That Jesus Was a Myth Keeps Rolling Along


Re-ploughing old ground is what Christianity does. So, too, does the community of doubt. That there is scant evidence there ever was a Jesus continues to be raised. 

Since way back, Jesus and his life was called "history" by believers and a "story" by skeptics. In either case it was a very successful public relations effort. Jesus remains a topic discussed endlessly. The more modern word for the Christian religion based on Jesus is "narrative." That is, in spite of critics, doubt and lack of evidence, the Christian narrative remains that there was a Jesus and words and ideas he actually used are repeated in the Bible.

I don't remember a year when I read quotes from prominent Christians repeating what skeptics have said for years, "Jesus may not have been born on January 25th. But that does not matter." I would call this a new narrative. It would never have become this common were it not for skeptics raising doubts for years. The new narrative that January 25 was chosen for political purposes rather than historical fact was simply too powerful for the old defense of that date. 

I think it is inevitable a new narrative about the literal existence is gaining ground. There are reasons to doubt his actual existence in the Bible itself. For example, the writer known as "Paul" wrote, so evidence suggests, at a time closer to period when Jesus was supposed to have lived than any other writer in the Bible. Yet, Paul discussed nothing about the life of Jesus. There is an irony that the later the Biblical writer the more details and quotes of Jesus show up. If there was a literal Jesus this would be reversed.

With a new narrative that there may not have been a literal Jesus would come other questions. How could "Jesus return" if he never was here? Dealing with hat would require some fancy footwork. Christians are good at such tricky stuff. Paul said the long-standing requirement that Jews be circumcised could be set aside to better sell the faith. Changing the narrative worked then, it could work today. 

   

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