Wednesday, February 28, 2007

James Cameron has no business messing with faith

Dallas Morning News | Mark Davis:
“Mr. Cameron's Lost Tomb is an [empty] exercise. His assertion is that skeletal remains found in a Jerusalem suburb in 1980 simply must be the remains of Jesus' nuclear family: wife Mary Magdalene, son Judah — hey, the Virgin Mary herself might have been the contents of one of the chests unveiled with a flourish at a news conference to hawk the documentary. ... To question and speculate about the underpinnings of faith is a fair intellectual exercise. But to make wild and hurtful assertions from such a paper-thin platform reveals audacity that is hard to forgive.”
Ed Cognoski responds:

Mr Cameron's assertion is most likely wishful thinking. Besides the names, there's nothing to tie these ossuary remains to the Jesus of the Bible. Reportedly, ancient tombs labeled 'Jesus' have been found 71 times over the years. Jesus was a very common name. So, we are wise to be skeptical of Mr Cameron's claims that he has found the remains of THE Jesus.

On the other hand, as unlikely as his claim is, it's still more likely to be true than the argument that you can't possibly find Jesus' remains because he rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven. Anyone who suggests that with a straight face should be very careful about accusing others of being the "junk pushers."

Those given to "bug-eyed devotion", whether to ancient religious myths or to modern television mockumentaries, are more alike than different. For the rest of us, their squabbling makes for rollickin' good entertainment. Maybe they ought to make a movie out of it.

1 comment:

Ed Cognoski said...

On Dallas Blog, Tom Pauken adds, "the truth never gets in the way of Hollywood when it comes to making a buck."

It seems to me the Church has made a few bucks over the millennia promoting its own mythical stories.

Tom Pauken quotes a prominent archaeologist as predicting the mockumentary "will upset millions of innocent people because they don't know enough to separate fact from fiction."

I think he's referring to the people who believe in virgin births, resurrection from the dead and bodily ascensions into heaven. He's right. Those people don't know enough to separate fact from fiction. ;-)