Exhibit A: Jesus

"All right then. Please provide One contemporary textual example showing Jesus existed. And by contemporary I mean someone that might have actually lived at the same time."

That is not how historians of any field work, especially when it comes to ancient history. We have no contemporary sources, using your definition, of the life of Alexander the Great. The earliest source is by Diodorus Siculus from the 1st century BCE, 200 years after Alexander lived. Furthermore, for ancient sources purport to record events that the author witnessed first hand, we have only the author's word for this. This does not mean that we have to accept everything an author says uncritically, but it does mean that we have to put some trust in our sources, qua historians. Otherwise, history cannot be done.

"The same "proof" that we have of any historical figure's existence, viz. textual evidence."

All right then. Please provide One contemporary textual example showing Jesus existed. And by contemporary I mean someone that might have actually lived at the same time.

I for one would think a man that could heal the sick, walk on water, and multiply food would deserve at least an honorable mention in some ancient text other than the Bible.

"What proof is there that Jesus existed?"

The same "proof" that we have of any historical figure's existence, viz. textual evidence. If we deny that Jesus existed, we might as well deny that Augustus, Alexander the Great, or Socrates existed. That doesn't prove anything about the truth or falsity of Christianity, but it can hopefully allow us to move beyond silly notions of historical verification that no contemporary historian accepts.

What proof is there that Jesus existed?

In order to use the alleged son of god as proof of said god you first must prove that Jesus existed.

Well at least he didn't waste our time and got down to his beliefs (I wonder what happens if you tribe disagrees with his tribe).

hariaum

Bishop Tom,

I am sorely disappointed. Not with this post, mind you, but in a lecture I heard by you. In it, you used the phrase "begs the question" when you should have said "raises the question". I expected you to know that the former means circular reasoning, not a failure to address an issue in one's thinking.

Sorry Bishop Wright...

"Beauty, Justice"
Are not evidnce of God they are evidence of nature and humanity's ability to learn ethics without needing a deity.

" and above all Jesus.""

Jesus may have been a nice man but he is nowhere near evidence of a deity.

"Does that mean trying to make the empirical claim that those who believe in God show more compassion, including compassion to those who don't share their faith, than others? A hard case to make, considering inquisitions, crusades, and other holy wars"
--Rebecca Goldstein

From her essay on this blog.