christians no different to muslims, page-144

"what did the gospel writers have to gain from constructing this story as you put it? Or in other words what were there motives?"

My apologies. I took it as a rhetorical question.

As believers in the scriptures, and writing, or at least starting an oral tradition, they would want it to appear as valid as possible. If they can include references to previous prophecies, well known to their listeners, it will enhance the credibility of what is, to them, a crucial message for all mankind.

"How could a Nazarene be in David's city at his birth? There must have been a reason, like a census - perhaps there was a census?"

"hey, somebody said there was a census."

"There was a census? Great, that's how Mary was in Bethlehem for Jesus' birth ..... wow, the prophecy is fulfilled".

Just go to the CDU thread and see how rumour and supposition becomes incontrovertible fact within three weeks of pure writings, let alone seventy years of oral tradition (the minimum time between J birth and Mark being written).

No malice, no conspiracy, just human nature and the desire to do good (the two are not always mutually exclusive!).

The same thing occurs through ancient and medieval literature. So-and-so was a hero; so he must have, in fact only, did heroic things. Such and such was a great city (none as big as 196 miles square, mind) so it had great battlements, walls 30m thick and 10m high, with towers all along the walls and great, bronze gates - because that is what a great city was like to the writer.