I was trying to decide between watching "It's a Wonderful Life" or "The Polar Express," when I saw Randal Rauser's announcement of a debate he had with Jonathan Pearce on the
historical reliability of the Nativity. I'll try listening to it tonight, before I put out the milk and cookies for Mr. C.
Merry Christmas or Seasons Greetings to all and to all a good night.
What did you think?
ReplyDeleteI left comments at Randal's blog. I think both nativity stories are Jewish-Christian legends, inspired by the belief that Jesus was divine and supported by Isaiah 7's prophecy regarding Emmanuel and Micah's prophecy regarding Bethlehem.
ReplyDeleteSince I also believe that Jesus is divine, a virgin conception seems like the best explanation of how that could happen, and Isaiah's prophecy seems like a hint from God that it was. What makes me think there might be something to the Bethlehem birth, is that if Mary conceived before she married Joseph, then there would be the problem of scandal, which would be especially severe in a small town. So I could see the family relocating from Judaean Bethlehem to Galilean Nazareth, to escape scandal and gossip.
But I don't expect non-believers to accept the nativity stories.