Madam, - Rev John Faris and Father Ignatius Fennessey (December 29th) make a game attempt to defend Christmas and the Incarnation at that season, but really, the attempt is in vain.
Among the earliest Christians, on the evidence of the Gospel of the Ebionites, Jesus assumed divine sonship - whatever (incarnationally?) is meant by that term - at the time of his baptism by John in the River Jordan. This beginning to the Gospel is not only mirrored in Mark, but textual analysis of Luke and Matthew has shown that they too once began where Mark now begins. And even John 1.15, following from 1.14, supports that emphasis.
Consequent upon this, the Epiphany (as is still the case in the Orthodox Churches) in earlier times marked Jesus's baptism, not the visit of three kings in his infancy.
In sum, celebrating the Nativity was no part of the ceremonies of the primitive Church, and Clement of Alexandria, in about the year 200, even criticised as "superstitious", i.e. unhelpful to the true faith, those who enquired into the date of the birth of Jesus.
Christianity without Christmas offers a severe shock to conventional assumptions now. And no doubt the Quakers are correct to emphasise that the essential Christian qualities (peace and goodwill, charity, loving one's neighbour) belong not to special days or seasons, but should be manifested all the time, every day of the year. The Quaker poet J.G. Whittier put it well:
"Judge not him who every morn/ Feels in his heart the Lord
Christ born". - Yours, etc.,
Dr MARTIN PULBROOK, New Meeting House, Prince's Street, Cork.