Did Jesus Christ really live? Or was he a myth, invented and foisted on a gullible public? My friend Bruce sent me the link to a newspaper report that had surprised him and asked for my comments. It was the usual Easter season attack on the historicity of Christianity. I guess the timing surprised him,

Our mutual friend Neil Abramson also commented on the same news story and a short flurry of emails between the three of us ended with Bruce asking if I would distill our discussion and share it with you. In the meantime Bruce posted a link to the article on his blog and included a musical rebuttal.

Since Neil responded first I’ll give him the first word:

Christianity is always put to a higher standard for validity than other histories. I read there is only one copy extant of Herodotus and a single copy of Thucydides – yet no-one doubts the true existence of these writers. By contrast there are hundreds of ancient New Testaments but these never seem to count.

The best way to get into the paper is to be controversial. We should be glad Christianity is still valued enough that an uninformed atheist can get coverage through such misinformation.

My response was similar in flavour:

There are two times a year you can guarantee there will be stories in the media attacking Christianity and Christians: Christmas and Easter. It’s reached the point where Christians don’t even bother to react anymore.

Jesus as myth is a popular angle to take for writers who don’t do their homework and don’t want to think logically about the topic. The gospels were written after Jesus resurrection – no point beforehand. There are historical reasons why it took about 20 years for the first of them (Mark) to be set down. Some of Paul’s letters circulated first. Paul was writing to churches that were thriving a decade after the crucifixion. Where did they come from if there was no historical Jesus? What myth is foundational to making this movement spread? Why did those first Christians not recant under torture if they knew it was all a lie?

My favourite of the myth proponents is John Allegro, who at one point I gather was a respected scholar. Then he decided Jesus wasn’t a man but a mushroom. Hallucinogenic of course – it was the sixties after all. People believed him too!

The sad thing is, news reports like this one are rarely challenged. People tend to uncritically accept what they read – ask any politician. The assumption is that the paper wouldn’t print anything obviously false. I think that is a quaint assumption not backed up by facts – journalism today is motivated as much by the bottom line as facts, maybe more. There are holes in the “Jesus is myth” argument when you start asking questions, but many people won’t ask those questions.

I have mentioned before I think that I have a fondness for tradition, including Latin. Neil said this song from the Good Friday Presbyterian church service he attended seemed appropriate for our discussion:
O salutaris Hostia
Quae caeli pandis ostium
Bella premunt hostlilia
Da robur, fer auxilium.

O saving victim
Who opens the door of heaven
Our foes abound;
Give us strength; grant us aid.
Christians all over the planet look to God for aid when they are attacked for their faith. In North America those attacks come most often in silly “Jesus is myth” type salvos. In much of the world though the attacks are far more personal and the stakes are far higher than hurt feelings. As in the first century Christians in many countries are still being martyred for their beliefs. They put their lives on the line because they know the Truth, and that Truth has set them free. That is no myth.

O saving victim
Who opens the door of heaven
Our foes abound;
Give us strength; grant us aid.