The God Who Wasn't There * * by Brian Flemming

Summary (from the DVD case): "Jesus Christ is likely a fictional character, a legend never based on a real human."

Movie Outline & Key Quotes

  1. The Earth & The Sun (0:00)
    • "The Earth revolves around the Sun. But it wasn't always that way. The Sun used to revolve around the Earth. It was like that for hundreds of years until it was discovered to be otherwise, and even for a few hundred years after that. But, ultimately, after much kicking and screaming, the Earth did, in fact, begin to revolve around the Sun. Christianity was wrong about the solar system. What if it's wrong about something else too?" (shows Christ Pantocrator painting)
  2. Faces of Christianity (1:05)
  3. Story of Jesus (3:24)
  4. What Happened Next? (9:49)
    • (11:22) "Jesus Christ is said to have lived this life, here, in the first three decades of the century, dying somewhere around the year 33. The Gospels all came later. Mark was the first one written and the other three are clearly derived from Mark. Mark mentions the destruction of the Jewish temple, which happened in the year 70, so the Gospels all came later than that, probably much later. There's a gap of four decades or more. Most of what we know about this period comes from a man who says he saw Jesus Christ come to him in a vision. He was the apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus."
    • (12:49) "Paul wrote lots of letters about Christianity. In fact, he wrote 80,000 words about the Christian religion. These documents represent almost all we have of the history of Christianity during this decades long gap. And here's the interesting thing: If Jesus was a human who had recently lived, nobody told Paul. Paul never heard of Mary, Joseph, Bethlehem, Herod, John the Baptist. He never heard about any of these miracles. He never quotes anything that Jesus is supposed to have said. He never mentions Jesus having a ministry of any kind at all. He doesn't know about any entrance into Jerusalem. He never mentions Pontius Pilate or a Jewish mob or any trials at all. Paul doesn't know any of what we would call the story of Jesus except for these last three events, and even these, Paul never places on earth. Just like the other savior gods of the time, Paul's Christ Jesus died, rose, and ascended all in a mythical realm. Paul doesn't believe that Jesus was ever a human being. He's not even aware of the idea. And he's the link between the time frame given for the life of Jesus and the appearance of the first Gospel account of that life. This is why you don't hear many Christian leaders talking about the early days of Christianity. Because once you assemble the facts, the story is that: Jesus lived. Everyone forgot. And then they remembered."
    • 24 major events in Jesus' life, but Paul only wrote about 3 of them (13:10)
      1. The nativity and adoration of the wise men
      2. The massacre of the innocents
      3. The flight into Egypt
      4. Jesus and the doctors
      5. Baptising Christ
      6. The wedding feast
      7. Mary Magdalene at the feet of Jesus
      8. Jesus and the woman of Samaria
      9. Raising of the daugher of Jairus
      10. Christ walks on the waters
      11. The wonderful draught of fishes
      12. The raising of Lazarus
      13. The transfiguration
      14. Entering Jerusalem
      15. Jesus driving out the money-changers from the temple
      16. The last supper
      17. Jesus on the Mount of Olives, the kiss of Judas
      18. Jesus before Caiaphas
      19. Jesus before Pilate
      20. The scourging, the crowning with thorns
      21. Jesus falls under the weight of the cross
      22. Christ put on the cross (Paul wrote about this.)
      23. The resurrection (Paul wrote about this.)
      24. The ascension (Paul wrote about this.)
    • "If Jesus had been on earth, he would not even have been a priest." (GWWT 13:49)
      • "Now if he had been on earth, he would not even have been a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts which the Law prescribes, though they minister in a sanctuary which is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly..." --Hebrews 8:4-5 (NEB)
  5. Fact vs. Fiction (14:49)
  6. Urban Legends (17:50)
  7. The Hero Pattern (18:59)
    • The Hero of Tradition (22 characteristics of a hero, from Alan Dundes' Study of Folklore, derived from Lord Raglan's The Hero) (GWWT 19:28)
      1. His mother is a royal virgin.
      2. His father is a king,
      3. often a near relative of his mother, but
      4. the circumstances of his conception are unusual.
      5. He is also reputed to be the son of a god.
      6. At birth, an attempt is made, often by his father, to kill him, but
      7. he is spirited away, and
      8. reared by foster parents in a far country (not Jesus).
      9. We are told nothing of his childhood, but
      10. on reaching manhood he returns or goes to his future kingdom.
      11. After a victory over a king or a giant or a dragon (not Jesus),
      12. he marries a princess (not Jesus).
      13. Becomes king.
      14. Reigns uneventfully, but
      15. prescribes laws.
      16. Later he loses favor with his subjects.
      17. He is driven from the throne in the city.
      18. He meets with a mysterious death,
      19. often at the top of a hill.
      20. His children, if any, do not succeed him.
      21. His body is not buried, but nevertheless
      22. he has one or more holy sepulchres.
    • Hero Scores (20:57)
  8. Pagan Saviors (21:06)
    • "When we say that Jesus Christ was produced without sexual union, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended to heaven, we propound nothing new or different from what you believe regarding those whom you call the sons of Jupiter." --Justin Martyr (~155 AD) (GWWT 21:45)
    • Some Attributes of Previous Saviors (from Kersey Graves' The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors?) (22:05)
      1. Born of a virgin on December 25
      2. Stars appeared at their birth
      3. Visited by Magi from the East
      4. Turned water into wine
      5. Healed the sick
      6. Cast out demons
      7. Performed miracles
      8. Transfigured before followers
      9. Rode donkeys into the city
      10. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
      11. Celebrated communal meal with bread and wine which represented the Savior's flesh and blood
      12. Killed on a cross or tree
      13. Descended into hell
      14. Resurrected on third day
      15. Ascended into heaven to forever sit beside father god and become divine judge
    • list of 18 gods (22:10, in the background at the bottom of the screen)
      1. Zoroaster
      2. Thor
      3. Tammuz
      4. Osiris
      5. Orpheus
      6. Mithras
      7. Krishna
      8. Horus
      9. Hermes
      10. Hercules
      11. Dionysis
      12. Davatat
      13. Beddru
      14. Balder
      15. Bacchus
      16. Baal
      17. Attis
      18. Adonis
    • "For when they say that Dionysus arose again and ascended to heaven, is it not evidence the devil has imitated the prophecy?" --Justin Martyr (23:06)
  9. Satan Did It (22:38)
  10. Christians Don't Know (23:47)
  11. It's About Blood (25:07)
  12. The Passion (25:36)
  13. Soldiers for God (29:21)
  14. Moderate Christianity (30:17)
  15. Rapture Ready (33:59)
  16. Left Behind (36:30)
  17. Crazy (38:50)
  18. School Daze (41:08)
  19. The Superintendent (44:22)
  20. Faith vs. Evidence (45:57)
  21. We Need to Stop (50:25)
  22. Chapel (52:46)
  23. End Credits (Interviews) (53:56)
  24. End Credits (Other) (58:55)

Sources and Responses

Last edited: 13 January 2009
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