So there are many philosophies and ideas that certain ones and ones have that can distract you from the truth. The proverbial wolves in sheeps' clothing. Seen? I am not saying that I have all of the answers, but what I and I love about Selassie I is that he is a guiding torch, bridging ancient faith with modern times. This is of what Rastafari speak when we say "guidance"! Did Jesus exist? What say the King?
If that is not enough, look to the fiery Christians that were martyred, including those who knew him personally. Why would they do this for a myth, a legend? If Jesus was a rich man who made himself a legend, he would not have spoke as a revolutionary, condeming wealth and power. Instead he would have bigged it up.
For those that point to the
soter (king-savior) myths, or to Plato's "logos" , Hellanism in general, etc. I agree with you. Perhaps they too were forerunners, paving the way for overstanding His significance.
One more quick note: there was a certain Flavius Josephus, b. 37 CE, a Jewish general who wrote a history of the Jewish people. Not a Christian. This is what he has to say (later Christian redactions removed):
[size=10]Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, for he was a doer of wonders. He drew many after him. When Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day (Antiquities 18:63-64).[/size]
There is much more information, fairly balanced and credible, at wikipedia.org (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus)
One Love to the Bredren/Sistren!