Earl Doherty Interview

Brian Flemming interviewed Earl Doherty. Doherty is an atheist who believes that historical and manuscript evidence shows that Jesus is completely a myth and never existed. Flemming is also an atheist and he agrees with Doherty. Doherty has written several books such as "The Jesus Puzzle" and "Challenging the Verdict". I think it's important to hear the other side even though I completely disagree with them.

EarlDohertyIntervi...

I'd like to point out a couple of things. One, Doherty's understanding of facts such as the dating of the Gospels and the New Testament do not square with traditional understanding. Two, Doherty's exegesis of the Bible texts are wanting. He says that Paul never referred to Jesus as a human physical being.

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. - Romans 9:3-5

If Jesus did not have a human physical body, then how could He have a human ancestry? Doherty's "smoking guns" are really false. He says that Hebrews 8:4 says that Jesus was never on earth. It doesn't say that. The context is in Jeus' fucntioning as high priest today. Doherty admits to being an amateaur historian. I'm not saying that makes him an idiot but I think someone who has made a profession of history disagree with him. Even atheistic historians agree that Jesus did exist as a man and He was crucified. This is beyond dispute. When Doherty was asked if the Biblical cannon was set during the Council of Nicea, he didn't know, but gave wrong information. I have never heard any real historian agree with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Doherty claims to be able to show that the Christian understanding of Jesus is wrong. He should be able to know what the first generation Christians really believed and he does not. He made the argument that the gnostic conception of Christianity was just as valid as the Christianity depicted in the New Testament. He's wrong. I will suggest taking everything he says and writes carefully. No one is trying to silence him because he is way off base. The interview tries to paint a picture that the idea of Jesus being a myth as being ignored and unchallenged. This is not true. There is much around answering the charges Doherty raises. For example here is an Interview of historian (a professional Historian) Paul Maier discussing the reality of Jesus' existence. And Paul Maier wrote the following article.