Atheists/agnostics/whoever : Do you believe Jesus ever existed?

[Q]

I thought of this in regards to my grandfather: He is an atheist, and a really smart guy (PhD in Nuclear Engineering at MIT), and even he believes that Jesus was a real person/walked the earth talking about God, but doesn't believe anything else.

So that just got me thinking, if that's a 'normal' belief or not? Just wondered what ATOT thinks, mainly to those who are not religious people.

I really don't mean this as a callout thread or flame starter, I'm honestly just curious what you all think. FWIW I'm a deist I suppose (by looking at definition on Wiki) and I do believe he did.

 

[SmoochyTX]

You don't mean this as a flame starter? LMFAO!!!!!!

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: SmoochyTX
You don't mean this as a flame starter? LMFAO!!!!!!

Well I should say I know it will be but I'm not doing it in order to start one for fun. (ie. I'm not trying to troll on purpose)

 

[Mo0o]

Yes it's normal to believe he existed as a historical figure

 

[mb]

Sure, he cuts my lawn every weekend in the summer.

 

[xSauronx]

i think he probably existed, but i dont really care, jesus doesnt have anything to do with my beliefs either way

 

[nageov3t]

it's pretty hard to deny the existence of the historical Jesus who walked around the middle east sometime around ~30-35 AD, had some followers, and was crucified.

read josephus or something.

 

[Turin39789]

You mean did a rabble rousing rabbi guy names Jesus live back in the old days? That no son of a diety walked around, but that a popular religious figure at the center of the christian new testament lived - even if he wasn't a magic man?

 

[moshquerade]

here we go...

*waits for flying spaghetti monster reference*

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
i think he probably existed, but i dont really care, jesus doesnt have anything to do with my beliefs either way

i dunno he is a pretty decent moral philosopher even though he teachings were never written down in his lifetime, and his followers completely bastardized them.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: loki8481
it's pretty hard to deny the existence of the historical Jesus who walked around the middle east sometime around ~30-35 AD, had some followers, and was crucified.

read josephus or something.

Yeah... about that...

 

[RichardE]

It's a common belief. Many people do not believe in the deity of Jesus yet still feel he was gods son, the second coming ect. Anyway OP, many many people have walked this path before so if you keep looking you'll probably find answers to the question you are asking yourself. If not, at least the tools.

Goodluck :beer:

 

[Jeff7]

Existed? Maybe. Sure it's possible there was some guy who had attained some level of fame in the ancient world. Heck we've got all these stories left over from some Shakespeare guy, or things told by Aesop. The tales surrounding this Jesus guy were just a lot grander, and far more fanciful.

 

[amdhunter]

I think if Jesus were alive today, he'd probably be an Atheist too.

 

[chipy]

i was an agnostic once...

 

[Lonyo]

The stuff ascribed to Jesus is not unique to Jesus. Other people have had various similar miracles etc ascribed to them, although often that was in the context of other religions (not Judaism/God).
It's entirely likely that some people thought Jesus existed, or heard stories about some dude called Jesus (or called something else but then a Jesus was made the figurehead for all the various stories).
It's most likely that people did believe there was someone who did this stuff, and they wrote it down, but it's hardly a unique thing, it's just that the Jesus person managed to attain more widespread fame than most other people who made similar claims.
Jesus is about as special as all the other people who supposedly did the same stuff, only he won Miracle Idol and got famous, while all the others faded into obscurity.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: mb
Sure, he cuts my lawn every weekend in the summer.

He did some concrete work for me last Friday.

 

[shortylickens]

I'm not religious but I do get along with god. The real god, not the one they usually teach in church/temple.

Aside from that, there is considerable evidence stating that a man named Jesus Christ did in fact walk the earth at one point in time.

As for him having magic or devine powers: I dont know. And actually I dont care, because I dont believe in the christian god nor do I worship him.
Believing in Jesus does not make me any closer to my god.

 

[JDawg1536]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: mb
Sure, he cuts my lawn every weekend in the summer.

He did some concrete work for me last Friday.

And my tile this weekend. Dude is everywhere, and does quality work. The man gets things done.

 

[Leros]

There were all kinds of people at the time like Jesus. They preached to the masses, had followers, performed "miracles", and we were executed for it. If the biblical Jesus existed, he was one of many.

 

[rh71]

this reported on nbc nightly news tonight (via survey):

9% america non religious in 1990...
15% america non religious today...

I didn't get surveyed but I would've added to those numbers as well as many people I'm aware of.

 

[shocksyde]

I certainly think it's possible that he existed.

Do I think he was the son of God or he had magical powers? Certainly not.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: loki8481
it's pretty hard to deny the existence of the historical Jesus who walked around the middle east sometime around ~30-35 AD, had some followers, and was crucified.

this, pretty much.

 

[Baked]

I used to hang out w/ Jesus and his buds, Juan and Jorge back in high school. They didn't con me outta my money making ridiculous promises and claims though.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: JDawg1536

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: mb
Sure, he cuts my lawn every weekend in the summer.

He did some concrete work for me last Friday.

And my tile this weekend. Dude is everywhere, and does quality work. The man gets things done.

I thought he mostly did cabinetry?