Strange Objection to Christ

[WJL]

I was reading a different forum earlier today and I came across an objection to Christ from an atheist. Basically, he’s claiming that “because Mary was espoused to Joseph when she conceived Jesus and Joseph was not His actual father, this would make Him a product of adultery and thus, illegitimate and a mamzer [bastard].”

This seems like a relatively odd objection, but I’m curious as to how it can be countered?

 

[chessmane4e5]

I was reading a different forum earlier today and I came across an objection to Christ from an atheist. Basically, he’s claiming that “because Mary was espoused to Joseph when she conceived Jesus and Joseph was not His actual father, this would make Him a product of adultery and thus, illegitimate and a mamzer [bastard].”

This seems like a relatively odd objection, but I’m curious as to how it can be countered?

First, Mary and Joseph never had sex.

Second, it is true that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father, but he was His earthly father none-the-less.

Third, Jesus was the product of the Holy Spirit and Mary. No adultery there.

 

[1ke]

And what, exactly, was the atheist trying to prove with this line of reasoning? What does being “illegitimate” show? That he didn’t exist? That he wasn’t the Messiah? That he wasn’t God? And, how would *illegitimacy *prove any of these things?

But, of course Jesus was not “illegitimate” because he was not the product of “adultery” because he was not the product of sexual intercourse between Mary and a man.

Jesus was concevied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God.

So, I’m utterly unconvinced by this person’s illogical argument.

 

[kimmielittle]

And what, exactly, was the atheist trying to prove with this line of reasoning? What does being “illegitimate” show? That he didn’t exist? That he wasn’t the Messiah? That he wasn’t God? And, how would *illegitimacy *prove any of these things?

But, of course Jesus was not “illegitimate” because he was not the product of “adultery” because he was not the product of sexual intercourse between Mary and a man.

Jesus was concevied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God.

So, I’m utterly unconvinced by this person’s illogical argument.

:clapping:

 

[fermat]

That poster is basic his objection on his own understand of Jewish traditions at the time of Christ. There are somethings that we are not sure of in Mary’s relationship to Joseph. It is possible that Mary was a consecrated virgin and that Joseph was never meant to be anything more than an protector. The assumption that they were a young couple in love does not really fit the bill of what we know about the Holy Family.

This is a classic case of applying ones own context to something that happened thousands of years ago. I would concentrate on that fact and move the debate towards the posters assumptions. Those will be easier for you to prove faulty than their logic about Christ.

It has been my experience that these people just want an argument about God. I have seen statements like, ‘God is the anti-Christ who is all evil and doesn’t exist.’ There is no way you can win in an argument against a statement like that, but you can address their logic and assumptions. That always works better for me at least.

 

[WJL]

And what, exactly, was the atheist trying to prove with this line of reasoning? What does being “illegitimate” show? That he didn’t exist? That he wasn’t the Messiah? That he wasn’t God? And, how would *illegitimacy *prove any of these things?

I think he was trying to “prove” Christianity is allegedly “inconsistent” with its own theology and that Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah based on his (the atheist’s) “understanding” of what constitutes as illegitimacy. His objection is basically that “because Mary wasn’t married to God, and God is the father of Jesus, that this makes Jesus illegitimate.”

 

[1ke]

I think he was trying to “prove” Christianity is allegedly “inconsistent” with its own theology and that Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah based on his (the atheist’s) “understanding” of what constitutes as illegitimacy. His objection is basically that “because Mary wasn’t married to God, and God is the father of Jesus, that this makes Jesus illegitimate.”

Except that nothing in the Church’s theology depends upon Jesus being “legitimate.”