[johnny7]

But is any of it factual?

Yea... it's just some mumbo-jumbo. At least a golden idol is something of value.

[joesbucks]

Sarcasm aside, can you explain the differences of the Gospels?

[Ff--150]

But most Christians are effectively fundamentalist in their beliefs, with little capacity for critical thought about sources,

Not only are we the bad guys, we're also stupid. Do any of you see something like a tribulation sorta brewing?

[IronJack]

Another vain attempt to secularize the birth of Christ. It's notable that anyone can pose questions; it's much harder to provide any answers.

By the way, nitwit, "your" is the second person possessive. "You're" is a contraction of "you are." As in "Your arguments tend to lack credibility when you don't even speak the language coherently."

[Klickitat]

"In the early 21st century, religious fundamentalism has shown itself to be a danger to peace. In the West, it is commonly assumed that Islam is the problem, with many Muslims at the mercy of an intolerant rigidity of belief. But most Christians are effectively fundamentalist in their beliefs, with little capacity for critical thought about sources, doctrines, and theology. Church leaders and scholars have kept it this way for the sake of their own power, but in a new era of inflamed religious conflict, childish passivity by a broad population in matters of faith is irresponsible."

Suprised it took until end of article to slip in the comparison. Sounds like we need government intervention in religion to protect us from christian fundamentalists. Same way we needed government intervention to protect us from all those dangerous political ads before an election.

[Pietro]

"Christian lay people are discouraged from such lines of inquiry, because thinking critically about small matters may lead to a difficult confrontation with ultimate ones."

The author of this peice doesn't have even a passing knowledge of Christian theology. We are not merely encouraged to think critically but rather commanded to do so.

It is "thought" that the census happened in 6 AD, hmmm that's definitive. The Gospels were written by committee, say modern scholars who may or maynot be right and yet we should take their jaundiced opinions because...well....just because they're scholars and you're not.

This article is loaded w/ horse dung meant to insult Christians. Only a fool would approach such an important subject w/ so little knowledge and evident hostility.

Could it be that you fear the truth and so take cover behind some convenient lie?

[stopem]

At the risk of being banned from posting on this site,
The very questioning of the Gospels and our beliefs that were a part of our great country for centuries have suddenly become politically incorrect.

Damn political correctness, why have Christians suddenly become the minority and second class citizens.

I thought at first that this year was the first year that I did not feel like it was Christmas, a time for hope and giving. I thought that it was something from within me, but it isn't from within, there is a major push to take away a collective spiritual feeling in our nation.

Our President should not have to cave in to special interest groups or religions to stop a Christian Christmas. I would have expected this to happen under clinton.

[Gil4]

But most Christians reporters are effectively fundamentalist in their secularist beliefs, with little capacity for critical thought about sources, doctrines, and theology. Church leaders Editors and scholars have kept it this way for the sake of their own power, but in a new era of inflamed religious conflict,(which is basically the same old conflict) childish passivity by a broad population in matters of the secularist faith is irresponsible.

I have examined the claims of Christianity fairly critically - that's a big part of how I became a Christian. Generally (with rare exceptions) whan I ask skeptics if they have read the Bible, the answer is "no." They just reject it uncritically.

[Roberts]

Was he at war with "the Jews"? Or was he a fierce opponent -- as a Jew -- of empire? What empire would he oppose today? Has the author even read the Gospels? Jesus made clear that he was not here to battle the authority of this world (i.e. "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's"), but to save mankind for God's kingdom in Heaven.

[smith288]

Proverbs 10:8
The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

I expect Mr Carroll to come to ruin in the next life.

[Taliesan]

"If we chose to grant credibility to one," the scholar Paula Fredriksen writes, "it comes at a cost to the other: Both cannot be true."

These people kill me. I've been reading the same texts for 35 years that she is reading, and I read them in the language they were written in, like she does, and I can't see why differences have to be contradictions any more than if we were all reading 4 people's account, directed to 4 different audiences at 4 different times, of the planes flying into the towers.

When we all have the same texts I'm not sure how Paula gets to be an "expert" in them and a million Christians are not. This reminds me of those psychologists who are regularly interviewed by the press as "experts" in child rearing, who may or may not have kids of their own.

Reporters, because they are NOT learned in any particular subject, have an inability to judge expertise. They think anybody with a degree, who has read a bunch of books, and who -- most importantly -- is cynical like they are -- well, that must be an expert.

[MissAmericanPie]

"But the Gospel of Luke says that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth to comply with the empire-wide census order of the Caesar Augustus, and some such decree is thought to have been issued after Herod died, perhaps as late as AD 6.

They should be embrassed to be so easy to out. Matthew and Luke in no way contradict each other.

[Ham Hock]

This is patently idiotic from the first sentence.

There is no year 0, the calendar goes from -1 to 1.

[Agnes Heep]

I can't understand why Joseph would have forced his nine months' pregnant wife to make a long trip, over what I imagine is some difficult terrain, to Bethlehem, simply so he could register for his taxes. It's more likely she would have stayed at home with relatives.

[jtminton]

perhaps Mary's virginity

Now that's just a cheap shot. While Luke 2:7 indicates that Mary was not a perpetual virgin (refering to Jesus as her firstborn son, indicating that there were others to follow), the virgin birth of Jesus is what makes his completely free of sin. The author is just being mean.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Questions about the Nativity [Where's You're Jesus Now!]

A grammer correction is due: "You're" is incorrect. You're is a contraction of "You are".

You should have used, "Your".

[ZULU]

Interesting that such a piece of junk has been vomited forth from Boston, the lair of the Kennedyites.

The fact of the matter is the Romans themselves, through Tacitus and Jospehus acknowledge that a certain Jesus was crucified about the time he supposedly was, in Palestine, and that he had a group of followers.

The fact is that hte records which have survived from Roman times are far from complete, that there were really not the kinds of newssources that exist in the modern world, that what went on in Palestine was of little interest to the Romans apart form its potential impact on their control of that region.

This article reeks of religious bias and half-truths.

[ArrogantBustard]

OUR CALENDAR assumes that Jesus was born in the year 0

Wow. He starts off with a really stupid factual error, and it goes downhill from there. In the Gregorian Calendar, there is NO Year Zero. The year 1BC (Before Christ) is followed by the year 1 AD (Anno Domini; Year of Our Lord).

[WalterSkinner]

Ah yes, it's Christmas time again for sure.

From the Learning Channel to every undereducated journalist who fashions himself to be an expert in all things Bible--we once again get the attempt to plant seeds of doubt concerning Jesus and Holy Writ.

As far as the Magi. The prophet Daniel gives the answer. They knew precisely when the King would be born and came looking for Him.

Joy to the world-- He's coming again and then all your kingdoms are belong to us.

[Just mythoughts]

So the point of this article seems to be that no one can say for certain exactly what year Christ was born.

That being the case then the whole calendar is screwed.

The book of Luke does in fact give far more information than the author has the capacity to understand. The key to the clues of when the conception occurred come from what we are told about Zacharias the Levi priest. The timeframe "of the course of Abia" tells the time of year when Elizabeth conceived John.

Six months later Mary conceived Christ. Interesting how the author with no ability to read with understand wants to paint Christians as the real troublemakers.

[hellinahandcart]

James Carroll dives into a clear lake in search of muddy water.