16 quotes
It is foolish to sigh and complain about mankind's disbelief if one cannot furnish men with the persuasive evidence that the matter demands, based on a healthy reason.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
It was entirely possible that Jesus' body was secretly stolen from the tomb at night and that it was buried in another place.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
Is that why he came from heaven, to remain incognito? Not to reveal himself as one from heaven?
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
It is clear, by their own account, and therefore requires no further proof, that the apostles and all the disciples were induced by ambitious motives, by hopes of future wealth and power, lands and worldly goods, to follow Jesus as their Messiah and king.
Fragments from Reimarus (1879)
The apostles strayed completely from their master in their teaching and in their lives, abandoning his religion and his intention and introducing a completely new system.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
Each person has his religion and sect impressed upon him as a child, merely as a prejudice, through memorized formulas that are not understood and a drilled-in fear of damnation.
We are justified in drawing an absolute distinction between the teaching of the Apostles in their writings and what Jesus Himself in His own lifetime proclaimed and taught.
The first thing that we notice concerning the consistency of the four evangelists is that their stories diverge from each other in almost each and every point of the affair, and each one reads differently.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
That which is absurd and impossible, that which in any other history would be called falsehood, deception, outrage and cruelty, cannot be made reasonable, righteous, and true by the added words: "Thus saith the Lord."
Fragments from Reimarus (1879)
If only he had manifested himself one single time after his resurrection in the temple, before the people and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, visibly, audibly, tangibly, then it could not fail that the entire Jewish nation would have believed in him; thus many thousands of souls plus millions of souls of their descendants would have been saved from destruction, who are now so hardened and stubborn.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
Certainly even if we had no other stumbling-block about Jesus' resurrection, this single one, that he did not allow himself to be seen publicly, would itself be enough to throw all its credibility aside, because it cannot agree in all eternity with Jesus' intention in coming into the world.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
[Jesus] was born a Jew and intended to remain one.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
In short, I may affirm that one cannot refer to a single quoted prophecy that is not false; or if you would have me speak more mildly, I will only say that they are all ambiguous and doubtful, and are not to be accepted from writers who trifle with things and words.
Fragments from Reimarus (1879)
Jesus left us nothing in writing; everything that we know of his teaching and deeds is contained in the writings of his disciples. Especially where his teaching is concerned, not only the evangelists among his disciples, but the apostles as well undertook to present their master's teaching. However, I find great cause to separate completely what the apostles say in their own writings from that which Jesus himself actually said and taught, for the apostles were themselves teachers and consequently present their own views.
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
My goodness! How the simple and ignorant allow themselves to be deceived by their leaders, who are themselves blind guides! And how easily great mysteries, even an entire religion, have been hammered out and for centuries have chained human reason and conscience from a few obscure words that people do not understand and whose genuine antiquity is extremely doubtful!
Reimarus: Fragments (1970)
Now as the former motives of the apostles, invariably and up to the time of the fabrication, had been aimed at worldly wealth and power, it follows with all moral certainty that the possession of worldly wealth and power was also the object of the apostles in the fabrication of their new doctrine.
Fragments from Reimarus (1879)