Archaeology, history, eyewitnesses (and science), say you can!
There is a lot of evidence for God out there, (if we look at the facts, not the theories).
why would i even need jesus?Posited my alternate x (see below for explanation)
Actually, you can. Anyone who tells you this has not researched the topic, or has an alternate axe to sharpen. Reasons? Please do the research, you will be amazed. Here are just a few of my personal favourites:
The field of archaeology makes it apparent that the bible is historically accurate. That does not, in itself, make it true, but it lends great credibility as opposed to religious documents that do not deal in empirically proven details.
The New Testament has been better preserved than any other ancient work. With over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, it almost triples any other ancient document in copies found. This also does not, by itself, make it true, but comparisons between documents shows an overwhelming continuity over time. The small 'inaccuracies' actually involve things like local spelling variations of people's names. The message, which is spread throughout the texts, is never in question.
Interestingly, the account of Jesus' resurrection was first told by women. At the time, in that culture, a woman's testimony was considered less credible than a man's. If you're making up the story, you would have made it a man that first saw Jesus.
Also, if you were one of the disciples, what story would you make up?
"We were standing faithfully by the tomb of our Lord when He appeared to us. He then commended us for our great faith."
or...
"We were elsewhere, hiding and cowering in fear when Jesus appeared... to the women."
Exactly. If you're going to lie and make something up, you don't embarrass yourself on purpose. You also don't willingly die for that embarrassing fairy tale.
Again, the New Testament was eyewitness testimony. Jesus was seen risen from the dead by all his disciples (except Judas, for obvious reasons), and more than 500 other people. Those disciples went literally from one day hiding in fear, to the next boldly proclaiming Jesus as their Saviour. It cost most of them their lives, as they knew it likely would. Yes, many people throughout history have died for a lie, but no one willingly dies for something they KNOW to be a lie.
Also, if you wish to discount the reliability of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus, you have a bit of a problem. German historian Martin Dibelius put it this way: You have to posit an X big enough to explain the Y of the early church.
The best explanation remains the one given in the Gospels: That Jesus existed and something very remarkable happened to him.
(Make sure that you do your research before you discount the bible as true. Make sure that any alternate X that you posit is logical, plausible and based on historical fact. Remember, you may be basing your eternal life on it.)