Mark Driscoll offers thoughts on the date of Jesus' birth, links Christmastime to pagan tradition

Kaye Garcia Sunday, January 01, 2017

Christmas holiday lights hang from trees to illuminate Champs Elysees avenue in Paris as rush hour traffic fills the avenue leading down to the Giant Ferris Wheel at place de la Concorde in Paris, France, Nov. 21, 2016. | Reuters/Charles Platiau

Was Jesus of Nazareth actually born on Dec. 25? Evangelical leader Mark Driscoll shares his thoughts and offers answers to this question, stating that Christmas Day may be rooted in pagan tradition rather than being the actual date when Christ was born.

Throughout the centuries, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on Dec. 25. However, a close study of the Scripture and historical accounts suggest that the date could not have been Christ's actual birthday.

In a video posted on his official website, Driscoll points out that according to the Bible, shepherds were out in the fields when the Nativity took place. This implies that it was a warm night, otherwise, the shepherds would have kept their flock sheltered from the cold.

Driscoll, who is a pastor at Arizona-based Trinity Church, explains that Christians may have adopted the ancient pagan holiday of Saturnalia, which took place in December, to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Saturnalia, according to the pastor, had themes that were in line with those around the birth of Christ.

"It was time that people gave gifts. It was a time for family. It was a time to eat meals together. It was a time for celebration, and it was a joyful, festive holiday," Driscoll states, describing the Saturnalia holiday.

The questions surrounding the Christmas Story are not limited to the actual date when Jesus was born. Pope Benedict himself questioned some of the stories around Jesus' birth in his 2012 book "Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy of Narratives." He raised, for instance, that "there is no mention of animals in the Gospels."

Mark Goodacre, a professor in the Duke University Department of Religion, explained to TIME that the Nativity story tells of baby Jesus being born in a manger, but Luke could be referring to the lower level of a house, and not necessarily a stable. "They're not in a stable. It's one of the most famous pictures of Christmas there is, of him being born in a stable, and the textual basis for that is very weak," he said.

Nevertheless, the lack of textual proof supporting does not seem to bother a lot of Christians. In a 2014 Pew Survey, 65 percent of American adults accept the Christmas story as fact.