6 Reasons Scholars Question the Existence of Jesus

Serapis Christus, The Original Christ Many historians attribute the origins of Jesus Christ to the creation of Serapis Christus around 300 B.C.E. Ptolemy 1 Meryamun Setepenre wanted the people of Egypt to accept him as pharaoh after Alexander the Great invaded Egypt through military force and placed Ptolemy on the throne. The Egyptians did not accept Ptolemy as their ruler because they believed a pharaoh had divine rights and it was not a position acquired through force. Ptolemy changed his name to Meryamun Setepenre which means "Beloved of Amun" and "Chosen of Ra." When most Egyptians still refused to accept Ptolemy despite his name change, the feigned pharaoh slaughtered any person that defied his position. In his stalwart efforts to redefine God, Ptolemy created "Serapis," a Christ deity fashioned in Ptolemy's own image and adorned with Egyptian accessories. This image of the new god was forced on both Egyptians and Romans alike. The Council of Nicaea and the Creation of Jesus Christ Emperor Constantine of Rome was a devout Christian and made it his mission to spread the religion throughout the world. Bishop Arius of Libya did not agree with many aspects of Christianity, the validity of Serapis Christus being his most controversial dispute. After all, without Serapis Christus, the foundation of Christianity would crumble. Arius began to attract followers worldwide based on his stance that often caused uprisings. Out of concern for Arius' popularity, the emperor gathered his bishops to strategically devise a plan to refute Arius' arguments. This pivotal meeting in Christian history led to the formation of The Council of Nicaea. At the council meetings the participants worked on branding a young religion known as Christianity. Holy days of observation, the structure of the Holy Trinity, liturgical practice and clergy order were just a few newly added components devised in council meetings. It is believed that the religious figure Jesus Christ was created to replace the already tarnished name and reputation of Serapis Christus. Questionable Authorship of the New Testament The New Testament canon is a compilation of 27 Christian works written from traditional verbal narratives that create the second part of the Bible. The authorship of the New Testament has been questioned by scholars because of inconclusive results drawn after academic criticism of each text. When analyzing any written work, researchers must learn the background of the author to gain insight to the work's context. Since historical accounts for the authors of the New Testament are almost nonexistent, validating it is a challenge yet to be overcome. Simply stated, outside of the Bible itself, there is no corroborating biographical text to support the existence of the original writers and storytellers of the New Testament. Omission and Addition of Biased Texts The Bible was not compiled in its entirety by one Christian sect. Not only did the Catholic Church take a century to decide which texts to include or omit during the creation of the New Testament, but other sects of early Christianity from the East, such as the Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian and Syrian Christian churches, had their own variations of the text. Although the New Testament was mostly created in the 4th century, the Catholic Church's version of the New Testament was not universally recognized as the quintessential Christian text until the 15th century. Writings and interpretations from major Christian sects were omitted from the accepted version of the New Testament, leaving a margin for error that may have occurred from biased tampering over many centuries. Lack of Physical Evidence Proof of physical evidence is an important factor to consider when determining the existence of a historical figure. As far as historians have found, there are no eyewitness accounts of Jesus Christ's existence documented within the time he allegedly lived. Scholars were able to confirm several aspects of his life by placing it within the context of the era and locations stated in Christ's narrative. Unfortunately, that only proves the historical accuracy of the authors who wrote about Jesus' life and does not serve as evidence that Christ actually existed. The Shroud of Turin is reportedly the burial garment of Jesus Christ. Many followers of the Christian faith believe the shroud to be concrete evidence of Christ's existence. However, the scientific community has deduced that the only insight the Shroud of Turin provides is proof of Roman crucifixion practices. Christlike Religious Figures Predating Christianity The skepticism surrounding Jesus Christ's existence is exacerbated by marked similarities to his life and those of other religious icons who predate Christianity. Horus, Bhudda, Dionysis, Glycon, Romulus, Odysseus and Krishna have comparable legends mirroring the life of Jesus Christ. Another similarity between Jesus Christ and some deities is the lack of proven evidence of existence. If the only corroborating text validating Jesus' existence is another book based on universally accepted mythology, a deduction can be made that Jesus Christ is a myth, too. Sources: http://www.nobeliefs.com http://www.unbiasedtalk.com http://www.livescience.com http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.bibleanswer.com http://listverse.com

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