Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Cameron's Titanic Folly

"The Lost Tomb of Christ," which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries _ small caskets used to store bones _ discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel.

Other bloggers have made astute and timely comments on the issue of James Cameron's new documentary, but I think it's too important a topic for me not to chime in. We live in an era in which mocking or belittling Christ is fashionable, with virtually no consequences. It is unfortunate for those who scorn Him that an eternity of consequence awaits beyond this ephemeral world.

Sensationalism lies at the heart of this claim, without a doubt. The very subject matter will lure the gullible and the curious and the skeptical.

The claim that Jesus' bones rest in an ossuary defies scripture, in at least two important ways: 1. The New Testament reveals that my Lord came back to life and ascended into Heaven, after brief appearances to His followers. 2. The Gospels say His body was wrapped in linen and interred in a cave like tomb, with a stone rolled in place for a door. Given these scriptural declarations, what is the basis for believing Jesus' final resting place has been discovered in the aforementioned location?

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son.

How sad that this is what passes for evidence, these days. This proves nothing, unless one can demonstrate adequately that no one but Christ went by the name "Jesus" in the region.

Consider this yet another pathetic attempt at "deconstructing" Christianity in a 2,000-year-long list. The funny thing is that what these people see as a wrecking ball, the rest of us call dust in the wind.

Nor has it escaped me that we're discussing a man who directed a film called True Lies. How fitting.

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