My dear friends at National Geographic,
You consistently take my breath away—in a twofold kind of way: 1) with your awe-inspiring photos, and 2) with your nonsensical commentaries.
Your latest faulty logic is unabashedly heralded in your cover article about King Herod. On page 42, in big bold font, you proclaim: “Herod is best known for slaughtering every male infant in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus. He is almost certainly innocent of this crime.” And what is your underlying reasoning that Herod was “almost certainly innocent of this crime”? The article’s opening paragraph tells us. Because “there is no report apart from Matthew’s account” in the Bible. (p.40) Yet you go on to point out that King Herod was characterized by “cruelty and paranoia” even to the point of murdering “three of his own sons, along with his wife, his mother-in-law, and numerous other members of his court.” You also remind us that Herod ordered “his army to imprison a crowd of leading Judean citizens in the hippodrome in Jericho, and to massacre them when his death was announced.” (p.46) Does not the biblical historical record line up perfectly with the spirit and style of Herod the Great? Is it unthinkable that Herod would have ordered all baby boys in Bethlehem killed, knowing that one of them presented a threat to his kingdom? And is it surprising that none of the few surviving Roman records mention the slaughter of these non-Roman babies in the insignificant town of Bethlehem? Do the hundreds of archaeological discoveries that confirm the biblical record mean nothing to you? (For more on this, read chapter 4 called “Science and the Bible” in my latest book, ONE GOD ONE MESSAGE.
Are you unable to recognize the anti-scholarship path down which your bias has led you? Your “Real King Herod” article informs thinking people that the National Geographic editorial staff will always assume the biblical record to be guilty (wrong) until proven innocent (confirmed by extra-biblical historical documents), but that the same editorial staff will gladly pronounce the likes of a King Herod to be “almost certainly innocent” until proven guilty.
Go figure.
I wish you all God’s best in the coming year,
Paul D. Bramsen
http://one-god-one-message.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
ROCK International
* Relief, Opportunity & Care for Kids
* Resources Of Crucial Knowledge
http://rockintl.org
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
2 comments:
Is it P.D. Bramsen who creat this blog ???
I start read the book " One God one message" i don't finish read it yet. I really like his view points, but i find a mistake in this book,it's about the prophet Joseph.because it's not his brothers who sell him.
Post a Comment