Top Highlights

• If that were the case, if Jesus never existed, imagine the consequences:  an entire religion, and the active beliefs of billions of people, all in vain.  All of Christianity based on a myth, a fable, even—as I will argue—a lie.  Why, that would be catastrophic.  The Crusades, the religious wars, the burning of heretics, the Inquisition, the countle...
• The media have no interest in examining this alternate story, for reasons that I will explain.  Western governments have little incentive, and much disincentive, for promoting open talk of this issue.  Christians obviously don’t want to hear any talk of a Jesus myth, nor—as I will explain—do Jews or Muslims.  In short, hardly anyone in power, and m...
• First:  “Christianity relies on faith, not reason.  Therefore, rational arguments against it, or against Jesus, have no effect.  We simply believe the Christian story, and that’s good enough.”    This is a very convenient ‘get out of jail free’ card that religious people like to play.  But it doesn’t work.  It’s worth noting that all of Western civ...
• Further, can it really be beneficial to accept a myth as truth?  Can one really live a happy, successful, and meaningful life dedicated to a false story, or to a lie?  Take the case of Santa Claus.  This story may be useful to keep naughty little children in line, but it ‘works’ only because of their ignorance and naiveté.  Even if we could keep up...
• But one doesn’t need to be a Christian to love thy neighbor, or to aid the poor, or to treat others kindly.  There are independent and thoroughly rational reasons to do these things, as many other philosophers and religious figures have noted, both before and after Jesus.  The fact that some people find these things helpful in no way justifies a ge...