Easter

[*Zion*]

Easter is coming up, but is it really a biblically chrisitian holy day?  Or should we all be observing Pesach instead?

 

Thoughts please

[angels4u]

I don't think we should have hang-ups about Christmas and Easter ,we know it's pagan background but how about if we all could share the joy of knowing what this brought into our life ?

 

It is pagan back ground but a lot of people do not know that so hopefully they will be ones more reminded about the love of God for giving His only Son to die for you and my sin.

 

The world needs to know~

 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

I don't think we should have hang-ups about Christmas and Easter ,we know it's pagan background but how about if we all could share the joy of knowing what this brought into our life ?

It is pagan back ground but a lot of people do not know that so hopefully they will be ones more reminded about the love of God for giving His only Son to die for you and my sin.

The world needs to know~

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I've heard people say Christmas is pagan. But Easter!?! Please elaborate

[wingnut-]

 

I don't think we should have hang-ups about Christmas and Easter ,we know it's pagan background but how about if we all could share the joy of knowing what this brought into our life ?

It is pagan back ground but a lot of people do not know that so hopefully they will be ones more reminded about the love of God for giving His only Son to die for you and my sin.

The world needs to know~

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I've heard people say Christmas is pagan. But Easter!?! Please elaborate

 

 

Probably referencing the bunny, the eggs (which stem from fertility god), etc.

[angels4u]

What are the origins of Easter?"

Answer:The origins of Easter are rooted in European traditions. The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. Today, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.

In the Christian faith, Easter has come to mean the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after His crucifixion. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year because of the significance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the events upon which Christianity is based. Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

Because of the commercialization and pagan origins of Easter, many churches prefer to refer to it as “Resurrection Sunday.” The rationale is the more we focus on Christ and the less we focus on the pagan holiday, the better. As previously mentioned, the resurrection of Christ is the central theme of Christianity. Paul says that without this, our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17). What more wonderful reason could we have to celebrate! What is important is the true reason behind our celebration, which is that Christ was resurrected from the dead, making it possible for us to have eternal life (Romans 6:4)!

Should we celebrate Easter or allow our children to go on Easter eggs hunts? This is a question both parents and church leaders struggle with. There is nothing essentially evil about painting and hiding eggs and having children search for them. What is important is our focus. If our focus is on Christ and not the eggs, our children will understand that the eggs are just a game. Children can participate in an Easter egg hunt as long as the true meaning of the day is explained and emphasized, but ultimately this must be left up to the discretion of parents.


Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/easter-origins.html#ixzz3Qsu2hnoJ

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

Cool thanks for that,

Here's my issue with trying to say Easter is a pagan holiday.

Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon either on or after March 21st. Passover from what I can tell uses the same moon to calculate when Passover is going to be.

Wikipedia has Easter listed as a Christian celebration and as far as I know every Christian that celebrates Easter is celebrating Christ's death and resurrection. Secularists celebrate it by exchanging gifts (as well as Christians).

So if a Christian is going to call it a pagan holiday, well it's only that because they are trying to make it one. In today's culture Easter is the celebration of Christ death and resurrection.

That's my view.

[Sam Adams]

Very simple answer, if you feel Easter is wrong, do not celebrate it. If you do not find it so, feel free to celebrate it.

For me, I can't wait for the Peeps!

[OakWood]

Many Christian holidays take place during Pagan festivals. There's nothing wrong with this. What's wrong with replacing false god worship with worship of the true God?

[Qnts2]

Cool thanks for that,

Here's my issue with trying to say Easter is a pagan holiday.

Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon either on or after March 21st. Passover from what I can tell uses the same moon to calculate when Passover is going to be.

Wikipedia has Easter listed as a Christian celebration and as far as I know every Christian that celebrates Easter is celebrating Christ's death and resurrection. Secularists celebrate it by exchanging gifts (as well as Christians).

So if a Christian is going to call it a pagan holiday, well it's only that because they are trying to make it one. In today's culture Easter is the celebration of Christ death and resurrection.

That's my view.

 

Just a quick comment. During the 1st Nicean council, to separate entirely from anything related to the Jewish people, they stopped calling the celebration Pascha (Used by some churches), and ordered all churches to use the name of Easter so all would be in common. They also changed the way the date is set for Easter, so it would not coincide with Passover.

 

They sometimes overlap, but mostly, Easter is not at the same time as Passover and the timing is set in a different way. Passover is the 15th day of Nissan. The first day of Nissan is a new moon as all Jewish months begin on a new moon. The month of Nissan is the first month of the agricultural year in the Jewish calendar, and relative to the Gregorian calendar, moves around. Judaism has a leap month at the end of the agricultural year, and if it is a leap year, it moves the month of Nissan later, to coincide with the ripeness of the barley crop.   

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

Qnts2

Thanks for the clarification on the Passover.