YOU INSPIRED THIS EMAIL , JUST WANTED TO SHARE, THANKS AGAIN RRS

Lionel / Mark , .... about that great essay , A Silence That Screams - ( No contemporary historical accounts for "jesus" ) http://www.rationalresponders.com/a_silence_that_screams_no_contemporary_historical_accounts_for_jesus

Lionel writes: It's not surprising that there would be no contemporary writings about Jesus. Nobody knew or understood who he was until after his resurrection. Even his disciples were dejected after his crucifixion because they believed that they had placed false hope in him as being their Messiah. It wasn't until Jesus opened their eyes to the messianic verses about him (after his resurrection) that the epiphany of who Jesus was actually sunk in. It wasn't until Pentacost (the giving of the Holy Spirit) before the power of the Lord came upon the disciples, allowing them to preach the gospel and begin the rapid birth of the church.

Mark: It's hugely surprising ! ....Did you actually read the essay?, the Bible says Jesus was so popular that huge masses of people gathered everywhere he went ...... yet no contemporary historian writtings about this huge 3 yr event, thats the main point of this essay, It would be like modern historians ignoring the Beatles ....the only explaination is that the Bible lies and exaderates .....
.... and you say even the disciples had second thoughts, after hanging out with Godman for 3 yrs. ????
((( Lots here about messianic verses http://members.aol.com/ckbloomfld/bepart22.html

Lionel: The fact that the church spread so rapidly is a testiment to the historic Jesus. There are extra-biblical accounts of Jesus by Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Flavius Josephus, the Babylonian Talmud and Lucian of Samosata. If Jesus never existed, neither would Christianity. You are out in left field with crazy ideas that have become truth in your confused mind. You believe the lies because you want to believe them. It doesn't matter that they are ridiculous assumptions.

Mark: The essay isn't about IF Jesus existed, but why he was unnoticed by those historians of the time when the Bible says Jesus was popular like our Beatles .....
Christianity spread so very slowly and eventually also by force, ie King Constantine. 4 centurys is a long time ..... and that is considered still the beginning .....

Lionel: Christians aren't killers, humans are killers. There are liars, hypocrites, murderers and thieves in every religion and even among atheists. Your hateful diatribes against my faith are insulting and moronic, exposing your bigotry and ignorance. Religion aside, you are a cherished friend. You should write about something you know, like VW engines or guitar scales. That would be much more productive.

Mark: You are also a cherished friend. Christians are people and all "peoples" are too often killers, liars, hypocrites, murderers and thieves ......
I don't hate christians. I don't hate people, I hate the wrong things people do ..... and the reasons they do them, and so yes my diatribes against faith are indeed insulting, and Jesus insulted the religious of his time. I HATE WAR, I HATE PREJUDICE, I HATE UNNECESSARY SUFFERING, ........ I hate religious Dogma ..... so did Jesus.

Lionel: Locating online anti-Christian propaganda and passing it off as truth is easy to do. There are also many Christian websites that answer every accusation you bring up. But you want to believe that the followers of Jesus concocted his very existence in order to create a religion they would die for. This hypothesis is absurd.

Mark: I wish you would actually read the essay, and the comments on both page 1 & 2. I personally never said nor does this essay say "Jesus" never existed, just not in the way the Bible portrays Jesus.
.... and Who concoted the hundreds of other Gods and why ? Isn't your hypothesis absurd and moronic, exposing your bigotry and ignorance ? I also read the fundamentalists Christian websites, they answer nothing regarding their God being the only real god over the other gods, and never explain logically why there are no contemporary writtings about Jesus, ..... can you send any sites that really do ?

Lionel: Believe what you will. I know for a fact that Jesus lived, died, was resurrected and will return in the end times. The evidence exists historically, biblically and mystically. Nothing you discover online will weaken my faith. All you are doing is making yourself into a fool who believes he is god. ..... praise be to god mark

Mark: ? (as I praise you) Where are these facts, the honest scholars can't find them ? The evidence does not exist. Myth and religion are real phonomena of intense study. I only wish that what people call faith was truely positive, and would abandon all superstition.
When you say to me, "All you are doing is making yourself into a fool who believes he is god", ..... that is the very story of Jesus being rejected by the religious of his time .....
Love and respect to ya bro, you are hugely important to me, we would both agree that most the world is caught up in confussion. I am only trying to help, .... In the glory of God I try ...... with the many that come to my busy house "God and why War" is about all I talk about, ..... I wish I didn't feel the need to ....... mark

.....we do care, Lionel / Mark 9/28/2007
I just had this vision for a Rock Band Video, 5 singer players arguing their different God ideas, christian, jew, islamist, buddhist, atheist ........ then at the end they all hug each other ......