Relax ZC. I do not believe Genesis 1-11 are mythology.
As for Jesus being born on the 25th of December, you show me some contrary evidence. Like I said, Hippolytus mentions it specifically around 200. Chrysostom calls it an immemorial tradition of the Roman Church based on the census records.
Actually, if I had to guess I’d say there was an underlying Hebrew date (25 Kislev?), which was conflated with the Incarnation and rendered into the local calendars haphazardly (25 Pachon, 25 Pharmuthi, January 6th).
Then I apologize, though I was certain you had made your rejection of those chapters clear.
As for Jesus being born on the 25th of December, you show me some contrary evidence.
"Oh yeah; prove it wasn't!" is hardly the most exacting logical argument.
Like I said, Hippolytus mentions it specifically around 200. Chrysostom calls it an immemorial tradition of the Roman Church based on the census records.
Actually, if I had to guess I’d say there was an underlying Hebrew date (25 Kislev?), which was conflated with the Incarnation and rendered into the local calendars haphazardly (25 Pachon, 25 Pharmuthi, January 6th).
1/6 was originally picked as the observance of the baptism of J*sus because it coincided with the ancient Egyptian Nile festival. Thus it became the "sanctification of the waters."
What I am objecting to in threads like this is the emerging "fundamentalist" attitude towards church tradition (an attitude that I had never been aware of before; certainly I can't recall any serious defense of the historicity of liturgical celebration dates before quite recently) when compared with the skepticism and hostility toward the Jewish festivals, which were given to Israel not by any prophet or any human being whatsoever but directly from the Mouth of the Invisible G-d. I myself have read serious claims by Catholic apologists that such Jewish festivals as Sukkot were adapted from pagan festivals--an argument that not only assumes the documentary hypothesis but is utterly at odds with all the Biblical and historical evidence.
According to Jewish Tradition Ro'sh HaShanah is the anniversary of the day Adam and Eve were created. Do you really mean to say that you accept this? I find it very hard to believe that any modern Catholic would, and when this skepticism and irreverence is contrasted with the neo-fundamentalism of the argument that "J*sus really was born on December 25" I find it quite infuriating.
Another point: the traditional chrstian attitude towards pagan vis a vis Jewish festivals is horrendous. Pagan festivals are "baptized" by being adapted while Jewish festivals are absolutely and positively forbidden. I don't suppose you can see where my objection to this lies, but it is at the heart of the impositions of chrstianity. If pagan feasts can be "baptized," then why are the Jewish holidays, and indeed the entire Jewish calendar all but banned?
The fact that chrstianity adapted the calendar and feasts of pagan Rome and rejected and anathematized those of Judaism forever give the lie to the annoying claim that chrstianity "fulfilled" Judaism. If anything, chrstianity has only fulfilled paganism.