AN ITALIAN judge has ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed.
Signor Cascioli’s one-man campaign came to a head at a court hearing last April when he lodged his accusations of “abuse of popular credulity” and “impersonation”, both offences under the Italian penal code. He argued that all claims for the existence of Jesus from sources other than the Bible stem from authors who lived “after the time of the hypothetical Jesus” and were therefore not reliable witnesses.
Signor Cascioli maintains that early Christian writers confused Jesus with John of Gamala, an anti-Roman Jewish insurgent in 1st-century Palestine. Church authorities were therefore guilty of “substitution of persons”.
Europe is really different from the US. Over here, not only would the judge be removed from office, he’d be crucified himself!
Well, he’s either dead, Jim, or perhaps has ascended into another reality if you believe in Christianity. Hard to prove his existence, just as it’s hard to prove the existence of various deities unless you accept “It says so right in this here book so it must be true” as a proof.
How are they going to “swear in the witnesses” during this trial?
Jesus is apparently alive, well and endorsing jeans. And if they come filled like the ones in the photo I want some.
This judge SHOUD be hung… How can you honestly prove this either way?
Sounds like more Christian/Anti Christian fighting to me.
Jesus lives in Mexico.
If I were the priest, I’d keep calling witnesses who profess to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
The court would be in session for centures if each witness spend even ten minutes on the stand.
Um…this is totally insane. I mean, I like Ferrari’s as much as the next guy but screw this crap.
Prove Jesus existed? Shit, prove you exist, you facist prick.
There about a million things to sue your average priest for, this isn’t one of them.
And its about time too!!! Does he exist? Dunno, ask the victims of the Spanish Inquisition…
Awwwwright. I’d love to hear a theist provide credible evidence of the existence of Jesus. No religious person I’ve ever talked to can do it. How anyone can dedicate their life to following a historical figure from an ancient text of highly questionable origin is beyond me.
The first instinct to spew violence toward the judge, based on such little information, is deplorable.
In defense of the judge, the following quote is from a Reuters news report:
“The judge presiding over the hearing has tried, repeatedly, to dismiss the case — prompting appeals from Cascioli.”
In defense of the arguments against a “historical Jesus”, there are many, many scholars throughout history that have known the myth of Jesus to be a fabrication of existing mythology and astrology.
See http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/scholars.html