Bart D. Ehrman Quotes

• In the entire first Christian century Jesus is not mentioned by a single Greek or Roman historian, religion scholar, politician, philosopher or poet. His name never occurs in a single inscription, and it is never found in a single piece of private correspondence. Zero! Zip references!

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Christian, Jesus, Zero

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• I think the evidence is just so overwhelming that Jesus existed, that it's silly to talk about him not existing. I don't know anyone who is a responsible historian, who is actually trained in the historical method, or anybody who is a biblical scholar who does this for a living, who gives any credence at all to any of this.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Jesus, Silly, Biblical

  "The Gospel According to Bart". Interview with David V. Barrett, "Fortean Times", 2007.

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• Jesus existed, and those vocal persons who deny it do so not because they have considered the evidence with the dispassionate eye of the historian, but because they have some other agenda that this denial serves.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Jesus, Eye, Agendas

  Bart D. Ehrman (2012). “Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth”, p.7, Harper Collins

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• The search for truth takes you where the evidence leads you, even if, at first, you don't want to go there.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Truth, Want, Firsts

  Bart D. Ehrman (2011). “Forged: Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are”, p.4, Harper Collins

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• Sometimes Christian apologists say there are only three options to who Jesus was: a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. But there could be a fourth option - legend.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  God, Christian, Jesus

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• In fact, most of the changes found in early Christian manuscripts have nothing to do with theology or ideology. Far and away the most changes are the result of mistakes pure and simple slips of the pen, accidental omissions, inadvertent additions, misspelled words, blunders of one sort or another.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Christian, Mistake, Simple

  Bart D. Ehrman (2008). “Whose Word is It?: The Story Behind who Changed the New Testament and why”, p.55, A&C Black

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• There are few things more dangerous than inbred religious certainty.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Religious, Inbreds, Critical Thinking

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• My students sometimes ask: what is a fundamentalist? I give them a very simple definition. A fundamentalist is no fun, too much damn, and not enough mental.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Fun, Simple, Giving

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• In Matthew, Jesus declares, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” In Mark, he says,“Whoever is not against us is for us.” Did he say both things? Could he mean both things? How can both be true at once? Or is it possible that one of the Gospel writers got things switched around?

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Jesus, Mean, Mark

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• [P]eople need to use their intelligence to evaluate what they find to be true and untrue in the Bible. This is how we need to live life generally. Everything we hear and see we need to evaluate—whether the inspiring writings of the Bible or the inspiring writings of Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, or George Eliot, of Ghandi, Desmond Tutu, or the Dalai Lama.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Live Life, Writing, Needs

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• In terms of the historical record, I should also point out that there is no account in any ancient source whatsoever about King Herod slaughtering children in or around Bethlehem, or anyplace else. No other author, biblical or otherwise, mentions this event. Is it, like John's account of Jesus' death, a detail made up by Matthew in order to make some kind of theological point?

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Jesus, Kings, Children

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• I have such a fantastic life that I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for it. . . . But I don't have anyone to express my gratitude to. This is a void deep inside me, a void of wanting someone to thank, and I don't see any plausible way of filling it.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Gratitude, Fantastic Life, Wanting Someone

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• Different authors have different points of view. You can't just say, 'I believe in the Bible.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Atheist, Believe, Views

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• You can’t believe something just because someone else desperately wants you to.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Believe, Want

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• As time goes on, thing do get made up.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Goes On, Made, Time Goes On

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• The problem then with Jesus is that he cannot be removed from his time and transplanted into our own without simply creating him anew

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Jesus, Creating, Problem

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• Traditionally in Christian circles, Judas in fact has been associated with Jews. Of being traitors, avaricious, who in fact, betray Jesus, who are Christ-killers. And this portrayal of Judas of course also leads then to horrendous acts of anti-Semitism through the centuries.

  Bart D. Ehrman

  Christian, Jesus, Betrayal

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