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Chapter 10: I believe in the separation of church and hate! 63 Pages

Q     We have a cute little story being told every Christmas and presented in every church’s nativity scene. However, is the birth of Christ in a stable in Bethlehem accurate? Why would a loving God at such a joyous time, the birth of God’s only begotten Son, allow one of the worst mass murders to ever take place?

I have no clue, not even a guess!

At Jesus’ birth, King Herod decreed that every male child, up to two years of age, be killed so the King would not feel threatened by a potential overthrow of his throne. Did this mass murder of every male child below age two have to take place to fulfill God’s eternal plan for humanity? If the baby was just born, why was the decree for “up to two years of age”?

I am not saying that God was right or wrong in letting such an event happen. I am just questioning whether these murders were necessary. I believe my conviction about not believing in a true, loving God will be understood just a little better after you read this story.

The prophecy was given in the Old Testament that a threat to King Herod was to be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Well, that much is written. However, let us see how much of this story is biblical and how much of this story is traditional.

The story goes like this: Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. There was no room in the inn, so the baby Jesus had to be born in a stable. There was an unusual cast of characters supposedly present at the birth of Jesus. We had Joseph, the not-real father, Mary, the virgin mother, Jesus, the Son of God, three wise men with treasures, camels, goats, and sheep. There was also a particularly bright star up in the sky and a bunch of shepherds in the field. For now, I am willing to go along with the goats and sheep being in the stable. I will allow the goats and sheep because they probably lived in the stable. We do not know exactly who was in the stable, but we do know who was not!   

My first concern is concerning the three wise men. The Bible does not tell us how many wise men came to see the baby Jesus. The claim that gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were given at their visit probably puts the number at three. Another Christian tradition, but cannot be declared biblically. Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. This verse states that when the wise men finally found Jesus, they met him and Mary in a house, not a manger. Moreover, the verse says that the wise men saw a young child, not a newborn infant. Were our Sunday school teachers and our annual nativity scenes accurate? Well, not exactly!   

These wise men were warned in a dream to not report back to Herod. Matthew 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country a different way. Joseph was warned in a dream by angels to flee to Egypt. Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Twice in this verse, Jesus is referred to as a child, not an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The wise men were warned by angels of King Herod’s anger. Joseph, Mary, and the young child, Jesus, were warned of King Herod’s desire to kill Jesus. They “ALL” escaped. The children from birth to two years of age were not warned, they were “ALL” killed.

Before and after killing “ALL” of these children my question is: Was there a reason for this action? NO! This mass murder allowed by a perceived loving God warranted only one verse of attention, not even an explanation!

Trying to convince me that God is a loving God after needlessly killing “ALL” these innocent children, just isn’t going to happen.      

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