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Does your nativity scene tell the truth?

J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
Does your nativity scene, if you have one, tell the truth, or does it tell a lie?
 
J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
SBCPreacher said:
Mine tells the truth. I didn't add my wise men until about 2 years after I originally put it up.
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That's good. But where are the wise men?
 
J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
Jillian said:
I believe Nativity scenese are against the second commandment.
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I agree with that, but I try to withhold judement on those that are not persuaded in their conscience of it. But not only that, my contention is that most images don't tell the truth, or at least make assumptions that the scripture does not authorize.

If a person knows that a nativity scene does not depict the truth, why would they display one? Doesn't that amount to an intentional lie?
 
R

rbell

Active Member
Since there is no way to be completely historically accurate (we don't have every detail)...it is impossible to have a "perfect" nativity scene.

But calling it a "lie" is a stretch, IMO.
 
R

Rubato 1

New Member
J.D. said:
I agree with that, but I try to withhold judement on those that are not persuaded in their conscience of it. But not only that, my contention is that most images don't tell the truth, or at least make assumptions that the scripture does not authorize.

If a person knows that a nativity scene does not depict the truth, why would they display one? Doesn't that amount to an intentional lie?
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Do all the pictures around your house depict the truth? Or do you change them when you're mad at the neighbor or grumpy before breakfast (not to mention bed-hair)? They're just there for memories, reminders. They don't have to be depicting the actual details (At least my pictures better not depict exact details. This is why I pay the photographer so much!):laugh:
 
C

Chemnitz

New Member
I think the make up of the nativity scene is an open question. There is nothing definitive about when the Wise Men arrived. It all depends on how God arranged things, while it is generally accepted that the Wise Men arrived a year or two later, they could have also arrived soon after the birth. It all depends on when God moved them to take a road trip to Bethlehem. Now while Herod's order can be a clue to the time frame it could also be making an allowance in age range just to be sure.

At the same time the number of Wise Men is up in the air, there could have been 2 or there could have been 200 hundred. The number three fits in monkish sort of way as there were three gifts.
 
J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
rbell said:
Since there is no way to be completely historically accurate (we don't have every detail)...it is impossible to have a "perfect" nativity scene.

But calling it a "lie" is a stretch, IMO.
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No, but we do have some details. If the display flatly contradicts the scriptures, isn't that a lie against the truth?
 
R

rbell

Active Member
If we're using the nativity scene as a symbolic reminder of Christmas' true meaning, I don't see the problem.

I teach my kids what we do know about the events surrounding the birth of Christ...and I tell them some of the stuff we really don't know, but are guessing on...
 
R

Rubato 1

New Member
Is this thread supposed to be in the jokes forum? Do people really get offended about whether or not the wise men see the cows and hay? Doubtlessly, the newborn baby and mother were in a proper room the next day, so even if the wise men were a day late (and a dollar short, as it were), they probably went to a house anyway. The Wise Men were astrologers and Star worshippers anyway, so why can't we just leave them on the mantle next to the cute little stable and animals that were eating out of his bed (yeah, right?).?
 
J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
rbell said:
If we're using the nativity scene as a symbolic reminder of Christmas' true meaning, I don't see the problem.

I teach my kids what we do know about the events surrounding the birth of Christ...and I tell them some of the stuff we really don't know, but are guessing on...
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How about if I had a red man with a pitchfork, pointed tail, and horns on his head bowing down to worship the baby Jesus in my nativity scene. Would that be okay? After all, if one lie is okay, shouldn't the other one be okay?
 
R

rbell

Active Member
J.D. said:
How about if I had a red man with a pitchfork, pointed tail, and horns on his head bowing down to worship the baby Jesus in my nativity scene. Would that be okay? After all, if one lie is okay, shouldn't the other one be okay?
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now you're being silly.
 
S

SBCPreacher

Active Member
Site Supporter
This thread went the way of the ridiculous real quick. I'm sorry I even posted my response earlier on.

As Charlie Brown would say, "Good Grief."
 
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J

J.D.

Active Member
Site Supporter
Hmmm.... no biblical responses to my question. Guess I better go back to the Baptist-only forum.
 
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