ACCC Responds to "Bones of Christ" Claim

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bethlehem PA — An upcoming Discovery Channel program contends that two ancient ossuaries (bone boxes first discovered in 1980) once possibly contained the earthly remains of Jesus Christ. The assertions, which were sure to raise objections from Evangelical Christians who believe the Scriptural account of Christ’s resurrection and His bodily ascension into heaven, have been given extensive coverage in mainstream media.

The documentary, entitled The Lost Tomb of Jesus (a.k.a. The Jesus Family Tomb), was produced by Hollywood film maker James Cameron (The Terminator, Titanic), who took his material chiefly from the book The Jesus Family Tomb.

According to Dr. John McKnight, the claims support a hidden agenda. “It is not unusual for secularists to cast aspersions upon the Scripture. While trying to hide behind a facade of scholarship and intellectual respectability, they are in fact driven by an anti-Christ agenda which the media seem happy to accommodate,” said the president of the American Council of Christian Churches (ACCC). “This (documentary) is but another in a succession of anti-Christ expressions from proponents of the religion of secularism. One detects no restraints of dignity or scruples when the subject is Jesus Christ: He is fair game so long as promoters figure there is a buck to be made,” he added, speaking from his Darlington, Maryland, office.

Organized in 1941, the ACCC is a national coalition of churches which stand for the literal interpretation of Scripture. Dr. Ralph Colas, ACCC executive secretary, added his response to the hype of The Lost Tomb of Jesus documentary.

“The February 26 issue of Newsweek magazine ran an article promoting both the book and the documentary, including only a few sentences from people actually qualified to speak of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. But we get plenty of quotes from apostates posing as theologians who willingly give any blasphemy a positive twist in exchange for 15-seconds of fame,” Colas said.

Colas believes he sees a different standard applied to Christianity. “Think of the hue and cry, shrill threats and car bombs if derogatory statements had been made about some Muslim deity,” he added. “How about those Belgian cartoons featuring Allah: I wonder why the U.S. media didn’t run them?” he asked.

The official position of the ACCC on The Lost Tomb of Jesus is to urge all Christians to reject the heretical teaching it represents, and to call upon The Discovery Channel to cancel its plans to air it. “The word ‘documentary’ implies that you substantiate something with facts. This film is not only spiritually blasphemous, but lacks any credible scientific evidence,” Colas said.

Bible-believing Christians – those who consider the Scriptures to be the actual word of God – would automatically reject the documentary’s premise, as it stands in stark contrast to the gospels’ accounts of Christ’s resurrection, the lode stone of all Christian doctrine. It is the doctrine upon which salvation (eternal life) is based.

American Council of Christian Churches
PO Box 5455
Bethlehem, PA 18015

www.amcouncilcc.org

Dr. Ralph Colas,
Executive Secretary
(610) 865-3009
accc@juno.com

HT: Greg Linscott