Here are three quotes I found humorous that I have  come across by scholars on Jesus mythicism (a.k.a. the idea that there Jesus was a complete myth and not a historical figure; a.k.a. the atheist version of creationism).

The question ‘Did Jesus exist?’ seemed likely to be of central importance to [the Jesus Project], though professional scholars generally regard it as having been settled in serious scholarship long ago.

Maurice Casey. Jesus of Nazareth: An Independent Historian’s Account of His Life and Teaching (T & T Clark, 2010), 33.

From what I remember, Casey actually deals with Jesus mythicism in that volume for more than a few pages (he discusses the mythicist work of Zindler and Price). Also, if I recall correctly, I read somewhere in the biblioblogging world that Casey is writing a book specifically on Jesus mythicism and the historicity of Jesus. Looking forward to it.

The following quote is from Dale Allison:

It did not, once upon a time, require much effort to run across mythological proposals, according to which there was no resurrection because there was no historical Jesus: the tale of his rising was modeled on myths of dying and rising gods. Few forward this account of things today, and no responsible scholar can find any truth in it. As Jesus of Nazareth was not a myth, this is an explanation that explains nothing.

Dale Allison Jr., ‘Explaining the Resurrection: Conflicting Convictions’, Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 3.2 (2005), 121.

The final quote is from James Dunn:

Gosh! So there are still serious scholars who put forward the view that the whole account of Jesus’ doings and teachings are a later myth foisted on an unknown, obscure historical figure.

The Historical Jesus: Five Views (IVP, 2009), 94.

Allison has written a few books on the historical Jesus – Constructing Jesus, Millenarian Prophet, and Historical Christ and Theological Jesus – all of which are a good read, especially Constructing Jesus. Likewise, Dunn has written the massive two volume series on the historical Jesus, Christianity in the Making.

I like how each of those quotes, in one way or another, just casually brushes off the lunacy that is Jesus mythicism.