Where did the 3 Kings go?

[marco]

We learn that the baby Jesus was visited by three kings, wise men or magi. They came to see him and then disappeared into the shadows of history or fiction. So we ask:

What was the point of their visit?
In what way did it affect history?
If they are just symbolic, unreal figures - what is their purpose?

More importantly, does this mythology - if it is mythology - destroy belief in Christ?

[Claire Evans]

We learn that the baby Jesus was visited by three kings, wise men or magi. They came to see him and then disappeared into the shadows of history or fiction. So we ask:

What was the point of their visit?
In what way did it affect history?
If they are just symbolic, unreal figures - what is their purpose?

More importantly, does this mythology - if it is mythology - destroy belief in Christ?

I believe the magi were spies for Herod to give away the location of Jesus. They were obviously to report back to Herod but perhaps they changed their minds and never got back to Herod and fled.

It would not affect history at all.

[marco]

I believe the magi were spies for Herod to give away the location of Jesus. They were obviously to report back to Herod but perhaps they changed their minds and never got back to Herod and fled.

That's a novel idea. Why would Herod anticipate Christ's kingship and send spies to view a baby?

Once Christ claimed to be a king, then action might be taken. The baby, so far, has said nothing. In the Islamic account he did speak shortly after being delivered, if I recall correctly. Mystifying.

[Blastcat]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness]

Of course their is scientific proof!
The magi are the three star in Orion's Belt that point to the star Sirius also known as the star Osiris.
Near the equator, Sirius, dips below the horizon near the 13th lunar month, and only the Magi point his location, until it comes back on the 25th of December.

The gifts of gold and aphrodisiacs, I am convinced is a Roman perversion: The son of the God Augustus, Tiberius, a demi-god born about the same time as Jesus was allegedly born, loved gold and aphrodisiacs, so I think he wanted to be worshiped by proxy.

Where are the magi? Right where they have always been.

Your opinions aren't facts . but you have a great imagination

My opinion is astronomy?!

You mean I made up the three stars in Orion's belt and Sirius?

No.. I guess the stars are true enough.. But your theory about the three kings is opinion and not at all a fact.

Who am I? God?.

Wouldn't that be great?




Astrology is fun.

[Willum]

[Replying to Blastcat]

It's not my conjecture about the Three Kings, that is the name if the stars, and the mythological events are official myths. Kindly don't accuse me of this kind of shenanigans without at least doing a cursory "Google."

My theory is about their gifts, why bring aphrodisiacs to a baby? Ewww.

We are here debating th validity of religion vs. myth, why is it that that myth tradition, of stealing stories from other cultures is so disparaged when it comes to Christianity, shouldn't it rather be an excellent debating tool to show Christianity is identical to those older religions?

Here we have shown Jesus' birth in December, analogous to Osiris or Isis, according to an astrology myth, and you claim I am making it up?!

[Blastcat]

[Replying to Blastcat]

It's not my conjecture about the Three Kings, that is the name if the stars, and the mythological events are official myths. Kindly don't accuse me of this kind of shenanigans without at least doing a cursory "Google."



I tend to shy away from cursory Googling.






My theory is about their gifts, why bring aphrodisiacs to a baby? Ewww.





We never know when they're gonna be needed.




We are here debating th validity of religion vs. myth, why is it that that myth tradition, of stealing stories from other cultures is so disparaged when it comes to Christianity, shouldn't it rather be an excellent debating tool to show Christianity is identical to those older religions?

Here we have shown Jesus' birth in December, analogous to Osiris or Isis, according to an astrology myth, and you claim I am making it up?!

It's not surprising that people believed in all manner of things. Is your theory that the three wise men were just stars, and you know this as a fact?

[Willum]

[Replying to post 25 by Blastcat]

No, no, no, before I go proving a perfectly reasonable and per-existing myth about three wise men, you need to demonstrate a Jesus.

Which, as we all know, can't be done.
No putting of carts before the horses.

Show me there were physically three wise-men, then you win.
Otherwise there are three stars called three wise men, they point to the Egyptian resurrection myth, and cover the same time-scape as Jesus birth.

As far as I can tell, that's all I need to prove, because it is all that is possible to prove.
Now, on the other hand, your trump must be to prove three MAJOR historically notable kings made a journey.

Pretty simple for the win.

[Blastcat]

Moderator removed one-line, non-contributing post. Kindly refrain from making posts that contribute nothing to debate and/or simply express agreement / disagreement or make other frivolous remarks.

For complementing or agreeing use the "Like" function or the MGP button. For anything else use PM.

[marco]

But I don't think your theory is sound..

It is more sound than the standard explanation that three kings came out of the East to honour a baby god-king. Relating them to astronomy, given that the Persians were interested in anything unusual among the stars, at least takes some of the absurdity from the Christmas story.

The point, I think, is to show that instead of reaching for divine explanations, we can find more acceptable ones with a little non-supernatural thought.

[Blastcat]

But I don't think your theory is sound..

It is more sound than the standard explanation that three kings came out of the East to honour a baby god-king. Relating them to astronomy, given that the Persians were interested in anything unusual among the stars, at least takes some of the absurdity from the Christmas story.

The point, I think, is to show that instead of reaching for divine explanations, we can find more acceptable ones with a little non-supernatural thought.

Sure we can make all kinds of hypotheses, but not be able to prove any of them. We can all speculate, and in this case, it's all we have.


Let's not pretend to know what we really don't know. That's what the faithful do.

[marco]

Sure we can make all kinds of hypotheses, but not be able to prove any of them. We can all speculate, and in this case, it's all we have.


Let's not pretend to know what we really don't know. That's what the faithful do.

People like Einstein formulated hypotheses before they were verified. All over the place we have wonderful hypotheses yet to be proved.
Fermat wrote in the margin of his geometry book:
"I have today discovered a wonderful proof but the margin is too small to contain it." This set a challenge for mathematicians for centuries. It is believed the brilliant Fermat probably hadn't proved his claim. But where would we be without people brave enough to hypothesise?

(Fermat's claim has been proved, after a fashion, but very few follow it.)
Warm regards