Help! Historical Sources Needed to refute anti-religon video

[EsclavoDeCristo]

A friend of mine who is a youth minister asked that I enlist the help of CAF members concerning the following (this is a note from him):

I have a former youth who has become an atheist and he makes the claim that Jesus is not even a real historical figure. He makes the claim based on the a video series he watched on you tube (youtube.com/watch?v=pyXIe…layer_embedded ) Basically it claims that all extra biblical mentions of Jesus are fraudulent or sketchy. He especially claims that the writings of Josephus are a forgery. My question is, can you all give me extrabiblical quotes that clearly point to Jesus and any defenses of the writings of Josephus that you can come up with to substantiate his historical reliability.

I am not looking for debate, just information. He would like this info for his meeting with his former youth this coming monday (7/5/10).

Thanks everyone and happy 4th of July!

May God be praised ~ Now and forever!

 

[texasnan]

One thing your friend could do is turn it around on the youth – ask him for proof, for example, that the writings of Josephus are forgeries.

 

[Moonstruck888]

One thing your friend could do is turn it around on the youth – ask him for proof, for example, that the writings of Josephus are forgeries.

The evidence lies in the fact that Josephus was a Christian posing as a Jewish scholar. No Jew would ever use the word Messiah in the context that Josephus uses it, to wit: in a Christian context.

The question is, if the writings of Josephus were not forgeries, why did a Christian want to pass himself off as a Jew?

 

[JohnDamian]

Mara bar Sarapion
Josephus
Lucian
Tacitus
Thallus
Celsus
Pliny the Younger
Suetonius

Were all non-christians who recorded Christians and their activities in the time period after Jesus death.

Which is particualrily noteworthy because Christian activity was often illegal, even the Jewish Talmud records a “Yeshu” and disciples being executed.

Furthermore, the sheer volume of literature and epistles make it impossible to sensibly deny the existance of Jesus. Almost every historian, secular or otherwise holds that Jesus existed. The debate is not did he exist, but is he God?

 

[Apollos]

You could tell this young man this:

First, Youtube also has other videos that refute these Youtube videos. Why does he believe these and not those?

Second, someone who obstinately denies any and all evidence against his preconceived notions is known as psychotic. Look it up.