If You Are Atheist
4 things we can agree on right now
An intellectually-honest atheist historian and I would both agree on 4 points that:
1. Historically there was a preacher named Jesus of Nazareth who lived in 1st century AD. (1)
2. He had a devoted group of followers and had a reputation as a healer and miracle worker. (2)
3. He was crucified by Pontius Pilate, the governor of a Roman province around the size of Vermont. (2)
4. Harlan Ellison (atheist author) famously said: "We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it's nothing. It's just bibble-babble."
In your unique search for the truth, have you actually read the whole Bible? I hope your hunger for truth outweighs the discomfort of understanding the whole picture.
"Jesus certainly existed, as virtually every competent scholar of antiquity, Christian or non-Christian, agrees."
"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular."
This is the same respected Roman historian who wrote about Seneca's life and all orders of the Roman Empire at this time. Himself being anti-Christian, this is an undeniably credible source.
I hope you don't take my word for it, but you explore the truth for yourself, because the truth will set you free.
Mē phobeisthe