15AR20-17

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AR 20:17- Why the Talpiot tomb did not belong to Jesus

Apologia Report 20:17 (1,246)

May 22, 2015

In this issue:

BURIAL TOMB OF CHRIST - Craig Evans explains why the tomb discovered in East Talpiot, south Jerusalem in 1980 did not belong to Jesus

CHRISTIANITY, GENERAL - a recent survey of non-Christian opinion about Christianity in the U.S.

HOMOSEXUALITY - "men and women raised by gay parents speak out about emotional and behavioral problems"

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BURIAL TOMB OF CHRIST

The Tomb of Jesus and His Family? Exploring Ancient Jewish Tombs Near Jerusalem's Walls, James H. Charlesworth, ed. [1] -- described in this review by Craig A. Evans (Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia) as "the latest collection of studies ... to result from an international conference that [Charlesworth] has convened. This collection focuses on a tomb in East Talpiot, south Jerusalem, accidentally uncovered and hastily excavated in 1980 and then brought to new prominence in 2007 by a television documentary <www.goo.gl/dk51CC> and popular book <www.goo.gl/9IEM8G> in which it is argued that the tomb was the final resting place of Jesus, his mother Mary, his wife Mary Magdalene, their son Judah and and a number of other family members. Almost all historians and archaeologists reject hese identifications. Nevertheless, Charlesworth in 2008 convened a conference in Jerusalem to explore and debate the matter further.

"Although the rationale for the conference and the book is dubious, the actual results are for the most part helpful. ... One of the best essays in the volume is by Amos Kloner and Shimon Gibson.... They recount their work and carefully explain what was recovered. As have many, Kloner and Gibson conclude that 'there is nothing to commend the Talpiot tomb as the family tomb of Jesus.'

"I have space to mention only two other contribuions. Stephen Pfann correctly interprets the 'Mary Magdalene' ossuary inscription to read, 'Mariame and Mara,' not Mary the Master.' Christopher Rollston reviews several aspects of the relevant science, including statistics, and concludes that 'it is certainly not tenable to suggest that the data are sufficient that this is the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth.'

"There is one glaring omission: No study explains the prominent pointed gable and circle excised over the tomb's entrance. This artistic design is found on coins - as far back as the Hasmonean period - ossuaries, monumental tombs and other forms of Jewish funerary art. It symbolizes the temple and has nothing to do with Jesus and his movement. Given the temple establishment's opposition to Jesus and his followers, such a symbol would have been a most unlikely choice as adornment for a tomb linked to Jesus or his family." Expository Times, 126:2 - 2015, pp92-3.

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CHRISTIANITY, GENERAL

"Perceptions of and Objections to Christianity Among Unchurched and Dechurched Adults" by Brad Vermurlen (Sociology, Notre Dame) -- this brief article "reports on the findings of a nationwide telephone survey which examines unchurched and dechurched adults' perceptions of and objections to Christianity in the U.S. It revealed that respondents tended to understand Christianity as mostly about religious tolerance, acceptance, and the Golden Rule. It showed that 29% of respondents said that not all persons are viewed as equal in Christianity."

"Mars Hill Church - a large multisite church centered in Seattle - commissioned research examining the perceptions of and objections to Christianity among unchurched and dechurched adults in the United States. 'Unchurched' persons were defined as those who attend worship services every few months or less and who did not regularly attend worship services growing up. The 'dechurched' were defined as persons who attend worship services every few months or less but who regularly attended services as a child."

The research work for this study was collected from eight focus groups of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 44 from Austin, Boston, Phoenix, and San Francisco. "The findings reveal that a majority of survey respondents describe themselves as spiritual, whether 'very' (21%) or 'somewhat' (35%). Being at least somewhat spiritual is much more common among the dechurched (61%) than among the unchurched (42%).

"The respondents tended to understand Christianity as mostly about acceptance, tolerance, and the Golden Rule, and they criticized Christians for not living in accordance with those values. While some tried to avoid over-generalizing, most respondents viewed Christians as off-putting. Many think that Christianity and Christian leaders play on fear of death and the unknown, and that Christianity is primarily an existential 'crutch' that they do not need. For most respondents, their perceptions of church are derived from their exposure to the Catholic Church, Evangelical mega-churches, and television preachers.

"The primary objection to Christianity across all focus groups and demographics was that some Christians are too intolerant (55% of survey respondents indicated this as an objection). Beliefs about sexuality and reproduction - especially gay marriage and abortion - were the second leading objection (50%), followed in third place by the role of Christianity in U.S. politics (49%)." Review of Religious Research, 57:1 - 2015, pp161-2.

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HOMOSEXUALITY

"The Kids Are Not All Right: After being raised in same-sex households, some children, now grown, are risking the ire of aggressive gay activists by saying the same-sex parenting model is fundamentally flawed" by Daniel James Devine -- observes: "A new study <www.goo.gl/cmcXJA>, published in February in the British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science ... examined a survey database from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, involving random interviews with tens of thousands of U.S. households.

"In analyzing data from 512 same-sex couples with a child under 18 living in the home, study author D. Paul Sullins - a sociology professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. - found that children raised by same-sex parents were twice as likely to suffer emotional and behavioral problems as children with heterosexual parents. When compared only with children raised jointly by their own biological parents, the difference was even more stark: Children from same-sex households were four times as likely to suffer problems such as depression, anxiety, defiance, or inattention.

"When Sullins looked at heterosexual family situations involving stepparenting or cohabitation (where children were missing one or both biological parents), the emotional risks for children were just as high as in same-sex households. That suggests the risks to children may stem mainly from the absence of one or both biological parents from the home - an emotionally difficult situation for children, but one that is inherent to same-sex households." Cover story. World, Mar 21 '15, pp44-50. <www.goo.gl/Tcpr0U>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Tomb of Jesus and His Family? Exploring Ancient Jewish Tombs Near Jerusalem's Walls, James H. Charlesworth, ed. (Eerdmans, 2013, paperback, 592 pages) <www.goo.gl/J3tEMa>

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