Proofs That Jesus Existed

[spin]

1. The gospels tell us that Jesus was a good Jewish man.
2. Saying that Jesus did not exist is an act of wiping a Jew out of history.
3. You can't wipe a person out of history if they did not exist.
4. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM SALVATION
(1) If an offense against an infinite God requires an infinite punishment, we would be altogether destroyed.
(2) But the word "Jesus" means that He is both God and man, and capable of taking on an infinite punishment in the stead of man.
(3) If, therefore, Jesus did not exist, there would be no salvation of men.
(4) But there is salvation of men.
(5) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. The gospels report that Jesus cured the blind, the deaf, the paralytic, the demon-possessed and the stupid.
2. If Jesus didn't exist, who cured them?
3. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT THAT COMPLETE ACCURACY IS A SIMPLER HYPOTHESIS THAN COMPLETE INACCURACY
(1) It is superfluous to suppose that what can be accounted for by a single impressive Man has been produced by the imaginations of many.
(2) But it seems that everything we see in the Gospels and Christian literature can be accounted for by supposing Jesus did exist and did what is recorded.
(3) And all silences regarding this remarkable Man can be reduced to one principle, which is that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."
(4) And all perspicuous positive statements can be reduced to one principle, which is the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
(5) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION
(1) If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our hope in the resurrection is in vain.
(2) I'd rather have hope.
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. Every president on record has believed Jesus existed.
2. It's a very American thing to believe.
3. Not to believe Jesus existed is un-American.
4. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM COMMUNISTS
(1) Some communists claimed that Jesus never existed.
(2) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM HYPERSKEPTICISM
(1) Doubts about the existence of Jesus require a stance of hyperskepticism.
(2) Hyperskepticism is a really scary sounding word, and really respectable people are using it, so watch out.
(3) It's also a word, like parallelomania, that seems to be there just to act as an easy win button for difficult arguments.
(4) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. It is now understood that Jesus was gay. (You remember his beloved disciple.)
2. People don't like the fact, so they try to deny his existence.
3. But we will stand strong.
4. No-one can take away the fact that Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM DEBATE PROWESS
(1) I argue with people online.
(2) I have handily defeated anyone questioning the existence of Jesus to cross my path.
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.