There are probably more Jesus Mythicists now than at any other time in history. But why? Why would someone want to be a Jesus Mythicist?
I don’t want to speak for all Mythicists, nor do I want to suggest that all Mythicists have the same motivations. But I do think I can say something about this topic.
I believe that some of the recent popularity of Jesus Mythicism emerged out of the “New Atheism” that came on the scene in the opening years of the twenty-first century. This atheism was not content with just not believing in God, it included an element of polemic against religion in general and evangelicalism in particular.
For some new atheists, disbelieving in Jesus was a natural progression of their polemical atheism. This would fulfil two roles: it would confirm that Christians were intellectually deficient by their insistence that Jesus existed and it would make traditional Christians very upset.
Of course, not all Jesus Mythicists are atheists (just as not all atheists are Jesus Mythicists). There are also those who are drawn to what we generally call conspiracy theories. There is an attraction to discovering that the public in general have been lied to and a select few have discovered the unpopular truth. Even the so-called “experts” are either deceived or actively involved in the deception. It takes those outside the system to recognize that what people think is truth is actually a lie.
For some Jesus Mythicists, the idea that they understand the truth more than historians, theologians, and Bible scholars is a tremendous draw. There is a sense that they are the enlightened remnant among the ignorant masses.
Are there people who genuinely looked into the historical evidence of Jesus and just came to doubt that Jesus existed? Probably. But considering how many other historical figures we accept with much less evidence, it is more likely they are beginning with another motivation.
You may be a Jesus Mythicist and not recognize yourself in anything I have said. Fair enough. I have met people who are outside of these broad categories. But I also suspect that quite a few people would be included in what I have described.
