OVO

An Iraeli man who wishes to remain anonymous named Oded Golan bought an old stone box either 20 or 30 years ago, paying either $200 or $700, from a dealer he can’t remember. The stone box is an ossuary, used for burying bones. There is some Aramaic writing on the side, which reads “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Jesus may or may not have had brothers, and Jesus may or may not have been the son of Joseph. The only thing consistant in the whole story seems to be that the guy can’t remember where he got the box from.

Nevertheles, Christianity Today, God and Science, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, In Plain Site and who knows how many other Christians got all excited about that stone box. Christians discredit science and history right up to the point it can be boogered up enough to confirm their views; then they’re all over it. The Christians are in something of a pickle because there is little (or no) credible independent confirmation that Jesus existed at all. They can see that this ‘science’ thing isn’t going away like they’d hoped and so they are doing what they do best; co-opting the winning team to their own ends.

But even though the box is a fake, do you think they will now take the route of science (we were wrong, let’s learn from the experience, we’re not afraid to question core beliefs) or the route of religion (we were tricked, God is testing us, that never happened, shut up)?