Per the Common Atheists Myths page (http://www.godandscience.org/apologetic ... myths.html), one myth widely believed is that Jesus disciples merely invented the "myth" that Jesus arose from the dead and was resurrected back to life after three days in a tomb.
Now, clearly, the disciples knew the truth of the matter - they either saw and spoke with the risen Christ post his crucifixion or not. And the accusation that they lied about it makes no sense whatsoever. And the first and most obvious point I have for anyone claiming the disciples cooked up some myth about this is, given the fact that they went about boldly preaching a resurrected Jesus would have been absolutely suicidal. As they all well knew that the Jewish religious establishment had just colluded with the Romans to have Jesus murdered in a unspeakably cruel and agonizing nailing to a cross after first a hideous beating and whipping. So given this knowledge of the same threat of horrific execution, I have two questions:
1) What would have been the disciples' motivation for making up a lie about a risen God / man, boldly and publicly preaching it, and thus encouraging the great likelihood that they would likewise meet the same horrible fate of that of Jesus?
2) WHAT changed the disciples from great fear to incredible boldness? As before the resurrection, but right after the crucifixion, the disciples were all hiding out in mortal fear that they would be hunted down and likewise crucified. But something afterward changed them INSTANTLY, as just days later they each began boldly and publicly proclaiming Jesus the Messiah / God incarnated into a human had risen from the dead. Again, WHAT so quickly and powerfully changed them?