Oh! I know! It was the All Quiet on the Western Front to the East!

AG: "...And another thing is that there were eyewitnesses right from the outset Paul had the vision on the road to Damascus read Acts chapter 8 and following to confirm this..".
Is such nonsense really worth a response? How can anyone tell if this is ignorance, trolling or brain damage?!

Ensjo: "Only later, as the church became an end in itself, roles were created (presbyters, deacons, bishops) and there was a concern of registering the words that circulated in oral tradition."
It is no longer possible to know what oral traditions there may have been in any particular area 2,000 years ago, but by today's standards the earliest articles are often little more than ancient ramblings about who begot whom or about some supposed miracle.
From:
http://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/learn-about-the-scrolls/scrolls-content...
"They are identified by the biblical passages they contain, and some special scribal features such as tiny script. The texts are the same as those required by later rabbinic halakha that has been passed down to modern Jewish practice, but some contain additional biblical passages. Since the Qumran tefillin are the only examples we have from the Second Temple period, we cannot know whether their distinctive features reflect the traditions of a specific community or whether they represent a more widespread tradition."

Of more interest might be why the Roman Emperor decided to embrace and utilise this cult rather than persecute it. From:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/christianityromanempire_arti...
The reasons why individual Christians were persecuted in this period were varied. In some cases they were perhaps scapegoats, their faith attacked where more personal or local hostilities were at issue.

Contemporary pagan and Christian sources preserve other accusations levelled against the Christians. These included charges of incest and cannibalism, probably resulting from garbled accounts of the rites which Christians celebrated in necessary secrecy, being the agape (the ‘love-feast’) and the Eucharist (partaking of the body and blood of Christ).

Pagans were suspicious of the Christian refusal to sacrifice to the Roman gods.

Pagans were probably most suspicious of the Christian refusal to sacrifice to the Roman gods. This was an insult to the gods and potentially endangered the empire which they deigned to protect. Furthermore, the Christian refusal to offer sacrifices to the emperor, a semi-divine monarch, had the whiff of both sacrilege and treason about it... Unquote.

So probably, it was more politically advantageous to embrace and utilise the cult than oppress it. Constantine may have found the idea of a single, benevolent god more personally appealing, as many people do today.

Does anyone else find it fascinating that people claim Jesus or any deity really still communicates with them? There are a multitude of books written by charlatans, claiming that Jesus is accessible if you reach out for guidance. There are also a wide array of personal testimonies where people "were thinking completely normally. No drugs, not dreaming, etc". While many of us have reasons to be skeptical of these testimonies, I will say this: Something is either true or false. Either they saw/communicated with Jesus, or they did not. If they did in fact see Jesus, then they should be able to ask questions like: "why was there no documentation of your presence" or "where can I find actual evidence" or even something like a medical advancement to the cure for cancer, etc. If some of this were provided, I may be able to change my view on things. However, you are right Myckob4, the current evidence we have is very wishy washy at that.

The "proof" that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected is less certain than the proof that Elvis survived the 1970s.

.
I understand the atheist position - They do not see evidence sufficient to prove that a supernatural deity or that a powerful spiritual being eXists .

I appreciate the honesty and openness of Atheists.

@ JoC
For the last time, and I supplied the passage from Tacitus; the Christus is mentioned as the belief of the christians...not a historical fact or proof any such persons existence. He also mentioned the christians' habit of cannibalism is that therefore true?

"Remove those parts and you still have Josephus mentioning Jesus as a real person. He even references Jesus when talking about his brother, James."
Note there is ONE paragraph where josephus mentions jesus , it is a later clumsy addition. I quote so you cant just make assertions " "Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,--a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." (Whitson, 379)"
Another quote for you "...the vast majority of scholars since the early 1800s have said that this quotation is not by Josephus, but rather is a later Christian insertion in his works. In other words, it is a forgery, rejected by scholars."

So lets consider those two false statements of yours as disposed of, to the trash.

You penultimate paragraph is odd. Of course they could make it up? Why not? the religion was gaining traction at the time of writing, the authorship of any of the NT except for some Pauline texts is murky at best and unknown as most likely. Most of the texts were unknown until the 3rd century when, as I said the copying industry got a whole new lease on life. The Imperial approval was a license to print coin...
As regards Martyrdom there are whole swathes of humanity sacrificing themselves for some belief right up until now with our suicide bombers. It is not an unusual part of the human condition, They were not the first, they will not be the last.

As regards the final paragraph, perhaps you should study a bit ore seriously and more objectively. You are looking for evidence that matches your pre-existing beliefs, in future citations and quotes would help back up your assertions.

I throw nothing "out the window" you are being selective to suit your argument, I said " The "gospel texts" go in the "probably untrue" "Unverified" basket.Like the legends of King Arthur and those of Valhalla." Please don't misquote me.

There is no proof of your messiah. none. If you have it, let us all know. If you do not, then admit it.

That is open to all you Norse out there as well, if you have evidence of Loki, Odin and Valhalla, please bring it here.