Did Jesus Exist

"No one doubts that Jesus existed. If he didn’t, if he was an invented fictional character, then two fishermen, a tax collector, and a doctor (or, if not them, four writers who pretended to be them) invented the most compelling fictional character in history and wrote four different fantasy fiction stories about him that are more brilliant and popular than any other fiction ever written, even Tolkien or Harry Potter – so brilliant that they lastingly convinced billions of intelligent people that they weren’t fiction at all (something no other fantasy writer has ever done). The inventors of this story thus perpetuated the biggest hoax, the biggest lie, in the history of the world – and then they died for it, as martyrs, after being hated, misunderstood, excommunicated, imprisoned, tortured, and then beheaded or crucified for not repudiating their hoax. Is that psychologically likely? Do liars die for their lies?"

from Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft

Yes, they do. History is chock full of liars that died for their lies.

Not that the gospel writers were liars. They weren't....fiction intended to be received as fiction isn't a lie.

I suspect you are thinking of people who died for untruths they believed in, not people who died for what they knew was a lie.

Sorry, I read that in haste. People who willingly die for a cause typically believe in that cause, yes I would thinkso.