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Debate Info

107
126
Yes No
Debate Score:233
Arguments:118
Total Votes:254
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Argument Ratio

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 Yes (49)
 
 No (42)

Debate Creator

LizziexLaura(4278) pic



Did Jesus exist?

Do you think Jesus, the Jesus of the christian faith, existed?

Yes

Side Score: 107
VS.

No

Side Score: 126
7 points

I think there were some guy 2000 years ago who thought people weren't being very nice to each other. He then figured that the only way to make people listen to him is to tell them that he were the son of God. The end justifies the means right?

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
4 points

No, this is about the little thing if he ever existed in a first place.

Side: No
Cartman(18192) Disputed
6 points

Well, the question in the title is did the guy ever exist, which he answered. The description however is Do you think Jesus, the Jesus of the christian faith, existed?, so his answer was not following that, but the Jesus he is talking about probably would be the one mentioned in the Bible, so he did answer properly.

Side: Yes
4 points

We can take the logic even further than that. Why was Jesus crucified then?

Side: Yes
Nox0(1393) Disputed
5 points

He was a homeless cult leader claiming that he is a god. They showed him that he isn't :D

Side: No
Cartman(18192) Clarified
4 points

I hope no one takes offense to this, but he was crucified because he was a trouble maker. The Romans weren't too happy about his following and dealt with him.

Side: Yes

Well.. there have been plenty of Jesus' till this day.

I just don't believe that a certain Jesus came to this planet, born by a virgin, walked on water, died on a cross so people can enter heaven.

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
4 points

...born by a virgin... is a miss translation, error that happen during translation from Hebrew to Greek, later was added the story about ghost fucking Mary.

Side: No
AbbyNestor(1028) Disputed
4 points

Can you prove that? Because churches would have reformed by now.

Side: Yes
shoutoutloud(4303) Clarified
2 points

I'm sorry, I don't understand really.

I've never heard that there was a mistranslation. What was the original story? Was Mary a ghost?

Not that it changes my views on Jesus - whether his mom was a virgin or a ghost sounds just as crazy to me.

Side: Yes
JimmyJ(47) Disputed
4 points

Yeah, that was all just exaggeration and absurdities from religionist to make the story more fantastic and supernatural. Or else nobody will ever join them religion.

Side: No

Agreed, although I can't figure out why you disputed me - it sounds like you agree but I'm not sure :p

Side: No
trumpet_guy(503) Clarified
3 points

Please name one that moverd the the Jewish people the way he did (the one Christians follow).

Side: Yes
shoutoutloud(4303) Clarified
2 points

I can't :)

I believe the jesus stuff is a tale, someone created a story. I don't believe he took over the jewish people

Side: Yes

Wether you believe his teachings or not, he existed. The idea that he came from just a bunch of myths is stupid, even from an atheist stand point. There is Roman evidence that he lived. Jesus existed undoubtedly, but the religious question is "Does he still exist?" I say yes.

Side: Yes
Nox0(1393) Disputed
2 points

There is Roman evidence that he lived

What evidence are you talking about? :D

Side: No
2 points

here,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity ofJesus

Oviously he did, otherwise peter wouldn't be able to spread it that well. Or maybe he could.

Side: Yes

Whether you believe in god or not you cant deny the fact that Jesus existed..

Side: Yes
3 points

I think he did exist but would have gone by the Hebrew version of the name being a Jew and all, whether he was the son of God or not I don't know.

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
1 point

That is the point, if there are so many uncertainties, half truths, gaps, mistranslations... something is wrong, isn't it?

Side: No
TheAshman(2299) Disputed
2 points

I don't disagree, I have always said the Bible has been translated too many times for it to be 100% accurate, something always gets lost in translation add to that it was written hundreds of years after the death of Christ. Its like a game of Chinese Whispers that has been translated at the end, I've always said its an interesting read but more like a real life Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, it'll guide you through life but will probably give you as many questions as it will provide answers.

Side: Yes
3 points

I believe that a man named Josephous refered to him. I probably misspelled the name though.

Side: Yes
3 points

Jesus is just a name given to a character. the character himself was one of the many so called messiahs at the time. He may not have been called Jesus. he was (in my opinion as an atheist) not the son of god, but he certainly did exist whoever he was.

Side: Yes
3 points

I'm sure he existed. But he was a normal man, not God's son.

Side: Yes
Nox0(1393) Disputed
1 point

Lizziex ? :D

Side: No
Gloria(135) Clarified
2 points

Huh?

I'm not sure what are you talking about. xD

Sorry :/

Side: Yes
1 point

Why did you state the other half of my user name.

Side: Yes
2 points

I am sure he did and became a martyr. I just dont think the man was God. Or did miracles or whatever.

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
4 points

What makes you sure in the fist place ?

Side: No
AbbyNestor(1028) Disputed
1 point

There are other books that say he did and take account of what happened to Jesus. Books like Josephus or Tacitus or the Talmud or even studying the acts of Pontius Pilate shows he did.

Side: Yes

I believe he truly did exist. People can doubt his works but I think he did indeed exist.

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
3 points

I believe he truly did exist. People can doubt his works but I think he did indeed exist

and it's so because?

Side: No
Emperor(1348) Disputed
1 point

There's really no reason for or against it, is there?

Sure there's evidence, and lack of evidence, but really, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", right?

This is a very mundane claim. It's very likely there was a guy named Jesus or similar who wanted to change how things were done and he was killed for it.

As far as magic goes, that's silly, but the guy himself probably existed, and if he didn't, there's really no way to know and no really really good reason to not believe.

Side: Yes
2 points

Probably, we know Socrates existed though we have no written down accounts of him, only from what Plato wrote of him. But Jesus was just that, a philosopher of ethics and morals. No son of God. But I would have thought he did exist, minus the miracles and coming back from the dead.

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
2 points

According to your logic, lack of evidce for Unicorns is actually evidnce for Unicrons :D

Side: No
Jungelson(3959) Disputed
3 points

No, there is evidence Jesus existed, but no evidence he did any miracles. There are scriptures about him, many many scriptures and written accounts. But only word of mouth that he ever did any miracles, which I highly doubt, given there is no God.

Side: Yes
link6065(740) Disputed
2 points

starting to think you're Nox0 in disguise. .

Side: Yes
Cartman(18192) Disputed
2 points

No, he is saying that we have writings about him, so it is possible for him to exist. What he is saying though, is that stories of unicorns might be evidence for unicorns.

Side: Yes
2 points

He was the original hippie.

Side: Yes
2 points

What kind of nonsensical debate is this? Of course Jesus existed! And CrocoDuck where is your evidence that Jesus is a local myth?

Side: Yes
2 points

I think that he may have existed, but people took his goodness a little out of proportion and called him the son of God.

Side: Yes
2 points

there are so many people choosing yes,so why is "no" winning?

Side: Yes
2 points

I'm a Christian and I do believe that Jesus exists. I believe that the bible is the best evidence and although there are many arguments out there, I will still believe that Jesus is always with us,anywhere,anytime.

Side: Yes
2 points

I believe Jesus did exist as there is sufficient records. I do not believe though that he was the son of god, nor do I believe in any of his miracles or that he was the son of god. Just some person who felt strongly about peace and acceptance!

Side: Yes
2 points

Yes Jesus exists; in the past, present and future. Unless they ban the name Jesus, then it's just the past and present.

Side: Yes

Probably. We have that tarp of his right?

Side: Yes
1 point

Did Socrates exist?

Despite the claims of the biblical accounts; walking on water, healing, turning water into bread and wine, ECT.

The question of this debate is asking: Did Jesus Exist?

I would like to point on how obvious it is that Jesus existed as a physical person.

Evidence? Let's not start with the bible.

There are many accounts of various scholars, historians, written accounts of people claiming that they have seen Jesus himself, have heard someone seeing and speaking to Jesus, and/or have "known" Jesus to have existed.

I care not to provide "links" as my "sources", these are well known facts; if you don't know how to research, then get off this debate site.

And SO, the issue that many people have with Jesus existing in general, is that he was claimed to have done already aforementioned things, which upsets people because they do not want to accept nor believe that a man can walk on water, turn water into bread and wine, heal people, ECT.

My question is, why? Why and how does it possibly bother a person that a man thousands of years ago, walked on water? What does a man walking on water do to you? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Are you angry because that's "not possible"? Or how about Jesus apparently healing the blind? Why should a man apparently giving a born blind man, sight, bother you? If you were blind, wouldn't you want to have sight again?

My point is simple..

Socrates existed and we "know" this through mainly the workings (writings) of Plato, some from Aristotle and other philosophers.

The philosophies are of the "western philosophies" and are considered to be grounds for "ethos and morals" and an "overall insight to the world around us and how and why we interact with it", so-to-speak.

Jesus existed and we "know" this through mainly the workings (writings) of David, Moses, Paul, and about 40-X amount other people; Jesus taught morals, ethos, and generally, "overall insight to the world around us and how and why we interact with it", so-to-speak.

Obviously, there are many "books" that were written and were not part of the "bible" of today; there are many translations and variations of the same events, written differently via various languages and interpretations as years went on.

There are writings, not in the bible, that do account for the existence of Jesus, of the man himself.

And so finally to atheists and agnostics: Why bother trying to proclaim that Jesus never existed (when you know he did), and/or that the bible is false? What is your beef with it? Many of you atheists and agnostics seem to be bothered by the murder, rape, war ECT that is within the bible, and of life itself, so much that you seem to have raged war upon believers in general, due to the unfortunate aspects of life, and of the "bible".

Side: Yes
1 point

I'm muslim. However, I also believe that Jesus exists. of course, I don't have right to say that he is not God or his son. But, in our religion he is prophet. All muslims respect him...

Side: Yes
6 points

No, he seem to be just collection of local myths. Bible is skipping about half of stories about him, stories where he flies over cities, having family, killing his fried, killing his teacher and many more.

Side: No
AbbyNestor(1028) Disputed
2 points

Scholars agree that he existed though. Also I dont think he flew over cities. The killing stuff sure but flew over families? Also where did you hear about the killing stuff?

Side: Yes
CrocoDuck(28) Disputed
6 points

Most of those so called "scholars" are Christians, so they aren't really independent.

Infancy Gospel of Thomas has some killing in it.

details about Jesus
Side: No
link6065(740) Clarified
1 point

He's talking about the books that were omitted from the bible... because they didn't make any sense. Not that it made much sense in the first place.

Side: Yes
4 points

I don't think he exist as a son of god. If he ever exist, he is just a very nice regular person...and the bible is exaggerating too much about it.

~The Bible and the Koran is just the same fraud book. Just that Koran is more into violence.

Side: No
2 points

There are records of a guy named Jesus, living in Nazareth, at the time. However, there is a pretty logical explanation. His mother Mary was part of a caravan. That means she was a slut. She got pregnant off of some random guy. The kid grew up to be a cult leader/ rip off artist, claiming to be "the son of god." Mary was down with that for her reputation so she went along with it.

Side: No
Quocalimar(6470) Disputed
1 point

There are records of a guy named Jesus, living in Nazareth, at the time.

His legend aside, you just said Jesus existed.

Side: Yes
ghostheadX(1105) Clarified
1 point

I said he AS A PERSON existed. But he's not the Jesus of the Bible, which portrays it differently from how it is.

The debate is whether the Jesus OF THE BIBLE existed, and the answer is no he did not. The person the Bible calls Jesus isn't who he was. It's who you Christians want him to be.

It's the same answer as the Salem Witch Trials. Were any of them witches? No, obviously not. But did the people who believed in witches get an answer from it to explain the Black Death and other diseases? Even some murders? Yes. And it's better to have some answer than no answer at all.

So, technically what you're asking is correct but the question is the Jesus SPECIFICALLY OF THE BIBLE. He was not the Jesus of the Bible. That said, people want an answer to their depression or the meaning of life or whatever it may be. I think it's better to have a bad answer that science can't explain than to have no answer at all and have no solution right?

But if you want to put it in technical terms, Jesus existed. If you want to put it in literal terms, defining Jesus as "the son of god," he did not.

Side: Yes
Shemael(381) Disputed
1 point

"There are records of a guy named Jesus, living in Nazareth, at the time" Tell me where you found the records. Because the best record of that statement is the bible not some nonsensical book written by a man. The bible even has records on the family line of Jesus and famous people in the bible. Look at the book of Chronicles

Side: Yes
2 points

There were several Roman historians in Jerusalem and Nazareth documenting political developments and various events. Not one had ever documented any of the events mentioned in the New Testament.

Side: No
2 points

We have same amount of evidence for Jesus as we have for Hercules or Gandalf

Side: No
0 points

Even if he lived, he was a weirdo homeless guy you can see near any shopping center...

Side: No