Dating the Birth of Jesus

Whether or not Jesus was born in the winter is subject to controversy. The Catholic Encyclopedia points out that midwinter would be the only time people could leave their fields for a census yet it's an unlikely time for shepherds to stay out nights with their flocks. The Baptist Pastor Greg Wilson in Let's Keep Christ out of Christmas argues that the whole Christmas celebration is a pagan borrowing and that winter is an unlikely time for Roman citizens to have had to make the trek to their hometowns for the tax-census. The selection of the solstice birthdate for Jesus may be based on the birthdate for Mithras.