How strong is the evidence that Jesus existed?

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I feel that it is entirely likely that Jesus existed and happened to live the exact same life as Krishna, Horus, Zoroaster, Mithras, Attis, Dionysus and Prometheus.

Also, I find it unlikely that these aspects of Sun God cult worship found in many pagan pantheons had anything to do with jesus:


- The sun "dies" for three days on December 22nd, the winter solstice, when it stops in its
movement south, to be born again or resurrected on December 25th, when it resumes
its movement north.
- In some areas, the calendar originally began in the constellation of Virgo, and the sun would therefore be "born of a Virgin."
- The sun is the "Light of the World."
- The sun "cometh on clouds, and every eye shall see him."
- The sun rising in the morning is the "Savior of mankind," as well as the "healer" or
"savior" during the day.
- The sun wears a corona, "crown of thorns" or halo.191
- The sun "walks on water," describing its reflection.
- The sun's "followers," "helpers" or "disciples" are the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac or constellations, through which the sun must pass annually.
- The sun at 12 noon is in the house or temple of the "Most High"; thus, "he" begins "his Father's work" at "age"
- The sun enters into each sign of the zodiac at 30°; hence, the "Sun of God" begins his ministry at "age" 30

So to all the mythicists out there, let me get this straight:

You think that the Messiah/Christ that Paul and the Apostles preached as a recently historical figure who died and was supposedly resurrected was purely mythological the whole time ... without evidence that anyone doubted his existence at the time while him being resurrected and being a Messiah was questioned (as one can see in Paul's Epistles)?

What about Nazareth itself? Why would these original Messiah "myth-makers" make up Nazareth as the town for their Messiah when they could've easily just stuck to Bethlehem (like "Matthew" and "Luke" did)?

Why would they have Jesus be baptized by any human?

Why would they have their Messiah fail to do miracles in one town?

Why would they have the Messiah crucified and, thus, fail?

Not saying the evidence for Jesus' existence is so powerfully strong, but compared to mythicism, historicism makes more sense and is more reasonable.

The first and most major thing I would point to for the historical existence of Jesus is the sheer degree of the explosion of the Christian faith throughout the world, beginning in the generation and areas that would have remembered whether such a man existed. Often, great myths about individuals really start taking off generations after he lived, so that there's nothing in living memory to contradict such legends. Therefore, had Jesus not actually existed, Christianity and the Gospel message of the religion's founders would have ended with one word repeatedly echoed throughout Israel: "Who?"

A man that does not exist does not move his disciples to choose, when forced into the choice, their own painful deaths over simple denial. And, furthermore, the very threat of death for not denying Jesus' resurrection shows Jesus existed, this way: If Jesus never existed, the disciples' claims of his resurrection would not have merited any attention at all, and would have been dismissed for the madmen such a claim would have made them. Men's claims of a Nazarene whom no Nazarene village had ever even heard of would not be greeted with death threats.

But I can see why people who reject Jesus' claims of being God, and of all mankind needing His forgiveness on pain of eternal death, wouldn't want Him even to have existed as a man, because the evidence of what this historical man said and did is compelling to belief in everything He said. And that is a scary thought for unbelievers.

I think Jesus was kind of like King Arthur, or Merlin. Loosely based on a real person, but wrapped in myth and inaccuracy to the point that we might as well be talking about a fictional person.