Louielouie (Mike O'Connor),

I suspect that most atheists/agnostics would concede to the historicity of Jesus who lived in Nazareth, was a good man, perhaps even the best that ever lived, helped the needy, was seen by the authorities as a threat, and was crucified. I suspect that few if any atheists/agnostics would accept very many of the miracles of the Gospels has having actually occurred. Like you, they would disagree that the existence of the man Jesus of Nazareth means they have to live their life according to his teachings.

The Oz-Jesus argument suggests that Jesus is only a mythical ideal. That he didn't even exist as a man with an exaggerated story. This, in my view, is significant. It's one thing to believe in exaggerated stories about a real man. It's another to live your life, sacrifice your property, and kill the infidel, in the name of a man who never existed on the Earth except in the minds of the authors of the Gospels.

What do you think?