# Was Jesus Real or a Myth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 22, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360 "2015-02-22T18:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/261 "2015-03-08T05:55:31Z")
Agreed that the drive-by was too facile, and, really, too snarky. But, hey, some posts in debate bring evidence and citations, and others are just “showing the flag” and statements of support, or denial. “What’s the point of continuing to say ‘proof?’” Heck, what’s the point of responding to a drive-by. Waste of time both ways. If I remember correctly, there are one or two Roman Emperors who are documented less thoroughly than the historical Jesus is. On the other hand, nobody is making extraordinary claims about them being the bodily God, creator of the world. That a preacher-fella wandered Judea, made a balls-up claim to be the Messiah, and was put to death for it, well, there may be some room for doubt, but not a whole lot of room to care too much. It’s the religious stuff that keeps getting mixed into the recipe, and that’s wholly a matter of individual faith. Nobody can “prove” Jesus is the Son of God, any more than we can prove Buddhist doctrines of reincarnation or Jewish or Islamic claims of prominent characters ascending bodily to heaven. Everyone gets to believe what they want. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/262 "2015-03-08T15:48:06Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > His penis. In the Isis/Osyris myth, Set kills Osiris and dismembers him. So Isis and Nephthys search all over Egypt, and put together the body, except for the penis, which has been eaten by a fish. So she creates him a new penis, and then has sex with his corpse, conceiving Horus. The sex brings him back to life. Then Osiris has to leave the earth and become the ruler of the dead, and Horus becomes the new king. > > So, as you can see, the parallel to the story in the gospel is just uncanny. In the version I read Isis took the form of a bird and flew over the parts(which were assembled), and conceived was Horus. It was a 2 books Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/263 "2015-03-11T16:26:38Z")
At the risk of being slammed, I’ll just say that Jesus is VERY MUCH real and that plenty of people have had various interactions with Him…, myself included. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/264 "2015-03-11T16:52:59Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > At the risk of being slammed, I’ll just say that Jesus is VERY MUCH real and that plenty of people have had various interactions with Him…, myself included. Are any of those interactions observable from a third party or are they all in your “soul” ? ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/265 "2015-03-11T17:05:43Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Are any of those interactions observable from a third party or are they all in your “soul” ? What do you mean when you ask “…or are they all in your ‘soul’”? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/266 "2015-03-11T17:13:25Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > At the risk of being slammed, I’ll just say that Jesus is VERY MUCH real and that plenty of people have had various interactions with Him…, myself included. It’s a very real risk. But I won’t be one to slam you. The fact is that there is a _lot_ of evidence for the existence of God, the risen Christ, and the IPU. There really is. That evidence, however, is entirely individual and apocryphal; it’s hearsay and it’s circumstantial. For me, that means that no amount of such evidence is persuasive. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/267 "2015-03-11T17:14:50Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > What do you mean when you ask “…or are they all in your ‘soul’”? What do _you_ mean by “interactions”? In what way does he respond directly to you, and is this response observable by anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/268 "2015-03-11T17:29:03Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > What do you mean when you ask “…or are they all in your ‘soul’”? soul == your inner being, your mind, etc - I didn;t want to just ask “or all they all in your head” - I was trying to be respectful - thats why “soul” is in quotes so that you can reply with whatever meaning that word may give to you. So - are any of these interactions observable by a third party? How do you “know” its Jesus and not Satan in disguise? ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/269 "2015-03-11T17:29:44Z")
> [@andros](#): > > It’s a very real risk. But I won’t be one to slam you. > > The fact is that there is a _lot_ of evidence for the existence of God, the risen Christ, and the IPU. There really is. > > That evidence, however, is entirely individual and apocryphal; it’s hearsay and it’s circumstantial. For me, that means that no amount of such evidence is persuasive. I thank you for your comments and the reasonable tone. I’m not into trying too hard to convince anyone of anything, just in a friendly way make a few mentions here and there of some of the events of my own strange life is about all. I get why some folks are very skeptical … although I do have a bit of distain for people that shoot straight out of the blocks with sarcasm and the like, as if I’m guilty of committing a crime on account of being honest about sharing a few things I’ve experienced or have been witness to.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/270 "2015-03-11T17:43:20Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > I thank you for your comments and the reasonable tone. I’m not into trying too hard to convince anyone of anything, just in a friendly way make a few mentions here and there of some of the events of my own strange life is about all. I get why some folks are very skeptical … although I do have a bit of distain for people that shoot straight out of the blocks with sarcasm and the like, as if I’m guilty of committing a crime on account of being honest about sharing a few things I’ve experienced or have been witness to.🙂 And the answers to **simster’s** questions(and mine, if possible) are… ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/271 "2015-03-11T17:59:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What do _you_ mean by “interactions”? In what way does he respond directly to you, and is this response observable by anyone else? Jesus appeared to me in a number of ways throughout my life, but by no means on either a weekly or even yearly basis. He just does His own thing. :dubious: The last direct time was coming to me in a dream after I’d gotten on my knees that night and let him know that I was very troubled about certain things. On that particular occasion, He was standing in front of a middle eastern house(?) with an arched door way and behind Him the background was darkened out and, too, I wasn’t able to see Him super-clearly just because of the amount of darkness. He told me, “Evil people are not allowed in here.” THAT comment related to what I had prayed about, a certain dark feature of my life at the time, and so I knew pretty much what He was getting at. And amazingly(!!), I was given an affirmation … a little painting-picture of Him standing right next to a door _just like_ the one in my dream from a couple of weeks earlier, with the only difference of there being light to where I could easily see Him as well as the scenery behind him. I still have that picture, needless to say. (There were also some interesting words under this little picture in question, though I’ll keep quiet about those lest it all get too complicated to get into:confused: He’s also appeared in much more substantial ways, though those happened when I was very young… Suffice it to say that I’m absolutely not better than anyone else in this crazy world, and so – like it says in the Bible – everyone is permitted to go to Jesus about their life and problems, as well as the good things going on.🙂 Note: Needless to say, this post has Flame written all over it. For that reason I’ll likely just stick with things of a more secular nature, at least for a while.😉 ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/272 "2015-03-11T18:19:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And the answers to **simster’s** questions(and mine, if possible) are… “In my dreams” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/273 "2015-03-11T18:21:06Z")
**Dibbs,** you must forgive us if we don’t take your personal revelation as compelling evidence for an extraordinary claim, no matter how sincere you may be. For all we know, you might have a mental defect and it’s all in your mind. 🙂 A little study on how human beings fool themselves (you, me, that fella behind the tree) might be in order. Look up books by Thomas Glovich and Michael Shermer for starters. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/274 "2015-03-11T18:25:20Z")
> [@simster](#): > > soul == your inner being, your mind, etc - I didn;t want to just ask > > “or all they all in your head” > > - I was trying to be respectful - thats why “soul” is in quotes so that you can reply with whatever meaning that word may give to you. > > So - are any of these interactions observable by a third party? How do you “know” its Jesus and not Satan in disguise? Thanks for clarifying the quotation. Technically, to my way of thinking, ultimately everything is in one’s own head. That is, at some precise point one’s soul interfaces with the surrounding universe. I think it’s called metaphysics.:rolleyes: We’re talking here about things of a spiritual nature, and between a war involving good and evil with very smart and powerful entities involved. Some things for me have always been basic. 1) God just is. (And I knew that well before anyone with a Bible ever crossed my path.) 2) Since the deeper reality of our nature, as I see it, is spiritual, it follows then that “encounters” are more likely to occur between spirits in spiritual realms. 3) I KNOW it’s been Jesus just because I KNOW. In the Bible Jesus Himself says something to the effect, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them.” It’s pity we can’t all be sitting around a camp fire or two chewing the cud about this. This is a fabulous website but it’s tough for a slow typer like me to cover much ground, especially since the devil’s truly in the details and deserves a better effort than what I can give it here.:smack: Skipping past the details, my father and his girlfriend and my brother and me were all riding in a car many years ago when I awoke from a nap and saw “the man from the river” – Jesus – in the sky looking at me. I was with Him and some other little boys in the world before this world and they all watched me float up in the air away from them, as I lost awareness to what things were about (but have been getting pieces to a strange puzzle my whole life…). Sorry; I don’t mean to sound so esoteric or like an attention whore, but it’s tough at my age to deny my own life just because it’s been a bit different than most in some ways.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/275 "2015-03-11T18:30:37Z")
> [@simster](#): > > “In my dreams” I’m sorry, but under **Dibb’s** definition of “personal interactions”, I have personally interacted with Hoss Cartwright, the Lennon Sisters, a pair of Andoran slave girls, Remington Steele, the cast of _Babylon 5_ and a multitude of others, both real and imaginary. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/276 "2015-03-11T18:39:18Z")
> [@simster](#): > > “In my dreams” I think you might have missed this (and some other things:eek:): He’s also appeared in much more substantial ways, though those happened when I was very young… Time for this old boy to hit the sack. Take Care my Friends!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/277 "2015-03-11T18:44:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m sorry, but under **Dibb’s** definition of “personal interactions”, I have personally interacted with Hoss Cartwright, the Lennon Sisters, a pair of Andoran slave girls, Remington Steele, the cast of _Babylon 5_ and a multitude of others, both real and imaginary. Your blinders are impressive.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/278 "2015-03-11T18:46:37Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > I think you might have missed this (and some other things:eek:): He’s also appeared in much more substantial ways, though those happened when I was very young… Being a small child a waking up from a nap…not very convincing. Could very well be a positively reinforced memory of a child’s waking dream. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/279 "2015-03-11T18:48:59Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > Your blinders are impressive.😃 And putting smiley faces on your insults are not. A personal interaction, and a dream about a person you were thinking about intensely not long before, are two different things. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360/280 "2015-03-11T19:11:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Being a small child a waking up from a nap…not very convincing. Could very well be a positively reinforced memory of a child’s waking dream. So being a large child wide awake would convince you?😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jesus-real-or-a-myth/713360.md?page=15)