To be amused at a discussion I can overhear?

[brasty]

At work and currently listening in on a discussion where one woman is trying to explain to a colleague that Jesus was Jewish. Colleague isn't having it

Obviously Jesus was jewish.

When we first moved to the US, DD was 5. Her first winter here we watched Madagascar. Soon after was MLK day and she came home telling me that she'd watched a video all about Martin Luther King Julian.

I'm fairly sure he was one of the 12 disciples.

Jesus the man almost certainly did exist. This is not really in dispute.

Yes, it is. There's a lot of strong opinions, argument and evidence on each side (and the Bible isn't great evidence here, bar things like the Epistles that were written decades rather than 100s of years later) but it's definitely in dispute.

There's a good Guardian article here with an outline of the case for the existence of a Jesus of Nazareth: www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-historical-evidence-that-jesus-christ-lived-and-died

And the counter argument is outlined here: theconversation.com/weighing-up-the-evidence-for-the-historical-jesus-35319

Both sets of arguments (the proper ones, disregarding the extremists on both sides) are well thought through and we all bring our biases to bear on this. Frankly very few people, including I would think pretty much all of us on this thread and definitely myself, are properly qualified in the appropriate languages and history to really understand what the texts are saying.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be interested and that it shouldn't be discussed, but it IS in dispute and I don't think it's something that's resolvable by anything other than faith.

FWIW I feel (with historical training but without a background in this area) that the case against is stronger, but I am unecumbered by a religious background so I would say that. You see the problem.

Oh and The Conversation exists to make academic research accessible to a general audience; it's properly researched stuff but not written in the complex and expert-audience manner of most peer-reviewed papers. It's as reliable as any other decent academic resource.

Also: not only are beavers fish if you're a Catholic monk that would like a bit of variety in your diet, so are capybaras.

And geese, in the 12th c if I recall correctly, though I think Gerald of Wales might have decided that, and he was not exactly what you'd call a paragon of common sense - he thought barnacle geese were literally born from barnacles, and therefore fish.

I imagine Jesus ate goose at Christmas, in that case.

The evidence grows ever stronger...

I, too, would like to thank everyone for the mixture of highbrow and educational alongside the daft and gently irreverent (or possibly irReverend, in the circumstances?)...all proving discussions like this can^ take place in an adult fashion.

Good show, all.

Who would have thought he'd come back as a kebab shop owner?

Well, a kebab shop owner would obviously choose St Pitta to run his Church!

I love how this makes it look like Paul O'Grady established the Christian church!

Nobody should eat capybaras. They are so cute and everyone's friend.

www.lifebuzz.com/capybara-bff/

Even Jesus, not to mention Paul O'Grady, wouldn't want people to eat Capybaras!

True Paul O Grady is an animal lover and one of the founders of the Christian church, he would NOT agree with the ruling about capybaras

I want a carybaras! 😩

(Not to eat...)

Yes I suspect cruel to keep them as pets, but I love them too. Apparently in personality they are more like cats in that you have to earn their love. But they like being cuddled.

An escaped capybara was spotted at Henley this year.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2362108/Worlds-largest-rodent-spotted-running-river-bank-capybara-escapes-Lord-McAlpines-animal-sanctuary.html

If I had a large estate, I would have a herd of these. Do you think I could post a begging thread on MN to buy an estate to house capybaras?

Oh, they're adorable! I've never seen one before. Giant Guinea pigs: look at this 2 minute video clip.
Caution:
do not have a mouthful of tea whilst watching it chew snacks at 1.58... Your screen will not appreciate the sudden shower.

So cute! They can run up to 30 miles an hour, so need a lot of space.

30 miles an hour!
Crikey.

I want a nativity play now where the capybara takes a pregnant Mary into Jerusalem, rather than a donkey.

Paul O'Grady, with his St.Francis of Assisi-like love of animals, would ensure their utmost welfare, I'm sure.

You better keep the nativity idea quiet, OP, or some ambitious Primary will add capybaras to their list of random, non-biblical inclusions, with robots and the like.

I am a Reader Kittens.

If you're not familiar with the Anglican church, a Reader is a licensed minister, rather than an ordained one. I can do everything except blessing the bread and wine, and weddings, but am not paid.

I did the Greek for "fun", as an extra module - how little I realised . . .

Well, a kebab shop owner would obviously choose St Pitta to run his Church!

Thaila If I was a primary school teacher, I would add a capybara and ask a mum to make the costume [

No, no, no, OP...if you're a truly ambitious Primary, surely you pull strings to acquire some poor real, live capybara for impressing the more blasé parents?

Wonder if RL donkeys roped into these productions ever throw a diva strop, refuse point blank to lower themselves to perform, and storm off to their actual trailer in full Hollywood actor mode?