Easter. What's with all the plastic eggs, chocolate rabbits & such?

[psychoslice]

I love you Saint Frankenstein, and I would hate ever too hurt you, Ok ?.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

It's Easter Sunday and unusually here the supermarkets are shut, but still hardly anyone has gone to church, they are all indoors stuffing chocolate and cooking roast dinners. What a lot of degenerate heathens!

 

[Riverwolf]

Exactly! It just makes sense to have Easter in the Spring, same with having Christmas around the Winter Solstice. Doesn't mean you're worshiping the seasons or whatever, but it all ties together nicely with its metaphorical meaning. People get so caught up in the trappings that they miss the actual meanings the symbolism is pointing to. I feel sad for people who are so paranoid about the alleged origins of this or that that they strip the symbolic meaning from their religion and their religion becomes dull and uninspiring. I want a vibrant, colorful religion that makes me feel that I've entered the realm of the numinous when I enter its sacred places. I feel that when I go to my parish cathedral.

If origins were really as "important" as all that, and I wanted to try following the "Old Way", as opposed to the "New Way" that is Christianity, I shouldn't follow Asatru (of any variant), either. Go back far enough, and it's not any more "native" to Europe than Christianity! LOL

Less vaguely and maybe-maybe-not ... -ly, I actually incorporate a lot of post-Christian elements in my practices and stories. In addition to the Old Gods Woden, Thunor, Tiu, etc., there's the more modern...ly (can you really just add -ly to any word and have it be understandable in meaning?) familiar figures of Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc. Sure, I may place them in pre-Christian contexts for my stories, but that doesn't make my stories suddenly "less" Pagan.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Why do we even need a Holiday to celebrate the resurrection of Christ? We don't, It was created on the back of a Pagan celebration to attract Pagans or maybe just to demean their celebrations who knows.

You mean that pagans celebrated the Resurrection of Christ? That makes no sense. How did Christians get the idea of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ from non-Christians?! The liturgy has nothing to do with paganism and neither does the date.

But I guess everybody's right, It doesn't really matter. If you want to take it super serious than go for it, But to deny it's Pagan influence outright is dishonest. But you're not doing that anymore, Your defence is 'Everything is Pagan so it doesn't matter' which is.. Wow, like a whole other discussion.

I didn't say everything was pagan, just the cultural trappings but I'm not paranoid so it doesn't matter to me. Rabbits and eggs are cute and I don't think the Devil is entrapping my soul because I color eggs and eat chocolate rabbits. I prefer not to let Satan feel that he is that powerful or that big a part of my life.

It's not fact.
I know the bible didn't fall out of the sky and I know men wrote it. That doesn't mean Yahweh was some version of a polytheist God.

Originally, Yahweh was a part of the Canaanite pantheon. Views shifted as time went on. It's not a bad thing. We grow in spiritual knowledge over the course of our lives and the same is true of cultures.

Man I'm tired. Look you're not even denying that Easter is Pagan anymore so I don't know why we're keeping at this.

I never said that Easter was pagan. I've been arguing against that from the start.

 

[Thana]

You mean that pagans celebrated the Resurrection of Christ? That makes no sense. How did Christians get the idea of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ from non-Christians?! The liturgy has nothing to do with paganism and neither does the date.

Obviously not. Now I just get the feeling that your messing with me.

I didn't say everything was pagan, just the cultural trappings but I'm not paranoid so it doesn't matter to me. Rabbits and eggs are cute and I don't think the Devil is entrapping my soul because I color eggs and eat chocolate rabbits. I prefer not to let Satan feel that he is that powerful or that big a part of my life.

You did. You've said that everything has Paganisms in it so I might aswell not be religious if I don't like it.

Originally, Yahweh was a part of the Canaanite pantheon. Views shifted as time went on. It's not a bad thing. We grow in spiritual knowledge over the course of our lives and the same is true of cultures.

I keep saying that's not fact and you keep saying it is.
My turn.

Is not.

Okay now you

 

[JayJayDee]

I dont see painting eggs as a religious practice. I see no relationship or even verbal intent that people are painting eggs for pagan reasons. I just see color on eggs, nothing more.

The reasons why people paint eggs at this time of year are probably lost on most of them....it's just a custom they have grown up with....but even if they are aware of the connection with paganism, most people don't care. The churches do not condemn it so they figure its all OK.

Its not what you use, its why you use it "and" how you use it.

If people decided to paint eggs at any other time of year and for no particular reason except for a "Painted Eggs Day" then there would be no real problem...but when you steal a date from a pagan festival and adopt all the trappings of the original and call it something else, that is very different. We may not have been around to see the original festival, but God was and he knows that it was held in honor of a false goddess. He forbade his people to adopt the practices of pagan nations, (Deut 18:9-12) so why would he approve of us doing the same thing today?

Most egg painters are probably not pagan. Something arent worshiping using eggs.

If you do something in ignorance, that is one thing...if you do it in full knowledge...that is something else.
You can't do better unless you know better.

Im on my phone, so i have more spelling errors.

I mostly use my iPad and auto-correct drives me nuts. I have had to go back and correct so many posts because it has put in a word I never typed.

Im not seeing the connection that people who paint eggs are doing so with the same intent as pagans in the bible. What am I missing here?

If we copy the date and the customs of pagan celebrations...we are virtually perpetuating that celebration. Whether we call it something else or see nothing wrong with it, we have adopted something that was originally offensive to God. He saw the original, so how can it not still offend him? Why do we need to adopt pagan things anyway? There are 365 days in a year and just about every celebration that humans still hold has pagan roots. Why? Because the devil rules the world and he loves to insult the Creator. (1 John 5:19) People follow along like a bunch of sheep, lined up for the fleecing.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Obviously not. Now I just get the feeling that your messing with me.

Well, Easter is about celebrating the Resurrection of Christ so if it came from pagans, then you're saying that pagans celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.

You did. You've said that everything has Paganisms in it so I might aswell not be religious if I don't like it.

My point is that pretty much everything can be found in earlier forms when it comes to religion. But still, the celebration of Easter itself is not pagan even though it may have cultural trappings that might have something to do with "paganism". It's a Christian celebration.

I keep saying that's not fact and you keep saying it is.
My turn.

Is not.

Okay now you

You'll have to present evidence for that claim, though.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If origins were really as "important" as all that, and I wanted to try following the "Old Way", as opposed to the "New Way" that is Christianity, I shouldn't follow Asatru (of any variant), either. Go back far enough, and it's not any more "native" to Europe than Christianity! LOL

Less vaguely and maybe-maybe-not ... -ly, I actually incorporate a lot of post-Christian elements in my practices and stories. In addition to the Old Gods Woden, Thunor, Tiu, etc., there's the more modern...ly (can you really just add -ly to any word and have it be understandable in meaning?) familiar figures of Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc. Sure, I may place them in pre-Christian contexts for my stories, but that doesn't make my stories suddenly "less" Pagan.

Makes sense to me!

 

[Riverwolf]

Context is everything.

The rabbits (or hares) and eggs are part of the celebrations. The context I use is derived from the pre-Christian conceptions of fertility, but it's still very, very modern (heck, I'm working on a fairy tale in which the God Frey goes on a little Easter Egg hunt of his own. ^_^) The context that many Christians use is ... well, Christian themed; I didn't grow up Christian so I don't really know what those themes are.

I don't know what the pre-Christian context was, exactly, except that it had something to do with fertility. Could have involved wood-sculpted hares pooping out colored chicken eggs for everyone's amusement, for all I know.

 

[Thana]

Well, Easter is about celebrating the Resurrection of Christ so if it came from pagans, then you're saying that pagans celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.



My point is that pretty much everything can be found in earlier forms when it comes to religion. But still, the celebration of Easter itself is not pagan even though it may have cultural trappings that might have something to do with "paganism". It's a Christian celebration.



You'll have to present evidence for that claim, though.

Well, I'm kinda sick of this debate so I guess you win.

Here's some Easter eggs for you

Happy Easter

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Context is everything.

The rabbits (or hares) and eggs are part of the celebrations. The context I use is derived from the pre-Christian conceptions of fertility, but it's still very, very modern (heck, I'm working on a fairy tale in which the God Frey goes on a little Easter Egg hunt of his own. ^_^) The context that many Christians use is ... well, Christian themed; I didn't grow up Christian so I don't really know what those themes are.

I don't know what the pre-Christian context was, exactly, except that it had something to do with fertility. Could have involved wood-sculpted hares pooping out colored chicken eggs for everyone's amusement, for all I know.

Well, I read that the eggs stem from early Christians using the Phoenix as a symbol of their beliefs and the Phoenix hatches from an egg. I don't know about the rabbit, though. I just view them as general Spring symbols and not religious at all, pagan or otherwise.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well, I'm kinda sick of this debate so I guess you win.

Here's some Easter eggs for you

Happy Easter

Mmm, thanks! Happy and blessed Easter to you, as well.

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, I read that the eggs stem from early Christians using the Phoenix as a symbol of their beliefs and the Phoenix hatches from an egg. I don't know about the rabbit, though. I just view them as general Spring symbols and not religious at all, pagan or otherwise.

Huh. Never would have thought of that kind of connection. Makes sense.

...hm...

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Huh. Never would have thought of that kind of connection. Makes sense.

...hm...

Yup: Christian Symbols

And that's a traditionalist Catholic site, as well, so secularists aren't making it up.

 

[Riverwolf]

Yup: Christian Symbols

And that's a traditionalist Catholic site, as well, so secularists aren't making it up.

Well, it doesn't really matter to me what the source is when it comes to these matters.

Either way, it gave me a great idea for how to end the aforementioned fairy tale. ^_^ So thanks for bringing it up.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well, it doesn't really matter to me what the source is when it comes to these matters.

Either way, it gave me a great idea for how to end the aforementioned fairy tale. ^_^ So thanks for bringing it up.

Cool. No problem. Haha. It mentions the egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, too.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

The supermarkets will be open again tomorrow and hordes of people will be looking for cheap unsold Easter eggs! Mind you, I reckon the real bargains will be in a couple of weeks when they start looking at the best-before dates, so I will bide my time. He he he!

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hmm. You make some good points. Let me ask, what do you define as paganism? Is it a strict definition, those outside the abrahamic religions?

The reasons why people paint eggs at this time of year are probably lost on most of them....it's just a custom they have grown up with....but even if they are aware of the connection with paganism, most people don't care. The churches do not condemn it so they figure its all OK​

So its not the painting eggs itself, its the connection with the practice to pagan holidays. Let me ask, your God doesnt care about the ignorance or lack of adherance to pagan beliefa but rather sees the practices and objects in themselves bad? Do they have some type of magic power withoit the person using them for pagan purposes?

It is as if I believe the Buddha said dont use the bible in your practice because it is against the Buddhas teachings. Instead of using it for christian purposes, I read it out of interest. If I (example) used it with intent of christian practice and called it a Buddhist teaching, that is wrong.

In other words, how do you hold somone who is 1. Ignorant of what scripture defines as pagan teachings (if they are christian) and 2. Do not use these practices in pagan worship? against God.

If I worship Christ I need more than just the Bible, I need the Word.

If people decided to paint eggs at any other time of year and for no particular reason except for a "Painted Eggs Day" then there would be no real problem...but when you steal a date from a pagan festival and adopt all the trappings of the original and call it something else, that is very different. We may not have been around to see the original festival, but God was and he knows that it was held in honor of a false goddess. He forbade his people to adopt the practices of pagan nations, (Deut 18:9-12) so why would he approve of us doing the same thing today?​

Applys to above question.

If you do something in ignorance, that is one thing...if you do it in full knowledge...that is something else. You can't do better unless you know better.​

Ignorance or not, pagan and any other practice is not just about the practices involved. I can go to a baptist church, worship like them, associate like them, that doesnt make me kin to baptist way of approaching and worshiping Christ. Is it wrong, no. Is it inappropriate, yes.

I mostly use my iPad and auto-correct drives me nuts. I have had to go back and correct so many posts because it has put in a word I never typed.
​

Haha. Yeah. Auto correct doesnt work on my phone. I miss my lap top.

If we copy the date and the customs of pagan celebrations...we are virtually perpetuating that celebration. Whether we call it something else or see nothing wrong with it, we have adopted something that was originally offensive to God. He saw the original, so how can it not still offend him? Why do we need to adopt pagan things anyway? There are 365 days in a year and just about every celebration that humans still hold has pagan roots. Why? Because the devil rules the world and he loves to insult the Creator. (1 John 5:19) People follow along like a bunch of sheep, lined up for the fleecing.
​

I cant comment on the devil. The conceptnthat he had something to do with this is, in my ooinion, silly. I can see why celebrations of pagan origin would bother you. If I were a practicing christian, I wouldnt want anything God defines as pagan in my practice. The fact is that its origin (christianity included) of mixed pagan and somewhat jewish with reformed and to some extent via the apostles romanized practices shouldnt deter one from a relationship with Jesus. Christians do not see the paganism in their beliefs but they are the first to point out the paganism in ours. Does it matter the origin? No. Unless you are making the origina practice your "belief 'and' practice" it is like playing with the same football a pagan did years ago. Does the object have magical negative energy that renders it a sin to one who touches it or is it how they use it and their belief that is wrong?

Underatand what Im saying?

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

I thought easter was supposed to be about Jesus?
Where'd the rabbits, chickens, eggs, come from?
Oh, nooooooooooooooooo, don't tell me easter is influenced by a pagan fertility celebration!
Why do Christian churchs decorate with plastic rabbits & eggs, & such?

My guess is they thought people today would get pissed if they were sitting there in their pews and got washed in the blood--especially if it was before the collection plate was passed.

 

[jeager106]

It's Easter Sunday and unusually here the supermarkets are shut, but still hardly anyone has gone to church, they are all indoors stuffing chocolate and cooking roast dinners. What a lot of degenerate heathens!

The True Origin of Easter
God Calls Easter Evil
Now that we know that Easter is the goddess Ashtaroth, we need to look into the Bible and see what God thinks of her. Look at this verse: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of theLORD…And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth [Easter]” (Jdg. 2:11, 13).

The link is from the New Reformed Chruch of God, not the J.W. Many "reformed" churchs are not recognizing Easter and Christmas
as religious holidays. They also recongnize hell as the pagan notion that is it and teach that in services.