2007-08-29 06:18:03 · 29 answers · asked by G.xi 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
About 300 A.D. This was also about the same time as decisions were made about what would go into the bible and what would be left out. For instance many gospels were ignored. Just the ones that suited the political purposes of the time were included and Christians are still believing it all to this day!
2007-08-29 06:29:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Joseph must have been pretty gullible. He's never had sex with Mary and I imagine the conversation goes something like this -
"Hi Joe, how's the carpentry going?"
"Good," says Joseph, "We just got a big contract from the Romans to knock up some big wooden crosses. It's some sort of law and order project."
"Cool. Do you like my new dress. I bought it for the trip to Bethlehem."
"It looks great Mary. But it's kind of tight across the tummy. Have you put on weight?"
"Well, since you bring it up there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I'm pregnant."
"What the ****. You ****. Who's the father?"
"Calm down," says Mary, "It's not what you think. I haven't been unfaithful - it's God who made me pregnant and I'm going to have a beautiful baby messiah."
"OK," says Joseph. "By the way I didn't get round to booking a hotel in Bethlehem. We'll just turn up and find an inn with some room."
2007-08-29 21:32:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun
December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice. First early celebration in 354 possibly in Rome. I am a firm believer in Christ but the birthdate is not correct
2007-08-29 13:41:41 · answer #3 · answered by T W 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The first documentation of those was in Matthew, written between 85 and 90 AD.
But apparently, those concepts were an integral part of the Christian faith from the beginning.
2007-08-29 13:31:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
We didn't -- BOTH are in the Hebrew Bible and the Jews' own translation of their Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint. For example, the Septuagint specifically states at Isaiah 7:14 that a VIRGIN would give birth to a son. (The word used in the Hebrew Bible, "almah," implies she would be a virgin.)
The deity of the Messiah is also in the Scriptures. This is not a Christian invention.
2007-08-29 13:26:39 · answer #5 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Christians didn't invent it.
It was God's idea.
God first revealed it way back in Genesis chapter three.
Then reminded us again by the prophet Isaiah.
Genesis was written by Moses, Isaiah was written by Isaiah, and they were both Jewish, not Chrisitans.
So two Jewish prophets told us about the Virgin Birth, long before Jesus was born to Mary.
Pastor Art
2007-08-29 13:27:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
All of those pagan mythological motifs were incorporated into Christianity in its earliest days as a way of acquiring members from the pagan cults. This is really an established historical fact - even Christians admit it. Everybody knows that Christmas is a pagan holiday - the Winter Solstice, the Birth of the New Sun - just as Easter is the Vernal Equinox. All the miraculous and sacramental aspects of the Christian legend have their antecedents in earlier pagan legend; again, this is established fact, and Christians have dealt with it in various ways, e.g. by claiming that Satan had led men to create diabolical counterfeits of the True Religion to mislead the weak in faith. Or, by arguing that it was the pagans who stole from the Christians - a hard sell since the pagan cults are earlier.
2007-08-29 13:24:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
They "invented" them when the inspiration of the Holy Spirit caused them to write down their respective prophecies of the virgin birth and deity of Christ, thousands of years before Christ was born.
If the inspiration of the Holy Spirit doesn't sound reliable, it's because you're expecting something scholarly and until you take these things by faith alone, they won't mean anything to you or make any sense.
2007-08-29 13:27:02 · answer #8 · answered by sonofjesse007 1 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Those ideas were co-opted from pagan religions late first, early second century to compete with the other mystery schools that existed at that time like the cult of Dionysus, cult of Isis/Osiris, Mithra, Apollo, and others.
2007-08-29 13:25:04 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
They didn't invent it. They copied the idea from other older religions. There were many virgin births back then for all of the invented gods and dieties.
2007-08-29 13:26:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋