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O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem?

ITS FAILURE CAUSED THE SLAUGHTER OF EVERY MALE BABY UNDER TWO IN BETHLEHEM AND VICINITY

Surely that the star appeared and the wise men knew to follow it to find the baby Jesus, was a miracle. How could they have possibly known without one?

So why did the miracle lead them to Jerusalem, the wrong town—and much worse—to Herod, who only became aware of the birth of a potential rival after the wise men inquired about the newborn King of the Jews? It was then and only then that Herod resolved to kill Jesus.

Herod told the wise men in effect, “Go to Bethlehem, find Jesus, and then return to me so I can go and worship him too.” This time the star took the wise men unerringly, not just to Bethlehem, but to the very house—not to a manger—of Mary and Jesus! (Matthew 7:10) There, in yet another miracle, the wise men were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod.

Herod, furious that he was not obeyed, then decreed that every boy in Bethlehem and its immediate vicinity, age two and under, be put to death.

Why wasn’t the miracle of the star accurate enough to lead the wise men directly to baby Jesus in Bethlehem, in the first place? Then Herod would not have known about his birth; and there would never have been a slaughter of the innocents.

Does this not suggest that it was God’s intention that the babies be slaughtered? He surely knew they would be. In fact, the Bible says it was prophesied:

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.” (Matthew 2: 3-6)

Is it possible, with words meaning to us what they do, that a God who can do anything and knows everything which has ever happened or will ever happen; and who is a loving, just and merciful father—would deliberately cause such an unjust and fatal miracle?

Is there no escape from the unhappy moral conclusion that God knowingly caused the slaughter of innocents?

Yes, there is a way, simply choose to believe the other “divinely inspired” account of his birth, the truth as reported in Luke, which is entirely different.

There, it is shepherds tending their flocks who were told by an angel that they would find Jesus lying in a manger—not a house—which they did. In Luke’s account there is no star of Bethlehem, no Herod, and best of all, no slaughter of every innocent male baby in and around Bethlehem!

Is it not strange that the “divine inspiration” of Matthew and Luke should be so diametrically different?

The need to choose which story is true is all the proof needed that the Bible was entirely man-made; which explains why it is riddled by absurdities, historical errors and outright contradictions such as these completely different accounts of the birth of Jesus.

And its being man-made fully explains the greatest contradiction and impossibility of all—that a loving, just and merciful father will consign most of all humanity to eternal punishment forever.

Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! (Matt 7:13-14)

JUST TWO GROUPS: MANY TO ETERNAL SUFFERING AND ONLY A FEW TO SALVATION—THE ARITHMETIC OF HELL

ALL QUITE IMPOSSIBLE FROM A
LOVING-JUST-MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING GOD