# "Church of the Nativity" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 5, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088 "2002-04-05T22:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/1 "2002-04-05T22:57:20Z")
This thread isn’t about the morality of involving a holy place in a conflict, it’s about the bias the media has towards it. They refer to it as “the place Jesus was born”. Excuse me? There isn’t conclusive proof that Jesus even existed, let alone was born in Bethlehem. And I’m supposed to believe that they’ve figured out the exact spot he was born? Newscasters refer to someone who was caught redhanded as an “alledged perpetrators” or “suspect”, but talk about myths and fables thousands of years old as if they were settled issues. Okay, sometimes they say that it’s the place where “according to Christian tradition” Jesus was born, but even that is implying that there is actually a reason to think he ws actually born there. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/2 "2002-04-05T23:06:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Newscasters refer to someone who was caught redhanded as an “alledged perpetrators” or “suspect”, but talk about myths and fables thousands of years old as if they were settled issues That’s 'cause God can’t sue ;). ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/3 "2002-04-05T23:13:59Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s 'cause God can’t sue Although He does preside over the ultimate court of last resort. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kirkland1244](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kirkland1244](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kirkland1244)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/4 "2002-04-05T23:16:19Z")
And Ryan, they also refer to Jerusalem as the city where Mohammed took his night-trip to Heaven. It’s called being respectful. I know, you’re totally ignorant on that subject. No one is hurt by the media being respectful of people’s religious beliefs. That scum like you are upset just shows that they’re in the right in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/5 "2002-04-05T23:19:42Z")
You’re not listening to NPR - they do say “alledged to be the place…” and such language. Kirk, I’m happy to see that you’re in Texas and very far away from me. ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/6 "2002-04-05T23:20:47Z")
‘alleged’ Jeezus (no pun intended). ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/7 "2002-04-05T23:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kirkland1244 \* > \*\*And Ryan, they also refer to Jerusalem as the city where Mohammed took his night-trip to Heaven. It’s called being respectful. I know, you’re totally ignorant on that subject. > > No one is hurt by the media being respectful of people’s religious beliefs. That scum like you are upset just shows that they’re in the right in the first place. \*\* And apparently you’re woefully ignorant and disresepctful of other people’s beliefs, or lack of beliefs in a mythical place such as the Church of the Nativity. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/8 "2002-04-05T23:25:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > \*\*Okay, sometimes they say that it’s the place where “according to Christian tradition” Jesus was born, but even that is implying that there is actually a reason to think he ws actually born there. \*\* _All_ the reporting I have seen on the matter has said something like “according to Christian tradition.” As for implying there is a reason to think he was born there…I know nothing about the matter, but I assumed there was probably _some_ reason for thinking that. Do you have knowledge to the contrary? I am not a Christian, but I do believe there was a historical person named Jesus behind the stories. He had to be born somewhere, right? And **Kirkland** …“scum”? Where did that come from? ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/9 "2002-04-05T23:34:07Z")
> [@](#): > > mythical place such as the Church of the Nativity. The Church of the Nativity doesn’t appear to be a [myth](http://www.unesco.org/opi2/papp/Bethlehem2000/05.htm). Now, as to whether the Nativity itself is a myth… ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/10 "2002-04-05T23:49:29Z")
Robb, what I meant was the “Myth surrounding the Church of the Nativity”. Not that I question the Churches existence. Sam ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/11 "2002-04-06T00:04:53Z")
Yeah, I think the reports I heard on the news mention Christian tradition. The whole point of mentioning this is to signal that this is a significant event because the church (the building) occupies a special place in the hearts of some Christians. When you think about it, it balances out the reports of Sharon’s act some 18 months ago: he visited the synagogue that shares ground with the Dome of the Rock, a perhaps inflammatory act (considering Sharon’s history) that was the excuse for the latest infitadeh. everybody happy now? ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/12 "2002-04-06T00:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kirkland1244 \* > \*\*And Ryan, they also refer to Jerusalem as the city where Mohammed took his night-trip to Heaven. _It’s called being respectful. I know, you’re totally ignorant on that subject._ > > No one is hurt by the media being _respectful of people’s religious beliefs._ That _scum like you_ are upset just shows that they’re in the right in the first place. \*\* I’m choking on the irony, here. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/13 "2002-04-06T01:50:12Z")
How is it that “they” know where Jesus was born but “they” don’t know where he died? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/14 "2002-04-06T02:28:03Z")
So as not to let **Duck Duck Goose** and **grimpixie** ’s hard work to go to waste, you can find the answer to how the Church of the Nativity came to be in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107810) thread. (Geeze, guys, I posted the question today in GQ! Get out of the Pit once and a while would ya?) ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/15 "2002-04-06T02:28:11Z")
“They” DO know where he died-- at a spot marked as Golgotha in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre complex. According to Christian tradition, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/16 "2002-04-06T03:03:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferrous \* > > And **Kirkland** …“scum”? Where did that come from? History between posters. I’m not going to link to it, but I’ll say that although I wouldn’t have posted the way **Kirkland** did, I understand his feelings towards [sub]the ryan[/sub]. ::washing fingers after typing that name:: ---
**Author:** ![Kirkland1244](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kirkland1244](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kirkland1244)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/17 "2002-04-06T04:36:17Z")
The Ryan has shown himself to be totally disrespectful of anyone who is different than him. Look at his gay-bashing posts, and now Christian-bashing posts. He’s a contrarian, and a dimwitted one at that. Let us all pray that the next time he crosses the street, he doesn’t bother to look both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Kirkland1244](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kirkland1244](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kirkland1244)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/18 "2002-04-06T04:42:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaWd \* > \*\* > > And apparently you’re woefully ignorant and disresepctful of other people’s beliefs, or lack of beliefs in a mythical place such as the Church of the Nativity. > > Sam \*\* Believe what you want, but don’t ridicule the beliefs of Christians. I don’t go around starting posts attacking atheists, Muslims, Jewish folks, or other religious groups. But I won’t stand by while an irritating, arrogant asshole who goes around playing semantic games while attacking gays, and then turns around and pisses all over the religious faith of others. Look at the Ryan’s posts. His disreputable nature speaks for itself. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/19 "2002-04-06T05:04:20Z")
Geez, **Ryan** look what you’ve stepped in. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088/20 "2002-04-06T05:54:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kirkland1244 \* > \*\* > > Believe what you want, but don’t ridicule the beliefs of Christians. I don’t go around starting posts attacking atheists, Muslims, Jewish folks, or other religious groups. But I won’t stand by while an irritating, arrogant asshole who goes around playing semantic games while attacking gays, and then turns around and pisses all over the religious faith of others. > > Look at the Ryan’s posts. His disreputable nature speaks for itself. \*\* I’m curious as to what **the Ryan’s** posts in other threads have to do with this thread. Some people would say that if you have such a high degree of dislike for a poster, you could just ignore threads that they start, rather than coming into one that they have started and dishing out name-calling without it really being warranted. Others might say that it reflects more on you than the person you are attacking when you behave this way. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/church-of-the-nativity/102088.md?page=2)