What passes for humor among the atheists:I hope they don’t think they’re original with their commentary on the Bible. Been there done that. It’s so 19th century higher criticism! Nothing new after all these years? Blah, blah, blah, Isaiah 7:14 doesn’t necessarily mean a virgin birth (Hebrew word not the one usually used of virgin), Matthew mentions it but Mark doesn’t. Blah, blah, blah, the Gospels are confusing, they don’t say exactly the same thing, They can’t get their story straight. Blah, blah, blah, the genealogies aren’t the same. Blah, blah, blah, the story of Herod is too much like Moses to be true, blah, blah, blah. What’s with the census?About the Isaiah passage, interestingly the Septuagint uses the same word Matthew does (the Septuagint and the quote from Isaiah are very similar). Evidently, the Jews who translated the Hebrew into Greek thought the word should be translated “virgin.”And saying that the Jews traced their linage through the mother ignores the entire Old Testament’s genealogies which are traced through the father. There’s a reason Matthew used the genealogy he did and Luke used the one that he did. They had a purpose which was probably theological. That’s why the Gospels are different, btw. The authors had different purposes for presenting the material the way they did. They were telling their story from different perspectives. I know that’s a hard concept for the atheists to grasp, that a story could be true and yet be told from different perspectives. We never see that in our day, huh?Matthew’s Gospel is a retelling of the story of Israel through Jesus, the true Son of God. John’s Gospel is written as a witness to the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God so that the reader believes in him and have eternal life (20:31). Mark’s Gospel is written so that the reader understands what Jesus said and did, it is a simple telling of Jesus’ life (during the three years of his ministry). The purpose of Luke’s Gospel is stated at the beginning of the Gospel:

ESV Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Admit it, if the Gospels were identical, you’d be sneering about collusion, since they’re different, you’re sneering about inconsistencies and contradictions. We know you’ll never be satisfied.(via)