---
title: The Broken Savior
date: 2011-10-17
techne: :incomplete
episteme: :believed
---

# Topics

- [Tracing the Gospels][]
- [Tracing Paul][]
- [On the Crucifixion][]
- [Living in Hell][]
- [Divine Command Theory for Atheists][]
- [An Empty God][]
- [Killing Jesus][]

# Short FAQ

### Is this apologetics?

No. This isn't really about Christianity, just Christ and salvation. I'm not
interested in politics.

### Are you a Christian?

No. I occassionally identify as a Buddhist, but really, I'm just a normal
non-believing atheist internet crackpot.

### Then why do you care so much about Christ?

Dunno. He fascinates me. Maybe I'm even in love with him.

### Do you think Christ was historical?

No. The best you can do is reconstruct some plausible minimalistic accounts, but
they always remind me of the old Radio Yerevan joke:

> The Armenian Radio was asked: Is it true that Ivan Ivanovich from Moscow won a
> car in a lottery?
>
> The Armenian Radio answered: In principle yes, but it wasn't Ivan Ivanovich
> but Aleksander Aleksandrovich, he is not from Moscow but from Odessa, it was
> not a car but a bicycle, and he didn't win it, but it was stolen from him.
> Everything else is correct.

I think that any attempt to historize Christ misses the point. He must be
understood on theological grounds. You must wrestle with mercy and damnation,
not birth dates and miracles.

### You're an atheist and you write theology? How does that work?

[Robert M. Price][] does it too. I don't think that we must believe in God to
talk about Him. This is not just post-modernism. [Emptiness][] is an important
aspect of the divine. I also suggest you give my [Living in Hell][] a try.