Proofs That Jesus Existed

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM RAISING MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES
(1) Questioning the existence of Jesus raises more problems than it solves.
(2) Please don't make me keep talking about this.
(3) This really is a winning phrase.
(4) Let's move on.
(5) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM THE DENIAL OF PETER AND BETRAYAL OF JUDAS
(1) Judas Iscariot and the denial of Peter are embarrassments, not stuff of fairy tale.
(2) Ignore the literary aspects of these story (lessons in discipleship, for example).
(3) Ignore the elephant in the room regarding the overall literary intent of the gospels.
(4) Ignore the possibility that Judas or Peter represent hostile groups in the time of the author.
(5) Ignore my colleagues who question the historicity of these stories.
(6) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM ACCUSATIONS REGARDING JESUS BEING IN LEAGUE WITH THE DEVIL
(1) In the Gospels, Pharisees made accusations about Jesus being in league with the devil.
(2) Literary protagonists never have literary antagonists with such biting criticism.
(3) There's no way someone made up such a story to counter contemporary Jewish claims about Jesus.
(4) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM MARTYRS
(1) Lots of early Christians were made martyrs.
(2) Liars make poor martyrs.
(3) If Jesus did not exist, all the early Christians were liars.
(4) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[Peter Kirby]

ARGUMENT FROM ELDERLY CURMUDGEONS
(1) If an idea were unhistorical, elderly curmudgeons who knew the truth would beat false ideas to a bloody pulp.
(2) Therefore, all ancient beliefs about history of the last several decades were true, at least until the cane of the last elderly curmudgeon were pried loose from his cold dead hands.
(3) The existence of Jesus was a belief about history of the last several decades.
(4) But belief in the existence of Jesus survived the blows of any such elderly curmudgeons, and indeed the belief spread.
(5) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[hjalti]

ARGUMENT FROM MANY STORIES
(1) There are really many stories about Jesus in the gospels.
(2) They can't all be made up!
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. A lot of people have died for the sake of Jesus.
2. People don't die a martyr's death for nothing.
3. They die for something that existed.
4. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. God told John the Baptist that Jesus was his son.
2. God does not lie.
3. Jesus was in fact god's son.
4. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. The gospels report that Jesus visited many real cities, such as Bethesda, Bethsaida, Bethlehem, and countless other Beths.
2. As all these places are real, they testify to the veracity of the report.
3. Therefore, Jesus existed.

[spin]

1. A religion based on a lie would never last as long as christianity has.
2. Christianity has lasted as long as christianity has, so it is not based on a lie.
3. Therefore, Jesus existed.