(February 11, 2013 at 9:50 pm)cato123 Wrote:(February 11, 2013 at 7:09 pm)TheLameMayWalk Wrote: Wouldn't it be easier for the writers of the Bible (if you don't think God wrote it) to have Jesus born in Jerusalem and call it a day?
Sure, but that wasn't the point. The author of Matthew was addressing the Jewish population. This is why he is hell bent on lifting OT prophecy and meshing them into his story of Jesus; read Micah in this case. Luke followed suit. Mark is silent regarding the birth of Jesus and John is more ethereal and doesn't mention Mary by name.
Quote: No, they had him move there. That tells me that this had to be a real person, or at least, for you atheists' sake, based on a certain person.
Does this mean that you think that the Iliad and Odyssey are historical accounts or based on real events simply because Odysseus wasn't born and raised just outside the walls of Troy?
You are Catholic. Please tell me that you have yet to go through confirmation.
No, because iliad and Odyssey were fictional stories, and the characters were put in certain places on purpose for the sake of their characterization and for the story itself. The Bible, while I realize it has gone under several editions, has been and always will be based on true stories.