Most Christians Say Jesus Wasn't Born on Dec. 25, Poll Finds

Christian Post ^ | 12/25/2012 | By Anugrah Kumar

[SeekAndFind]

When King James Bible Online asked the 110,000 users on its Facebook page if they believe Jesus was born on Dec. 25, Christmas Day, 83 percent of those who responded answered in the negative. A majority of the respondents also said Santa Claus is a "lie."

The date of the birth of Christ was among the four questions King James Bible Online asked as part of its survey, titled "What Do Christians Really Believe About Christmas," that was conducted this month.

Only 11 percent of the respondents said tradition is right about the date of Jesus' birth. Six percent marked "Not sure."

King James Bible Online, a website inviting its visitors to read the Bible online, says 65 percent of its users live in the United States. And 96 percent of those polled said they are Christian.

Interestingly, while the majority of the respondents do not believe Jesus was born on Dec. 25, 71 percent said they think Christians should celebrate Christmas. One-fourth of the respondents said "No."

When asked, "Do you think it's OK to let kids believe in Santa Claus?" the majority, or 64 percent, said, "Definitely not, it's a lie." However, 28 percent said, "Yes, it's just for fun," and six percent had no opinion.

The last question of the survey was, "Do you think it's OK to have a Christmas tree in a church building?" More than half, or 58 percent, of respondents marked "Yes," while 39 percent said "No." Three percent said they were not sure.

The majority of those polled, 82 percent, reported they have been a Christian for more than 10 years, and 79 percent said they had read the entire Bible at least once. Females in the group made up about 60 percent of the respondents.

Several academics have made the claim that Jesus was born several years earlier than commonly believed.

In his recently published book, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict XVI argues that the Christian calendar is based on a miscalculation. "The calculation of the beginning of our calendar – based on the birth of Jesus – was made by Dionysius Exiguus, who made a mistake in his calculations by several years," says the 85-year-old pontiff in the book that was published weeks before Christmas.

"The actual date of Jesus's birth was several years before," the pope argues.

Exiguus, or Dennis the Small, was a 6th-century monk from Eastern Europe who is best known as the inventor of the Anno Domini (AD) era, which is used to number the years of both the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar.

[howlinhound]

“I’ve read something similar. My understanding is that shepherds would not have been out in the fields with their flocks in December, for example.”

This is true, plus Herod had required all male head-of-households to return to the place of their birth to be registered. This is why Joseph and Mary were traveling at the time. Herod was having trouble with Jewish unrest and would not risk further unrest by requiring them to do this traveling during the winter time. It appears that the timing of Herod’s decree and Jesus’ birth indicate the birth occurred in the fall late September, early October. Once gain Herod knew from prophecy that the Messiah was due and he was fearful of being usurped.

[Alberta's Child]

Very good points. The speculation about the child being two years old does lead to some confusion, though. The Gospels are clear that Joseph and Mary had traveled to Bethlehem to meet the legal requirements of the Roman census, so I find it unlikely that they would still have been in Bethlehem two years later.

My theory -- which is based on nothing more than loosely-connected pieces of information from Scripture and my understanding of the astronomical events that "the star" may involve -- is that Herod ordered the slaughter of young children up to the age of two because he didn't know exactly when Christ was born. When the Magi told him that they had started on their journey after "reading" something in the stars, it's possible that they departed from the east many months before Christ was born ... but Herod would not have known that for certain.

[hecht]

you mean Rosh Hashanna

[Larry Lucido]

Mithra was the god of light in ancient Iran.

[Partisan Gunslinger]

It took 39 posts for someone to get it right. Conceived Dec 25, born Sept 29.

[Alberta's Child]

Good post, but you’re incorrect about one thing. It wasn’t Herod who ordered the census/registration. It was the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus who ordered it.

[DungeonMaster]

If it's not important, then why is it important to "know" that it was not December 25? :)

I appreciate the emoticon. :-)

Since the bible does not give a date, that makes it specifically not important data to a Christian. To then ascribe a date where the Holy Spirit has said, by His silence, that a date is not important is to put ones self in the place of or over the Holy Spirit. This would be like putting a date on the end where Jesus said that it is not for us to know.

[theBuckwheat]

Rosh Hashanna = Feast of Trumpets, Lev 23:23

[Exit148]

Love your comments, my FRiend!

[Campion]

The word “Mass” in Christmas means death and the ritual of the Mass involves the death of Christ, and his consequent resurrection.

The word "Mass" has nothing whatsoever to do with death. It's the Anglicization of the the Latin "Missa". "Missa" comes from the priest's words at the end of the liturgy, "Ite, missa est", probably best translated as "Go, you are dismissed". "Missa" certainly derives from the Latin verb "motto, matters", meaning "to send". No death anywhere in sight.

[Campion]

Sorry, should be “derived from the Latin verb “mitto, mittere” ... stupid tablet auto-correct!

[trebb]

Yep - we don’t care about the exact dates He was born/died/ressurected because they have no real importance in the big scheme of things - just like we don’t know the date when He will return to set things right. We just use the dates as a way to honor and remember Him and the Good News He brought to us. Similiarly, we don’t know the exact date of the Last Supper, but we remember Him through Communion and in my persona; case, when saying Grace over Christmas dinner - He told us that when we broke bread (especially in a gathering) to remember the sacrifice of His body for us and the spilling of His blood which signifies the Great Sacrifice to wash away our sins. The day(s) is/are not holy - the event itself is what is Holy.

[Revolting cat!]

All I know is that Our Lord created the world 6,000 years ago, give or take a decade or two, and he created it on January 1st. Simple.

[Lera]

Here is another hint
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.


The word the King James translates as dwelt is σκηνόω in Greek , it means to tent or encamp in other words the Word "tabernacled" among us .



Not only was he not born on December 25 , he also did not die on a Friday as HE spend 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb.


These dates were chosen by people who were ignorant of the Hebrew appointed times and probably on purpose as the people who set these dates were antisemitic and tried to get away from the Hebrew calender as much as they could and that can easily be seen by how they went out of their way to to avoid the Passover link to the crucifixion and the resurrection to the Feast of Firstfruits



1Co_15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co_15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Jas_1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

[wesagain]

Thanks, I lay the fault at the feet of the church that became so steeped in anti-semitism that it lost the connection to it’s roots. The “Jew hate” stayed with the reformation due to Martin Luther’s faulty learning from the church. Now we have seminarys all over the world teaching errors such as the birthdate and deathdate of Jesus. Sad.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

It is easy to find. Just look at when Zacharias did his Temple duty in the Course of Abia, and count from there.

It will eventually show Jesus was probably conceived around Dec 25, and born around the last of September.

http://www.angelfire.com/nv/TheOliveBranch/append179d.html

http://biblelight.net/sukkoth.htm

http://www.biblestudysite.com/179.htm

[I want the USA back]

What a stupid poll! However it was done for a reason. To “prove” that Christians doubt their faith. I’ve always known that Dec 25 has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Also, I’ve always known that the Christian calendar was off by a few years.

Putting “belief” in Santa Claus in the same context as “belief” in the right day for Christmas, is stupid and a sham.

“asked the 110,000 users on its Facebook page...” ...”83 percent of those who responded...” They don’t tell us how many responded!

[svcw]

Dec 25 is a day set aside to celebrate, good grief its a set aside day. What difference does it really make.
Santa is not a lie, and guy named Saint Nicklaus.

[hecht]

obviously, but nobody who observes it refers to it as the feast of trumpets

[hecht]

ps it doesnt translate to feast, but rather remembrance of memorial