Reply #26: Hmmm... [View All]

[arwalden]

... I don't think that's the same thing. People set up nativity scenes where they happen to live, but that doesn't mean that they are trying to convey the idea that Christ was born in their own hometown.

<< Kind of like Americans who set up a toy train that circles around the Christmas crèche. >>

Huh? It's nothing like that at all. It's very unlikely that anyone who created such a tacky display was *trying* to convey the message that there were trains circling around the stable in Bethlehem.

Although I haven't personally seen anyone set up a model train set around a crèche... I'll take your word for it. -- Anyone who does that is just over-killing with Xmas decorations.

That reminds me: Last Christmas, my two-houses-down neighbor set up a plastic Santa figurine, a plastic snowman figurine, and plastic carolers RIGHT NEXT to his plastic creche. (All lighted from inside... truly a sight to behold!) -- I don't think that he was trying to convince people that Santa, Frosty, and Dickensian carolers were present either.

<< Most people know, however, that Jesus was Jewish and presumably dark-haired and olive-complexioned, and that there were no trains in Israel in his time. >>

That's probably not true. I'm pretty confident that whenever "most people" envision Jesus, they think of the images that appear in the color prints found in many KJV-1611's.

As far as the trains are concerned, I seriously doubt that there was EVER any confusion on that point. So you're probably right about the fact that people aren't likely to think that there were trains in Israel.

<< Simeon told Mary and Joseph that Jesus would grow up to be the Messiah. >>

I figured they already knew by then. I would have thought that on the first night--virgin birth, the wise men, angel, and guiding star would have been dead giveaways.