Note to media:"Christ" was not his last name

On MSNBC, Fox News refugee Rita Cosby -- whose reporting forte is more murdered co-eds than war dead -- just referred to Nazareth as "the holy city" that is "the birthplace of Jesus Christ." Nazareth, an Israeli town with a largely Arab population, had just been hit by Hezbollah rockets.

First of all, given Cosby's "objective" reportage of Nazareth as a place universally regarded as a holy city, one would hope she knew her New Testament a bit better -- or at least a few Christmas carols. The Gospels tell us, as even non-Christians know, that Bethlehem was the birthplace of the historical person known as Jesus of Nazareth. (There is much dispute whether or not this claim is accurate, or simply an attempt by Gospel writers to fulfill Hebrew scripture regarding the birth of a messiah, such as that found in Micah.)

But worse than that is Cosby's reference to "Jesus Christ." Christ was not the guy's last name; it is a Greek word that speaks to Christians' belief that Jesus, son of Mary, is the Jewish messiah -- not a belief shared by the Jewish people. At best, it's sloppy speech on Cosby's part, indicating ignorance and chauvinism.