Viewpoint Against Christianity

“I might be convinced that there is a God, and I am also aware that historians and even many atheists concur that a man named Jesus walked the earth 2,000 thousand years ago. But, how can I be convinced that this guy really died and bodily returned to life after three days in a tomb? There are many possible reasons why Jesus might not have actually risen from the dead, such as maybe his followers secretly stole and hid Jesus’s body, or Jesus’s corpse was accidentally placed in the wrong tomb. Surely there must be a more rational explanation than the so-called Resurrection? If this miraculous occurrence is the foundation of the Christian story, it sure seems like the concept of Christianity is built on shaky grounds.” 

Background Discussion

The issue of “the empty tomb” and sightings of Jesus after his crucifixion have been explored and debated for millennia. During the earliest years of Christianity, even the apostle Thomas, a follower of Jesus who had personally witnessed his miracles, questioned whether Jesus was alive after his crucifixion. That is, until he encountered the “dead” Jesus himself. So, it’s not surprising if many today, 2,000 years later, question this extraordinary event. Did Jesus really die? Was he buried in the wrong tomb, or did his followers steal or maybe move his body? Could his followers have been hallucinating and only thought they were talking to Jesus? Some have even suggested a “swoon theory,” suggesting that Jesus might never have actually died, but was revived, whether in the tomb and/or because his apostles rendered first aid after bribing the Roman guards assigned to his tomb (cf. Matt. 28:11–15). Or, might Jesus even have had a surviving twin brother? 

There is reliable historical evidence supporting the following: 1.) Jesus’s existence; 2.) His crucifixion; and 3.) His Resurrection three days after his body was placed in the tomb. In addition, many Christians (both men and women) and the Roman guards witnessed the site of Christ’s tomb. Dr. Gary Habermas, a New Testament biblical scholar, has identified 23 arguments that validate Jesus’s Resurrection and the empty tomb. That many of Jesus’s followers reported seeing him alive after he died, and were willing to die for him later on, constitute some of the strongest evidence that Jesus really did rise from the dead. Would you be willing to die for a story that you knew, as a firsthand witness, was untrue? 

Could there be a different explanation, one that more credibly explains these events surrounding this man named Jesus . . . such as the Christian account that Jesus actually did die . . . and then rose from the dead? Numerous respected scientists with Ph.Ds. are convinced a man named Jesus died and rose from the dead, including Dr. Francis Collins. Dr. Collins, a DNA expert who served as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a U.S. government agency with an annual budget of more than $30 billion, has stated, "I believe in the literal rising of the body of Christ. It's the cornerstone of my Christian faith." There are also dozens of Nobel Prize-winning scientists who, as Christians, affirm the Resurrection.

A fundamental aspect of this Christian Decisions website is acknowledging the belief that a man named Jesus lived, died, and came back to life. If this event were untrue, Christianity would be a sham, as even St. Paul admits (1 Cor. 15:12–19). There is substantial evidence backing this claim. In fact, Dr. Antony Flew, a philosopher, former atheist, and non-Christian, stated, “The evidence for the Resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religion. It’s outstandingly different in quality and quantity.”

Let’s consider that evidence.

Evidence Supporting the Death and Resurrection of Jesus

• A wealth of ancient documents noting that a man named Jesus existed.
• The presence of Roman soldiers and others at his crucifixion confirms he died.
• Numerous witnesses to Jesus’s placement in a specific tomb.
• The behavior of Jesus’s followers, who hid in fear after His crucifixion.
• Thomas ("Doubting Thomas”) was skeptical of Jesus’s Resurrection, until he actually saw him alive and proclaimed “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
• The New Testament documents as many as 10 times in which Jesus appeared to either individuals or groups as large as 500 people. 
• There exist many non-biblical sources that reference Jesus’s existence, his miracles, crucifixion, and post-death sightings (including some written accounts distinctly hostile to Christianity). 
• The “Resurrection” message served as the foundation of the early Church’s proclamation of the Gospel.
• Jesus’s disciples strongly proclaimed this message in the same places Jesus preached, was crucified, and then buried, which would invite conflict—and counterevidence—if this claim were untrue.
• Many of Jesus’s followers become martyrs for their faith after his death. Would they be willing to die if they knew the Resurrection were untrue?
• The movements of other Messianic claimants died when their leaders died (see Acts 5:27–39), including the second-century rebellion led by Simon Bar Kokhba.
• In contrast, the Christian Church has existed for 2,000 years, despite persecutions from without and scandals from within, and with other signs and wonders (see Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 156).

Please click on the links provided to videos, documents, quotes, and books regarding further reference to the possible explanations for how a man named Jesus might have actually died a horrific death, was placed in a tomb, and rose from the dead. If you haven’t already, please consider making the Christian Decision. This could be the most important decision of your life, or of your death.