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#Post#: 22399--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 18, 2020, 12:08 am
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I'm not looking forward to the future. >:(
#Post#: 22624--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 22, 2020, 5:05 am
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[img]
HTML https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/121180.jpg?w=940[/img]
HTML https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/december-web-only/oxford-handbook-christmas-bethlehem-middle-east.html
Bethlehem Is More Than a Sentimental Backdrop to Christmas in
the West
How Christians are celebrating the holiday in the town of Jesus’
birth—and across the broader Middle East.
Although the Christmas story could be said to have begun at any
number of points or places, it was Bethlehem that became the
stage for the birth of Jesus. Today, Bethlehem is recreated in
village halls, school auditoriums, and churches all over the
world for the annual ritual of the Nativity play. The imagery of
the humble stable, lit up by a star, with the shepherds and wise
men converging upon it, is familiar from the greetings cards we
send. At Christmas carol concerts we sing “O little town of
Bethlehem.” Somehow this often remains disconnected from our
imagining of Christmas, which, in the West, is so heavily tied
up with traditions formed in the Victorian period in England and
in America and so is removed geographically and temporally from
Bethlehem at the time of Jesus.
Our Christmas cards focus on two distinct themes: the snowy
scenes and cozy fires of Europe and North America, and the
depictions of the Middle East with camels, people in Eastern
dress, and a donkey beating a dusty path to Bethlehem. While
both these aspects are entwined, the Middle Eastern scenery is
present mainly as the backdrop. It represents a distant time and
ancient land.
What is glossed over is that Christians live and worship and
celebrate Christmas in the Middle East still. For many
Christians in the Middle East, and especially those from the
Holy Land, there is a sense that they are overlooked, despite
the ancient roots of their communities. The Rev. Mitri Raheb, a
Palestinian Christian and pastor in the Lutheran Church, has
described in many of his publications and talks how he has
encountered surprise that there are Christians in Palestine on
numerous occasions. In actuality, there have been Christians in
the Middle East continuously since the birth of the Christian
faith. Christmas is therefore widely celebrated throughout the
region, and its diverse Christian communities proudly celebrate
their links to the earliest Christians.
Bethlehem was a village at the time of Jesus’ birth. Today it
has a population of approximately 25,000 and is a focus of
religious life for Palestinian Christians. The district of
Bethlehem includes Bethlehem itself, as well as the towns of
Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Approximately half of Palestinian
Christians live in this district. Prior to the Arab-Israeli war
of 1948, Christians made up the majority of the population of
Bethlehem, but they are now the minority.
Despite this, Palestinian Christians emphasize their rootedness
in the region and in Christian faith and history by referring to
themselves as the “living stones” (al-Hijara al-Haya), an
expression drawn from the Bible (1 Pet. 2:5). This chain linking
modern Christians in the Middle East with the first Christians
is important in many different denominations and national
communities. The tradition of the flight of the holy family to
Egypt is important to Egyptian Christians, as is the tradition
that the Coptic Orthodox Church was founded by Saint Mark. Other
Christians, such as those belonging to the Syriac churches
(including the Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church,
Syriac Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Catholic Church)
emphasize the fact that they still use a dialect of Aramaic, the
language spoken by Jesus. Clearly, Christianity is not foreign
to, nor removed from, the modern Middle East.
This demonstrates that Bethlehem is more than a clichéd image
for Christmas cards or backdrop for school Nativity plays. It is
also more than a site for foreign Christian pilgrims to visit.
Bethlehem, and the Middle East in general, are not just a
historical backdrop to the first Christmas. Christians continue
to inhabit the region, and the link between their local roots
and Christian heritage remains integral to their identity and
culture. This context gives the contemporary celebration of
Christmas in Bethlehem and the Middle East more significance,
not less.
Diverse Celebrations
Are Christians in the Middle East permitted to celebrate
Christmas or other Christian festivals openly? Outside of Saudi
Arabia, the answer is generally yes. But the way Christmas is
celebrated varies according to different local contexts as well
as the diversity and number of different denominations and
traditions that exist in the region.
In Bethlehem, celebrations naturally focus on the Church of the
Nativity. This is set in Manger Square, which was renovated for
the millennium celebrations and is lined by shops selling local
traditional crafts, such as crosses carved from olive wood. The
church was first built on the site identified by Christian
tradition as the birthplace of Jesus in A.D. 339. The local
tradition pictures the place as a cave rather than a stable. The
original church was later replaced after a fire in the sixth
century. In 2012, it was added to the UNESCO list of world
heritage sites and attracts visitors from all over the world,
and naturally there is particular interest in visiting at
Christmastime. The square is decorated with lights and a
Christmas tree, in a way that is familiar in towns across the
world.
Bethlehem (as the birthplace of Jesus), Egypt (which boasts the
largest Christian population in the region), Lebanon (where
Christians have the most political and cultural influence in the
Middle East), and Syria (which features frequently in the Bible)
are four obvious places where Christmas is celebrated. However,
Christmas is also celebrated in more unexpected places. The
Arabian Peninsula is not commonly linked with Christianity or
celebrations of Christmas, but it does actually have an ancient
Christian heritage, and monasteries and bishoprics were
established mainly during the fourth to seventh centuries. In
modern times there is also a large Christian population in the
region, as a result of the waves of migration to the oil-rich
states of the peninsula since the second half of the 20th
century.
As a result, Christianity has become the second-largest religion
after Islam in a number of Arab states in the Gulf region. These
Christians come from incredibly diverse backgrounds in terms of
nationality, language, and Christian denomination. The
celebration of Christmas in the Gulf States, such as Kuwait,
Bahrain, the UAE, and so on, reflects this. It also encapsulates
the globalization of Christmas. Shopping malls and supermarkets
sell Christmas trees and decorations, and public spaces are
decorated with Christmas trees and lights. When viewing these
decorated spaces, it can often be hard to tell where in the
world you are. Dubai has a delivery service for real “Canadian
fir” Christmas trees, while there is a Facebook group called
“Christmas in Kuwait,” which is followed by almost 6,000 people.
Political Challenges
Although Christmas can be celebrated without significant
hindrance throughout much of the Middle East, it can also bring
about a host of challenges, owing to the complications of
politics and history. Each year, in the run-up to Christmas,
there is the perennial question of whether Muslims are permitted
to greet Christians during their religious holidays. For some
conservative Muslims, it is wrong to wish Christians a happy
Christmas, although Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, the official body for
religious rulings or fatwas, has said that it is permissible.
Holidays such as Christmas can also lead to heightened security
measures amid fears that Christians and churches could be
targeted by terrorists. For example, in 2010, seven people were
shot outside a church in southern Egypt at the end of Christmas
Eve Mass, while in December 2017, a church was bombed in the
run-up to Coptic Christmas, which disrupted celebrations.
In Iraq, where ISIS was expelled from Mosul in 2017, there was
profound symbolism attached to the reinstitution of Christmas
services that year. Services were held in the recaptured areas,
often in partially destroyed churches. Other Iraqis dressed up
as Father Christmas and toured the devastated towns to hand out
gifts to children, a bright spot amidst trauma. Christmas trees
and Nativity scenes were also erected amidst the rubble and in
refugee camps hosting displaced Christians.
Christmas that year featured heavily in state propaganda, as
Iraqi leaders wanted to show they were protecting their
Christian citizens and that displaced people could return home
and exercise their faith once more. When the patriarch of the
Chaldean Catholic Church, the largest denomination in Iraq,
requested that the Iraqi government make Christmas a public
holiday in 2018, the government granted the request. In December
of that year, the government tweeted, “Happy Christmas to our
Christian citizens, all Iraqis and to all who are celebrating
around the world.”
In Syria, the 2018 Christmas holiday was also celebrated with
gusto and pride despite the years of civil war and conflict with
ISIS. Christmas trees were lit up, with music and celebrations
held in the streets and squares. The enthusiasm in evidence that
year was partly a reaction to the horror witnessed in the
country after years of civil war and occupation. It also served
to emphasize Syrian Christian support for Bashar al-Assad, to
whom many believers looked as a guardian of their religious
freedom. As in Iraq, processions and singing in the streets
signaled Christian determination to reclaim their ancient
homelands and maintain their faith and culture.
In Egypt also, Christmas has become a symbolic occasion for the
relationship between the government and Christian citizens.
Former president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak made Christmas a
national holiday in 2002. In the wake of 9/11, this was likely a
political gesture, meant send a message to Egypt’s Western
allies that Egypt was an important partner in the Middle East.
It also strengthened ties to the Coptic Orthodox Church, which
gave the Mubarak regime consistent and public political support.
Under President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Christmas has taken on
further political value. Sisi was the first Egyptian president
to appear at the Coptic Christmas Eve Mass, which is broadcast
on Egyptian television. This was considered a dramatic and
significant gesture, which he used to emphasize unity among
Egyptians.
In Bethlehem itself, political complications around Christmas
are well entrenched. In 2002, Israeli Defense Forces occupied
Bethlehem as part of Operation Defensive Shield. During this
period, Palestinian militants took refuge in the Church of the
Nativity, thereby attracting the focus of the world. Normal
Palestinian citizens also took refuge inside the church,
thinking that they would be safe and that Western countries
would not permit a siege in the place of Christ’s birth.
The same year saw the erection of the Israeli West Bank barrier,
extending over 80 kilometers and surrounding Bethlehem on three
sides. Consequently, checkpoints and roadblocks separate the
church marking the place where Christ was born from the church
marking the place of his crucifixion, even though they are less
than 10 kilometers apart. As a result, it is more difficult for
Palestinian Christians from other areas to visit Bethlehem for
Christmas and move between the two holy sites.
Jesus and Santa Hats
As elsewhere, Christmas in the Middle East is subject to the
pressures of globalization and commercialization. This often has
the effect of overshadowing local traditions and watering down
the religious aspect of Christmas. At the same time, in places
where strong local traditions haven’t developed around
Christmas, more universal Christmas traditions often take on
greater importance, especially for younger generations. For
Christians who live in Muslim-majority societies, adopting
international aspects of Christmas, such as wearing Santa hats
or Christmas sweaters and singing about dashing through the
snow, offers a sense of solidarity with the global Christian
community. For some, this is a brief escape from their status as
cultural or religious minorities.
Exposure to Western Christmas celebrations does not necessarily
undermine the religious message either. Consider, for instance,
the way that Western Christmas carols have been translated into
Arabic and used in various celebrations. An Arabic version of
“Silent Night” was broadcast on Lebanese TV and in Egypt to
Protestant Christians in particular.
Christmas celebrations are undergoing a process of change as
different traditions come into contact with each other, which is
quite natural. In historically Christian countries, various
commercializing and globalizing trends might be seen as
diminishing the message of Christmas, but in non-Christian
countries they can sometimes have the opposite effect. In
countries like those of the Arabian Peninsula, that previously
had no (or very small) Christian communities, Christmas
celebrations are now a familiar feature of life, even if the
general message of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind—or
the jolly figure of Santa—often edges out the birth of Christ.
Yet even when it comes to Jesus, Christmas in the Middle East
can represent common ground from an interfaith perspective,
because Muslims also believe he was born of the Virgin Mary. The
Nativity story, albeit with many differences, appears in the
Qur’an. Additionally, most people find joy in the birth of a
baby. In Arabic, Christmas is called Eid al-Milad, the festival
of the birth. Disagreements arise, of course, over who Jesus is
and what happened to him; Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet
but not the son of God, and they do not believe he was
crucified. This helps explain why the common manifestations of
Christmas celebrations in the region are typically the most
neutral: Father Christmas and Christmas trees, lights and
decorations.
In this way, the secular culture that has grown up around “the
holidays” in the West has paved the way for open Christmas
celebrations in regions of the Middle East where they hadn’t
been tolerated before. Despite this, Middle Eastern Christians
have a great awareness of their own origins in the region and
strong connections with the Christmas story and biblical history
in general. This is why, despite declining numbers and political
instability, Christians in the Middle East will continue to
celebrate Christmas in their traditional homelands, with many
wearing red Santa hats.
From The Oxford Handbook of Christmas edited by Timothy Larsen.
Copyright © 2020 by Timothy Larsen and published by Oxford
University Press. All rights reserved.
#Post#: 22800--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 25, 2020, 11:31 pm
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I hope everyone had a nice day with family and loved ones. This
could be the last Christmas with freedom in our lives. I'm
praying and hoping for the best. God bless you all.
#Post#: 23041--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 29, 2020, 10:44 am
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvN0HqSkcU
#Post#: 23053--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: guest8 Date: December 29, 2020, 7:04 pm
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[quote author=patrick jane link=topic=702.msg23041#msg23041
date=1609260282]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLvN0HqSkcU
[/quote]
I agree with the Title.
Blade
#Post#: 23263--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: January 2, 2021, 7:49 am
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3PROKz8Xc
#Post#: 23690--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: January 13, 2021, 10:49 am
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[img]
HTML https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/121489.png?w=700[/img]
HTML https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2021/january/vital-information-for-churches-and-christian-leaders.html
Will Churches be Back to Normal by Easter, Summer, or Fall?
Vital Information for Churches and Christian Leaders
A brief overview of Ed Stetzer's interview with Dr. Francis
Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health
Ed Stetzer: [Church leaders] are asking questions about when we
might be back together. Help us understand the timeline a bit
more, knowing thing might not go the way that we expect.
Dr. Francis Collins: I’ve been working from home for almost a
year and I expect I’m going to be in my home office for a few
more months. Here we are at the beginning of 2021, and this
pandemic across our country is the worst it’s been, with 3,000
people or more losing their lives every day.
The bright spot, of course, is the development of vaccines. We
do now have two such vaccines that are carefully reviewed, shown
to be safe and effective by rigorous means, and authorized by
the FDA for emergency use. We’re doing everything we can to get
those dosages into people’s arms because that is how we are
going to get past this.
I know people may have mixed feelings about the vaccine. For me,
as a scientist, it feels to me that God gave us the skills to be
able to understand how these things work, to identify this
pathogen, and to (in record time) be able to come up with the
vaccine, which has 95% efficacy. They’re actually a lot better
than most of us dreamed we would have at the present time. So
this is a gift from God, and a gift we all need to embrace to
get past this.
To be able to immunize 300 million people is not something that
can be done in less than a few months. I do think, by June or
thereabouts, we might be getting close to that point where
80-85% of the country is immune. At that point, the virus has to
start fading away, because there aren’t enough new people to
infect.
I don’t think that we’ll be able to bring churches together for
an Easter celebration this year, though I would love if that
were the case. It is going to take all of us to get there.
I am concerned that people of faith, in some instances, seem
reluctant to embrace this as a gift. If only half of Americans
take this vaccine, we will not be past this any time soon. We
have to get to the point where most of the population is immune,
or we haven’t really ended things.
Stetzer: What would you say to those who think this vaccine was
rushed?
Collins: We did move this more quickly than has ever happened.
Partly this is because of new technologies that were developed
in the last 25 years. Let me assure you, as a physician and
scientist who has been in the middle of these vaccine
developments for the past year, the only corners that have been
cut were the bureaucratic ones.
The science is as rigorous as anything we have ever done, in
terms of vaccine development. The ultimate conclusion about
safety and efficacy, which is in the public domain, is
incredibly compelling. 30,000 people enrolled in these trials,
and 95% efficacy showed up with no real evidence of any safety
concerns. The data is there! So, ignore the conspiracy theories
and look at the evidence. That is what we are all called to do.
[Dr. Collins also addressed question about stem cell lines, the
process, and conspiracy theories. Listen to the full interview
here]
Stetzer: You’ve said elsewhere that taking the vaccine is not
something you do for your just yourself, but as a way to love
other people. Can you tell us more about that?
Collins: There are two primary ways.
First, this virus is so hard to manage because you can carry it
and spread it without even knowing. Vaccination is a way to
reduce that risk.
Second, on a larger scale, if we are all part of a community, we
really need all of us engaged in the effort to generate herd
immunity.
We need everyone to succeed. This isn’t so different from
putting on a seatbelt or not drinking and driving. We don’t want
to make the vaccine a law, but it is a moral responsibility.
Stetzer: What do you think the level of mitigation will be at by
summer?
Collins: I wish I could be more precise. Some of this depends on
whether other vaccines get approved. There are six more being
studied. The more that get approved, the quicker we can
vaccinate.
We also have to study whether or not the vaccine is safe and
effective for children. There is still a lot of uncertainty.
Don’t have your heart set on June, but by the fall we ought to
be in a pretty good place. I don’t think it would be totally
unrealistic to think that by June or July that we might be in a
place to have a lot more public gatherings, including churches,
but I can’t promise that.
If 30% or 40% of Americans don’t take it, we don’t get out of
this.
Stetzer: When you say it’s going to be different in the fall,
what will it look like?
Collins: There is a big unanswered question.
We are intensely investigating whether or not those who have
received the vaccine can still spread the virus even if they
don’t get sick. If the vaccine means they don’t get sick and
they can’t convey the virus, mask wearing won’t be expected. If
you can still spread the virus even after the vaccination,
you’ll still have to wear a mask.
I don’t think so, but we have to keep the option open.
Stetzer: To close, give us a short vision on why Christians
should be engaged with the vaccine, and should advocate for it.
Collins: This is not the first plague that we’ve had to deal
with. Christians have always had the courage to figure out how
to help. We should do that now.
We won’t help the situation if we don’t get the vaccine and
continue to spread the virus or ignore protective measures.
One of the ways we evangelize is through our actions. Are we
creating a positive public witness? Are we a group people want
to be a part of? Are we helping our neighbors? Are we reaching
out to the lonely? Are we being a listening ear, virtually?
Let’s focus on being a part of worldview that others want to be
a part of. We can get through this, but we have to get through
this together.
Ed Stetzer is executive director of the Wheaton College Billy
Graham Center, serves as a dean at Wheaton College, and
publishes church leadership resources through Mission Group. The
Exchange Team contributed to this article and has updated the
article.
#Post#: 36014--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 4, 2021, 5:47 pm
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYPiXWfUiuk
#Post#: 36027--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 5, 2021, 12:29 am
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Who Were the Magi
1 hour 15 minutes
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irWL-jHE-Tw&list=WL&index=18
The Gospel of Matthew tells us that "magi" from the East brought
gifts to the infant Jesus following a mysterious star. Western
Christianity commemorates this event with the feast of Epiphany,
on January 6. What do we know about these wise men? Where did
they come? Were they kings or Zoroastrian priests? Is there any
evidence of a new star? We'll look at all these and other
questions to reveal the meaning of this story from a
mythological and theological view point.
#Post#: 36073--------------------------------------------------
Re: CHRISTMAS 2020 ✝🕊 THE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH FRE
EDOM
By: patrick jane Date: December 9, 2021, 5:33 am
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[img]
HTML https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/126877.jpg?h=393&w=700[/img]
HTML https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/december/christmas-jesus-birth-son-god-existence-lifeway-survey.html
Most Americans, and Many Christians, Don’t Believe the Son of
God Existed Before the Manger
There’s widespread agreement around Christmas as a historical
event, but people are confused around the timeline for the Son’s
existence, per a recent survey.
Christmas is a celebration of a real event, according to most
Americans. Just don’t expect them to know exactly why Jesus was
born and came to earth.
A new study from Lifeway Research finds close to 3 in 4
Americans believe Jesus was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000
years ago. Even more say Jesus is the son of God the Father, but
less than half believe Jesus existed prior to being born on that
first Christmas.
“Most Americans consider Jesus’ birth a historical fact,” said
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It can
be easy to only evaluate Jesus like you would any other
historical figure—thinking about when He lived and what He did.
However, the Bible also describes Jesus in a way that one must
evaluate who you believe He was. Most Americans believe His
origin was from God the Father, but half as many believe He
existed before His birth.”
More than 9 in 10 Americans (91%) celebrate Christmas, according
to a previous Lifeway Research study released this year. For
most of those celebrating, Christmas is about a historical
occurrence. More than 7 in 10 (72%) say the Jesus Christians
believe in was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago,
including 49 percent who strongly agree. Few (9%) disagree,
while 18 percent aren’t sure.
Most Americans (80%) agree Jesus Christ is the Son of God the
Father, while 10 percent disagree and 10 percent aren’t sure.
The average person isn’t quite as sure about the Son of God’s
existence prior to Jesus’ birth. Around 2 in 5 (41%) say God’s
son existed before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Close to 1 in 3
Americans (32%) disagree, and 28 percent say they’re not sure.
“The 2020 State of Theology Study showed that 72 percent of
Americans believe there is one true God in three persons: God
the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,” McConnell
said. “Prophecies such as those in Isaiah 9 reflect that the
Messiah would be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. While these titles
reflect the Trinity, some Americans do not connect the Jesus
born in Bethlehem with the Messiah who already existed as God
now coming in the flesh.”
The religiously unaffiliated are least likely to agree with any
of the statements surrounding Jesus’ birth and identity, but
some still believe despite their stated disconnect from
organized religion. Almost half (48%) believe Jesus Christ is
the son of God the Father. A third (33%) say Jesus was really
born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. Fewer (15%) believe
the Son of God existed before Jesus was born.
Among Christians, those who attend church four times a month or
more, are most likely to believe each of the statements about
Jesus and His birth: 98 percent believe He is the Son of God the
Father, 95 percent say He was born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago,
and 63 percent agree the Son of God existed before Jesus was
born.
Why Christmas?
Americans aren’t always sure what motivations Jesus ascribed to
Himself and His coming to earth. When given seven options—four
correct and three incorrect—for reasons the Bible records Jesus
as saying why He came, only one choice garnered a small
majority.
Americans are more likely to choose a correct answer than the
false ones. Half (51%) say the Bible records Jesus as saying He
came to give His life for many, which Jesus does say in Mark
10:45 (“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”).
Around 3 in 10 Americans (31%) rightly say Jesus came to give
life in abundance (“I have come so that they may have life and
have it in abundance,” John 10:10 CSB) and testify to truth (“I
was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to
testify to the truth,” John 18:37
CSB).
Far fewer (9%) believe the Bible records Jesus saying He came to
bring division rather than peace, despite Him making that claim
in Luke 12:51. Altogether, only 3 percent of Americans
recognized all four options in the list that match biblical
quotes from Jesus.
Fewer than 1 in 10 Americans falsely identified other reasons
for Jesus’ coming to earth: 9 percent believe Jesus said He came
to be served (contradicted by Mark 10:45), 8 percent think He
said He wanted to abolish the Old Testament law and prophets
(contradicted by Matthew 5:17), and 8 percent say Jesus came to
condemn sinners (contradicted by John 3:17).
“Despite widespread belief that Jesus really came to earth as a
baby, there is far less familiarity with why Jesus said He
came,” said McConnell. “However, the majority of Americans
believe Jesus came to give His life for many, which is reflected
in the angel’s words to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, ‘She will give
birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will
save His people from their sins.’”
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