Coloring eggs and eating jelly beans has become the standard idea of Easter, but what really happened that Easter morning? Did Jesus Christ rise from the grave or is the resurrection a myth?

These questions and more will be answered during “Sherlock Holmes Investigates Easter,” a discussion on the historical facts of the beginning of Christianity.

The program is sponsored by the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and will lead participants through a presentation of the historical, rather than holy, evidence of Easter at 9 p.m., Sunday, April 11 at Stevenson Towers South, B formal lounge.

“The discussion will be set up as an open presentation. I’ll be presenting the evidence for and against the question did Jesus Christ really rise from the dead?” said Jim Luka, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student leader.

The basis of Christianity stems from the idea that Jesus Christ was resurrected on Easter. However, historical evidence might prove otherwise, Luka said.

“Reality is a common argument against religion in general. It can be used as an emotional tool,” he said.

“The program will be fun, somewhat academic, down-to-earth and open—there is no hidden agenda,” Luka said. “It will be a good educational experience. Even if people leave not persuaded one way or the other, they will have better reasons to defend their beliefs.”

Luka said the program will paint an objective picture based on evidence of what it was like at the time of Christ’s death. The proof stems from information in the Bible, as well as other documentation from the time period.

“The Bible has been tested by historians and is one of the most authentic documents we know of. We can establish the Bible as a reliable history book because the areas tested have withstood the test, so then it is reasonable to give it the benefit of the doubt in the areas that have not been tested,” Luka said.

The issue to be investigated will be done with an honest approach about the facts and myths surrounding Easter and what might have really happened, he said.

However, Luka said an important issue to keep in mind is that if Jesus Christ did not rise from the grave nearly 2,000 years ago, how did Christianity begin?