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Do you think Mary, Joseph and Jesus existed?

342 replies

Papergirl1968 · 28/11/2018 20:02

Do you think Mary, Joseph and Jesus existed? I thought about putting this under religion, but thought there’d be a wider range of views on chat.
I’m not religious any more (was raised Methodist) but the Christmas story is something I think about occasionally, usually when I’m singing carols to the cat Smile.
My own view is that they probably did exist, but I don’t buy the son of god thing. I’d hazard a guess that Mary got pregnant by Joseph when they were being intimate, even if they didn’t technically have sex. So she panicked and either invented or dreamed a convenient story about the angel telling her she was carrying the son of god.
I believe there’s evidence that they would have had to travel to Bethlehem - although not at Christmas - and that there was a bright star in the sky etc.
And I think Jesus may well have had children. Or maybe I just took the Da Vinci Code too seriously...
Would be interested to hear what others think.

OP posts:
MrsElijahMikaelson · 01/12/2018 00:01

I absolutely believe Jesus, Mary and Joseph existed, also the disciples.

My theory is Mary had baby conceived by Joseph (she ain't no virgin) and then this baby grow up to be a man called Jesus who claimed to be the son of God.
Pissed off a lot of priests, died because of itConfused

Talith · 01/12/2018 00:03

I am a dyed-in-the-wool atheist but I think he did exist and was a great example.

Brahumbug · 01/12/2018 06:43

The real founder of Christianity is Paul. He was the driving force, ironic that he never met jesus.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Philosophy & religion
NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 01/12/2018 06:52

I'm a devout Christian and I 100% believe that they existed and that he was the son of God. The views here are interesting reads though Smile

DGRossetti · 01/12/2018 07:34

There is one part of me that has faith in the claim that he was the son of god.

aren't we all Gods children ?

Vitalogy · 01/12/2018 07:46

aren't we all Gods children ? This is it. They've put Jesus on a pedestal though, which isn't what his teaching is about.

roisinagusniamh · 01/12/2018 07:47

Eh ....I don't think so DGRossetti!
I was raised catholic and went to a boarding school run by nuns (who were lovely... really enjoyed my years there ) but I remain completely unconvinced of god's existence.

RedDwarves · 01/12/2018 07:53

No.

There was no contemporary record of Jesus and no reference to him during the time he supposedly lived.

Mary and Joseph are complete bollocks.

Vitalogy · 01/12/2018 08:01

roisinagusniamh That may or may not have been a hinderance.

roisinagusniamh · 01/12/2018 08:18

Explod, not sure about that . i simply could not be convinced that the stories we were being told were anything other than that.
I like being in a church on the occasions l go along to funerals , weddings etc but am not moved as such...just brings back memories of my childhood .
I just don't get how a person can be 100% christian , what kind of mind believes and goes along with all that ?

Bechetdiagnosed · 01/12/2018 08:48

roisinagusniamh

Equally as a Christian, I find it hard to fathom a life without “going along with it” as you put it.

Either you are open to finding out more or you are not. If you are closed to faith, that’s fine. I see my faith in a very simple way. When I die, I will be in heaven with all its glory. When you die, you’ll just be dead.

roisinagusniamh · 01/12/2018 08:58

When we die we will all be dead!
And I was never open to faith , as you put it, regardless of my catholic upbringing.
My parents practiced and took us to mass once a week but it was just a part of Sunday for me ....not an unpleasant part by any means , it just didn't mean anything.
I find fully paid up catholics / Christians interesting because their mindset is so different from my own .

Fluffiest · 01/12/2018 09:07

Yes I believe that Jesus, Mary and Joseph did exist. I think the New Testament stands up to historical scrutiny as much, if not more, than any other ancient documents.

In fact there has been more than one book written by men who set out to disprove the Bible only to end up changing their conclusions on studying the evidence. The works of William Mitchell Ramsey are a good example of this.

Bechetdiagnosed · 01/12/2018 09:07

If you had the kind of church experience I have, then perhaps you may think differently about giving up your own faith. I have a wonderful church family. We love, laugh and have fun together. I couldn’t imagine my life without it.

As for life eternal after we die. I’m happy to place my faith in that being true. If you don’t, that’s fine.

My mind is also perfectly sound Smile I am an intelligent person. I have a degree. My close friend has a doctorate and we both proclaim Jesus.

BertramKibbler · 01/12/2018 09:08

I find fully paid up catholics / Christians interesting because their mindset is so different from my own .
This is just so rude

roisinagusniamh · 01/12/2018 09:15

I am not out to offend anyone Bertram.
I had a similar introduction to the church from birth . I just didn't get it and therefore, from about aged 12 decided to spend my Sunday mornings in bed or revising.
I didn't say you are less intelligent just different but , possibly, more conformist and accepting than me .

CardinalSin · 01/12/2018 09:23

I feel genuinely quite saddened by how blithely people here trot out the old trope that there is lots of evidence that the Jesus character actually existed, when they obviously haven't actually made any effort to see if it is true. There is literally not a single shred of contemporary evidence of him nor of any of the things he's supposed to have done. (Josephus was not a contemporary, and the TF is patently a forgery - we even have a chief suspect!)

Bechetdiagnosed · 01/12/2018 09:24

I am not a conformist. My family have no faith. I came to faith on my own.

You are the conformist in my eyes. Our secular society belittles those with faith and it is seen to be delusional to have faith. Conformists go along with this notion.

I have gone against my upbringing and the against the majority of my atheist or agnostic friends to find faith. I do not however, belittle them for not having faith like me. Instead I accept it and just hope that one day it might change.

Bechetdiagnosed · 01/12/2018 09:27

CardinalSin I did chuckle at your response when I noticed your user name!!

Do you have a theologian background? I assume you must have to make that claim.

CardinalSin · 01/12/2018 09:33

No, I've merely been interested enough to do a bit of research. I find it quite telling that there is literally not a single piece of contemporary evidence.

Anasnake · 01/12/2018 09:33

Cardinal is correct. Josephus was writing 70 years later, Tacitus a century later.

BertramKibbler · 01/12/2018 09:37

I am not out to offend anyone Bertram.

Yes you were, no point trying to deny it when all the offensive stuff is visible just a few comments up!

RunSweatLaughAndLatte · 01/12/2018 09:42

I think it could be one of three things:

(A) it was a fictional story made up to keep people in their place. Lets face it, if someone came up with a story like that now, you'd think they were nutters.

(B) they existed but it didn't happen how the bible said. Mary and Joseph had sex and Jesus was born, and they made up it was an immaculate conception and he's the son of God because they were being shunned by the community

(C) Jesus existed and convinced people he was the son of God. Maybe he had psychosis and genuinely believed it but no one knew of mental illness back then.

AlannahFinnis · 01/12/2018 09:45

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