Posted on 01/02/2006 4:30:26 PM PST by InvisibleChurch
AN ITALIAN judge has ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed.
The case against Father Enrico Righi has been brought in the town of Viterbo, north of Rome, by Luigi Cascioli, a retired agronomist who once studied for the priesthood but later became a militant atheist.
Signor Cascioli, author of a book called The Fable of Christ, began legal proceedings against Father Righi three years ago after the priest denounced Signor Cascioli in the parish newsletter for questioning Christ’s historical existence.
Yesterday Gaetano Mautone, a judge in Viterbo, set a preliminary hearing for the end of this month and ordered Father Righi to appear. The judge had earlier refused to take up the case, but was overruled last month by the Court of Appeal, which agreed that Signor Cascioli had a reasonable case for his accusation that Father Righi was “abusing popular credulity”.
Signor Cascioli’s contention — echoed in numerous atheist books and internet sites — is that there was no reliable evidence that Jesus lived and died in 1st-century Palestine apart from the Gospel accounts, which Christians took on faith. There is therefore no basis for Christianity, he claims.
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”.
The Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius mention a “Christus” or “Chrestus”, but were writing “well after the life of the purported Jesus” and were relying on hearsay.
Father Righi said there was overwhelming testimony to Christ’s existence in religious and secular texts. Millions had in any case believed in Christ as both man and Son of God for 2,000 years.
“If Cascioli does not see the sun in the sky at midday, he cannot sue me because I see it and he does not,” Father Righi said.
Signor Cascioli said that the Gospels themselves were full of inconsistencies and did not agree on the names of the 12 apostles. He said that he would withdraw his legal action if Father Righi came up with irrefutable proof of Christ’s existence by the end of the month.
The Vatican has so far declined to comment.
THE EVIDENCE
The Gospels say that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached and performed miracles in Galilee and died on the Cross in Jerusalem
In his Antiquities of the Jews at the end of the 1st century, Josephus, the Jewish historian, refers to Jesus as “a wise man, a doer of wonderful works” who “drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles”
Muslims believe Jesus was a great prophet. Many Jewish theologians regard Jesus as an itinerant rabbi who popularised many of the beliefs of liberal Jews. Neither Muslims nor Jews believe he was the Messiah and Son of God
Tacitus, the Roman historian who lived from 55 to 120, mentions “Christus” in his Annals. In about 120 Suetonius, author of The Lives of the Caesars, says: “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, Emperor Claudius expelled them from Rome.”
This is easy. There are two consistent eyewitness accounts from Matthew and John. There are also two investigative reports from Mark and Luke, which corroborate the accounts from the eyewitnesses. Each account was written independently in separate times and places. They represent evidence that any reasonable court would admit is proof beyond any doubt.
Exactly right. As I stated in post # 60, "If 'the Church' added Christ's life to Josephus' book and he really did not exist, then how exactly did that Christian Church come into being?
Except for eyewitness testimony from numerous sources, Jesus didn't exist.
"Why does he get to discount the Gospels? Why should he be able to do that?"
I was wondering the same thing.
Prove Jesus existed? The 4 eyewitness accounts described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John ought to do it.
It's a shame people can be so self centered as to not take stock in their own frailty and whether or not there is an afterlife.
But one day we will all find out for ourselves and things like this court order will be proven to be an annoyance to us and evidence that Jesus will use to cleanse the earth of non believers.
Off my soapbox...
Definitely is a technique that's used by many. Remember that the word of women eyewitnesses didn't count in court testimony back in Jesus' time?
Why can't the priest just ask the judge to prove that Christ doesn't exist?
Funny, anti-religions.org seems to only be anti-christianity. Kind of like the ACLU.
I watched that last night on the Twilight Zone marathon.
Do you have a source for the four Gosples being eyewitness accounts? Some of us heathens are trying to keep up with the discussion.
Hmm, has anyone told the Muslims this judge demands proof of the existence of one of their prophets?
Great! More international law for Ginsberg and her ilk to cite.
But isn't that redundant?
That does not necessarily appear to have been the case. Women's testimony.
Prove Justice Exists on Earth!
Don't they have a Statute of Limitations in Italy? This suit should have been brought no later than the first century. Case dismissed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.