised myths" (2 Pet 1:16).
10. Finally, if you read the Gospels with an open mind and heart, you may well conclude, along with Dostoyevsky and Kierkegaard, that no mere man could possibly have invented this story.
We have expanded the possible answers to the question of Jesus' identity to four: Lord, liar, lunatic or myth. We have eliminated the last three, including the reduction of the Gospels to myth, for the ten reasons above. Thus we are left, once again, with the Christian explanation of the data as the only rational one.
Q. Yo! Haha! Have to admit I wasn't expecting any of these reasons when I asked that question, let alone ten of them! Day made! I usually get single answers along the lines of "The Bible is true because it is the Word of God! It's obvious man!" And I'm like how do you know it is the Word of God? How do you know Jesus is as divine as he claimed to be?"
These ten are very refreshing answers. I'm actually very excited about them! Thank you very much!
A. Karibu sana! Keep quest-ioning, keep quest-ing!
7th July 2017