Pope Benedict challenges Christmas traditions

[Ancient lion]

(CNN) -- It's Christmas, but not as you know it: a new book released this week by Pope Benedict XVI looks at the early life of Jesus -- and debunks several myths about how the Nativity unfolded.

In "Jesus of Nazareth -- The Infancy Narratives," the pope says the Christian calendar is actually based on a blunder by a sixth century monk, who Benedict says was several years off in his calculation of Jesus' birth date.

According to the pope's research, there is also no evidence in the Gospels that the cattle and other animals traditionally pictured gathered around the manger were actually present.
Pope debunks Christmas myths

He also debunks the claim that angels sang at the birth, a staple theme of Christmas carols.

Pope's book on Jesus challenges Christmas traditions - CNN.com

 

[Luddly Neddite]

The pope writes a fictional book about a fictional book and the dupes shell out the bucks.

How many copies do you have to buy to get into heaven?

 

[longknife]

Here's another take on the same story:

Jesus was born years earlier than thought, claims Pope

The entire Christian calendar is based on a miscalculation, the Pope has declared, as he claims in a new book that Jesus was born several years earlier than commonly believed.

Jesus was born years earlier than thought, claims Pope
The Pope also weighs in on the debate over Christ's birthplace
Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP
Nick Squires

The 'mistake' was made by a sixth century monk known as Dionysius Exiguus or in English Dennis the Small, the 85-year-old pontiff claims in the book 'Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives', published on Wednesday.

Read more @ Jesus was born years earlier than thought, claims Pope - Telegraph

 

[longknife]

There are so many errors in the story of Christ's life that this book barely scratches the surface.

We have to remember that most of what we know about his life came from stuff written centuries after his crucifixion.

What did he do from his youth until he went into the desert? He was obviously a carpenter like his father as that was the way things were done back them?

Was he married? Did he have children? Why not? That was the norm at that time. Beside, we know one of his Apostles was his brother. Anyone tell me who?

That the Pope openly admits Christmas is celebrated when it is due to pagan beliefs is, at last, an admission of that particular error. Roman censuses were conducted in the summer, between planting and harvesting.

And here's one for you - what mass does the Catholic church celebrate on Jesus' birthday?

 

[there4eyeM]

The 'Pope' writes even more words to be added to the enormous quantity already injected into the history and myth of Jesus.

That he existed is a historical fact. As with any significant historical figure, myths grow with the magnitude.

Some facts seem clear. Jesus was educated, and not just by anyone. For the time, his teachers were among the greatest scholars of their age. So, he certainly learned to read and write Hebrew. Naturally he spoke Aramaic and doubtless could also write this language as well. Latin being very present, he probably had at least a basic vocabulary and could read some, although it is equally likely that he was functionally literate.

So, why didn't he leave anything written?

Nothing is even ascribed to him, though we should have expected it.

 

[rightwinger]

(CNN) -- It's Christmas, but not as you know it: a new book released this week by Pope Benedict XVI looks at the early life of Jesus -- and debunks several myths about how the Nativity unfolded.

In "Jesus of Nazareth -- The Infancy Narratives," the pope says the Christian calendar is actually based on a blunder by a sixth century monk, who Benedict says was several years off in his calculation of Jesus' birth date.

According to the pope's research, there is also no evidence in the Gospels that the cattle and other animals traditionally pictured gathered around the manger were actually present.
Pope debunks Christmas myths

He also debunks the claim that angels sang at the birth, a staple theme of Christmas carols.

Pope's book on Jesus challenges Christmas traditions - CNN.com

But Santa is still real....right?

 

[konradv]

The fact that the year of Christ's birth is off by at least 4 years and maybe as many as ten is hardly news. That's been known for quite a while. From Roman records we know Herod the Great died in 4 BCE, so that sets the minimum at 4 years. The rest is educated guesswork based on the few clues found in the Bible and other ancient sources.

 

[amrchaos]

So--how old is Jesus now? 41?

 

[konradv]

There are so many errors in the story of Christ's life that this book barely scratches the surface.

We have to remember that most of what we know about his life came from stuff written centuries after his crucifixion.

What did he do from his youth until he went into the desert? He was obviously a carpenter like his father as that was the way things were done back them?

Was he married? Did he have children? Why not? That was the norm at that time. Beside, we know one of his Apostles was his brother. Anyone tell me who?

That the Pope openly admits Christmas is celebrated when it is due to pagan beliefs is, at last, an admission of that particular error. Roman censuses were conducted in the summer, between planting and harvesting.

And here's one for you - what mass does the Catholic church celebrate on Jesus' birthday?

It's not even obvious that he was a carpenter. The word used in the early Greek in which the NT was written actually translates to "craftsman" or "builder", which could mean "stonemason". Hmm..., is this part of the secret knowledge of the Masons?!?!

 

[konradv]

So--how old is Jesus now? 41?

Pontius Pilate was Prefect of Judea from 26-36 CE. So, if you take the latest possible year of Jesus' birth, 4 BCE, and his traditional age of 30 at the start of his ministry, he would have started the same time Pilate took power. If you take the earliest thought date of Jesus birth, 10 BCE, and postulate his death near the end of Pilate's prefecture, he could have been as much as 45-46. Fun to think about, but we'll never really know for sure until...

 

[Grandma]

There are so many errors in the story of Christ's life that this book barely scratches the surface.

We have to remember that most of what we know about his life came from stuff written centuries after his crucifixion.

What did he do from his youth until he went into the desert? He was obviously a carpenter like his father as that was the way things were done back them?

Was he married? Did he have children? Why not? That was the norm at that time. Beside, we know one of his Apostles was his brother. Anyone tell me who?

That the Pope openly admits Christmas is celebrated when it is due to pagan beliefs is, at last, an admission of that particular error. Roman censuses were conducted in the summer, between planting and harvesting.

And here's one for you - what mass does the Catholic church celebrate on Jesus' birthday?

Theologins are now sure that Mary Magdaline was not the unnamed prostitute, and that the wedding at Canaa was in fact hers and Jesus'.

 

[Annie]

That's one of the good things about being Catholic. The Bible has always been an inspired tome, not literal in stories. Only the words attributed to Christ in the gospels are considered sacred.

 

[Avatar4321]

some traditions should be challenged.