Discovery Channel Accused of Attacking Christianity
Pastor Dale Morgan
Discovery Channel Accused of Attacking Christianity*
Feb 28th, 2007 7:59 AM
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSN Staff Writer
(CNSN) - As archeologists question filmmaker James Cameron's claim that
he has discovered the tomb of Jesus Christ and his family, Christian
groups are criticizing the Discovery Channel for what they call another
attack on Christianity.
The cable channel, which bills itself as "the number-one nonfiction
media company," will air "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" on Sunday, March 4.
According to Discovery Channel promotional material, the documentary
produced by Academy Award winner Cameron and directed by Simcha
Jacobovici presents "new evidence that Jesus and Mary Magdalene ... may
have had a son named Judah."
The filmmakers claim that bone boxes first discovered in 1980 may
contain the physical remains of Jesus and his family. They suggest that
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they produced a child named
Judah, because an inscription on one of the boxes says, "Judah, son of
Jesus."
According to several accounts in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene had
been cured of demon-possession early in Jesus' ministry. She become a
follower of Jesus and was one of the first to hear of his resurrection.
Several scientists, including the Israeli archeologist who discovered
the boxes in 1980, have disputed Cameron's claim. "The claim that the
burial site has been found is not based on any proof, and is only an
attempt to sell," Amos Kloner said in a statement. "With all due
respect, they are not archeologists," he said of Cameron and Jacobovici.
As scientists criticize Cameron's "attempt to sell" his documentary,
Christian groups are criticizing Discovery Channel for airing the claims.
"Unfortunately, this is a story full of holes, conjectures and
problems," Asbury Theological Seminary professor Ben Witherington said.
"It will make good TV and involves bad critical reading of history."
For Christians around the world, the claims in the documentary threaten
the foundation of their faith system. If the documentary's claims are
true, the evidence undermines the core tenets of Christian faith, most
notably that Jesus was resurrected three days after his crucifixion and
later ascended into Heaven.
"As a born-again Christian, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead is an immovable foundation of what I know is true," Randy
Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families, said in
a statement.
Quoting the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, Thomasson highlighted
the centrality of the resurrection, "If Christ has not been raised, our
preaching is useless and so is your faith."
Some Christian leaders see the airing of the widely criticized claims as
a direct attack on Christianity.
"Not a Lenten season goes by without some author or TV program seeking
to cast doubt on the divinity of Jesus and/or the Resurrection," Bill
Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil
Rights, said in a statement. The Lenten season is the 40 days between
Ash Wednesday and Easter during which Catholics honor the biblical
account of Jesus' 40-day fast.
According to Discovery, the movie does not challenge Christian beliefs.
Spokesmen for the network argue it actually buttresses some doctrines.
Representatives for the channel were unavailable Tuesday, but in a
statement on its website, the network says that "if Jesus' mortal
remains have been found, this would contradict the idea of a physical
ascension [into Heaven] but not the idea of a spiritual ascension,"
adding that the latter is consistent with Christian theology.
In a news conference hosted by Discovery Channel to promote the film,
Dr. James Charlesworth, a professor of New Testament language and
literature at Princeton Theological Seminary, said the findings could
help Christian doctrine by combating heretic teachings that Christ was
not fully human.
If the findings are accurate, Charlesworth said, "we're finding a basis
for Christian hope and vision indeed the Christian affirms that Jesus
was fully God and fully human."
Jane Root, president and general manager of the Discovery Channel, said
at the news conference that the network has "a longstanding policy of
strict editorial neutrality when presenting scientific evidence."
She also said the network "believe[s] that there is compelling data that
these tombs may have contained the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and
members of his family."
"We don't state a point of view, rather our responsibility is to provide
a forum for credible evidence," Root said of the channel. "We allow our
viewers to weigh the merits and make their own judgments."
She recognized the controversy surrounding the film's claims and said,
"We welcome and encourage the spirited conversations about what this all
means."
Discovery Channel is no stranger to Christian controversies. In 2002,
the channel promoted the apparent discovery of a similar bone box some
believed belonged to Jesus' brother, James.
The Israeli Antiquities Authority later determined the box to be a
forgery when it appeared as though the name inscription, which read
"James son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus," has been recently added to the
artifact.
In 2006, the NBC network aired an April special on Michael Baigent, an
author who believes that much of the common understanding of Jesus' life
is "a lie." In the report, Baigent argued that his crucifixion was
"rigged" and that Jesus never really died. He also supports the theory
that Jesus and Mary Magdalene produced a child.
In May 2005, ABC's 20/20 aired a special examining the resurrection
story, including input from Christian leaders who believe the biblical
account and skeptics who viewed it as myth or misunderstanding.