Tunesmith, I recall some fairy impartial discussions of the historical reality of Jesus. There's some pretty solid evidence he did exist, and some room for doubt. But according to the idea that Jesus left a gift of freedom, that there would be no miracles or proofs, I think the religion is actually supposed to be perfectly doubtable. The fact that other bits of myth and custom become attatched or co-opted isn't perfectly contrary to what happens with stories based on reality.

   There's also evidence that early christianity was much more diverse and in some cases more inclusive than appears from the aggressive strains that dominated history later. I wish I could remember the woman who had a book based on findings of other texts, some years ago. I'm not a heavy reader in any theology, but if anyone knows what I'm referring to, I'd like to be reminded.

    In the vein of your thread about Tom Paxton, I'd say that the detail in the New Testament about Jesus being unable to perform miracles in his hometown rings with truth. It would be a gifted mythmaker who thought to make that up from scratch. In the Koran the fact that there's no mention of camels adds a lot of credibility too, as I think the writer Borges pointed out.