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\u201cI believe in Jesus,\u201d Distefano told Maher, a well-known skeptic who has described himself as an agnostic and whose 2008 movie Religulous<\/em> ridiculed all religions, including Christianity.<\/p>\nFormerly, Distefano said, he did not believe in Jesus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cI went to Catholic school my whole life. But after reading this book\u00a0The Case for Christ<\/em> by Lee Strobel, the factual evidence that He existed, is kind of overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\nMaher retorted: \u201cI\u2019d like to see that because the factual evidence that He existed has always been underwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRead Case for Christ<\/em>,\u201d Distefano suggested.<\/p>\n\u201cI will,\u201d Maher responded. He then asked: \u201cThis is based on what, archaeological finds?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArchaeological finds, theological finds,\u201d Distefano answered.<\/p>\n
The Case for Christ\u00a0<\/em>was the inspiration for the 2017 movie about Strobel\u2019s life. Strobel famously converted from skeptic to Christianity.<\/p>\nDistefano then referenced an argument from The Case for Christ —\u00a0<\/em>that historians have more evidence for Jesus\u2019 life than they do for Alexander the Great\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\u201cIf I told you factual evidence about Alexander the Great, you would believe me,\u201d he told Maher.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho cares if Jesus lived?\u201d Maher said, arguing that even if He did, \u201cit\u2019s then whether He died and was then reborn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe He existed. I agree. It\u2019s absolutely possible He existed,\u201d Maher added.<\/p>\n
Distefano asserted, \u201cBut according to Case for Christ,<\/em> independent sources who didn’t know each other, who wrote about Him within 20 years of His death, talked about these miracles happening as in real time.\u201d<\/p>\nFirst-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus referenced Jesus, Distefano said.<\/p>\n
Maher disagreed with Distefano on the date of the New Testament, arguing that the books of the Bible were written long after Jesus lived.<\/p>\n
Eventually, Distefano and Maher acknowledged their differences and agreed to disagree.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t come to me when you die at St. Peter’s,\u201d Distefano said, joking about the metaphorical entrance to heaven. \u201cI’m not getting you in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Image credit: \u00a9Getty Images\/Vivien Killilea\/Stringer<\/em><\/p>\n\nMichael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press,\u00a0<\/em>Christianity Today<\/em>, <\/em>The Christian Po<\/em>st, <\/em>the\u00a0<\/em>Leaf-Chronicle<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>the Toronto Star<\/em> and\u00a0<\/em>the Knoxville News-Sentinel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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