📅 Today is Day 20 of The 20-Day Easter Special
🚨 Let’s Say It Plainly
After twenty days of scrutiny—comparing claims, dissecting texts, exploring psychology, history, theology, and myth—we’re ready to say what many suspect, and some already know:
The resurrection of Jesus never happened.
Not in the literal, physical, historical sense claimed by most Christians.
Not as an actual dead man walking out of a tomb in Roman-occupied Judea.
And not in any way that should command our moral allegiance, public policy, or existential loyalty.
Let’s break down why.
🧭 Reapplying The God Question’s Core Philosophy
- Does the resurrection claim rely on evidence or belief?
- Are alternative explanations considered?
- Is there independent corroboration?
- Is the claim falsifiable?
- Does the explanation raise more questions than it answers?
After applying these questions to every aspect of the Easter story, here’s what we found:
1. 🔍 It Relies on Belief, Not Evidence
There is no verifiable evidence that Jesus came back from the dead. All claims stem from internal Christian writings—none contemporary, none neutral, and none coherent.
- No tomb confirmed.
- No body found.
- No names on eyewitness accounts.
- No Roman records.
- No Jewish documentation.
Belief fills the gaps—and then dares us to call that “faith.”
2. 🔁 Alternative Explanations Fit Better
Everything in the resurrection narrative has naturalistic explanations that are far more plausible:
- Apparitions and visions? Common after traumatic death.
- Empty tomb? A later legend.
- Devotion despite death? So did followers of Osiris, Mithras, and countless others.
Christianity is not unique. It is a cultural remix of dying-and-rising myths, made palatable to Greco-Roman ears.
3. 🔗 No Independent Corroboration Exists
No outside historian mentions the resurrection until long after the supposed event. Even early Christian writings—Paul’s letters—say almost nothing about an empty tomb or physical sightings.
If a dead man truly rose and appeared to hundreds, it’s strange no one beyond the movement cared enough to mention it.
4. ❌ The Claim Is Unfalsifiable
The beauty of the resurrection myth (for the believer) is that it’s immune to failure:
- Don’t find evidence? “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.”
- Find contradictions? “Each account adds richness.”
- Don’t feel God? “You must be hardened by sin.”
Nothing can prove it false—so nothing can prove it true.
5. ❓ It Creates More Confusion Than Clarity
A god-man must die to appease himself so he can forgive us for what he created us to be?
That’s not just illogical—it’s morally incoherent.
And it asks us to worship the system that created the pain.
The resurrection myth encourages passivity in the face of injustice (“Jesus will fix it in the next life”) and emotional manipulation (“He died for you—what will you do for him?”).
It demands surrender, not inquiry. Loyalty, not logic.
✊ Why It Matters
Some will say: “Even if it’s not true, the resurrection inspires hope.”
But false hope is not harmless:
- It’s used to justify suffering (“your pain has purpose”).
- It’s used to cover corruption (“don’t worry, God will judge in the end”).
- It’s used to escape reality (“this life doesn’t matter as much as the next one”).
If the resurrection never happened, then we—humans—are responsible for building meaning, fixing injustice, and finding hope in one another.
And that’s not bad news.
That’s the beginning of honest, grounded, collective morality.
🧭 The God Question’s Final Invitation
The resurrection myth is beautiful, ancient, poetic—and false.
But that doesn’t leave us empty. It frees us.
It frees us to grieve without platitudes. It frees us to ask without shame. It frees us to love without fear. It frees us to build a better world—not because God will fix it, but because no one else will.
And that’s why truth matters.
Let’s keep asking. Let’s keep building.
📺 For Further Exploration
Video: The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of The Easter Story – Jonathan MS Pearce (Part 1)
Overview: In this in-depth discussion, philosopher and author Jonathan MS Pearce delves into his book The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story. He systematically analyzes the resurrection narratives, highlighting inconsistencies and exploring naturalistic explanations.
📅 Note: After we wrap up our 20-Day Easter Special on April 20, we’ll return to our regular schedule of posting three times a week:
- Tuesdays & Fridays – our structured explorations through all 11 blog categories
- Sundays – our Sunday Special Feature, where we critically respond to real-world religious claims in real time
We hope you’ll stay with us as we continue asking bold questions and applying reason to faith.
God or Delusion? 