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Many Christian observances have pagan roots as the early Catholic Church sought to incorporate the many pagans into their clutch. Since pagans naturally didn't want to, the Church had to sweeten the deal by letting them bring in their various celebrations like Easter, Christmas, etc.
Not true. Many seasons of the year have been celebrated by different cultures for different reasons. No one had to "sweeten" any "deal." On the other hand, we do see decorations and games crossing cultures and being used for different reasons in different celebrations.
In my family, atheists celebrate both Christmas and Easter with those of us who are Christians. Funny thing is, they never insist they are celebrating a pagan version of the holiday. Rather like birthdays that are not their own, they gather to be with family and enjoy family interactions. The reason doesn't matter to them, being with family does.
The Pagan Origins of Jesus Christ and Christianity
...Wanna keep talking or just admit you were wrong, have been corrected and go on with life?
I'm not wrong. Try looking at scholarly reports and originals of many mythological stories, and you will see this for yourself. Then add the history and cultures where mythology and various religions originate and you will be convinced.
I have always had a strong interest in both religion and mythology. Take any of your stories (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse) and you will find the differences between any of them and Christianity more interesting than trying to force similarities to fit the same mold. The disservice to all is equal--why is it that uniqueness, where ever it surfaces, there are those who insist on stomping it into a boring uniformity?
Atheist comparisons to mythologies and religions are pathetic at best. They should at least do a little more in depth study on one, even if they are too lazy to do it on both.
Kinda figured. Takes a mature adult to admit when they're wrong.
That proves nothing,funny you think it does,try again.Many Christian observances have pagan roots as the early Catholic Church sought to incorporate the many pagans into their clutch. Since pagans naturally didn't want to, the Church had to sweeten the deal by letting them bring in their various celebrations like Easter, Christmas, etc.
Not true. Many seasons of the year have been celebrated by different cultures for different reasons. No one had to "sweeten" any "deal." On the other hand, we do see decorations and games crossing cultures and being used for different reasons in different celebrations.
In my family, atheists celebrate both Christmas and Easter with those of us who are Christians. Funny thing is, they never insist they are celebrating a pagan version of the holiday. Rather like birthdays that are not their own, they gather to be with family and enjoy family interactions. The reason doesn't matter to them, being with family does.
The Pagan Origins of Jesus Christ and Christianity
...Wanna keep talking or just admit you were wrong, have been corrected and go on with life?
Give it a try it not hard,you are completely wrong,and your evidence is weak,who's the mature one here?Many Christian observances have pagan roots as the early Catholic Church sought to incorporate the many pagans into their clutch. Since pagans naturally didn't want to, the Church had to sweeten the deal by letting them bring in their various celebrations like Easter, Christmas, etc.
Not true. Many seasons of the year have been celebrated by different cultures for different reasons. No one had to "sweeten" any "deal." On the other hand, we do see decorations and games crossing cultures and being used for different reasons in different celebrations.
In my family, atheists celebrate both Christmas and Easter with those of us who are Christians. Funny thing is, they never insist they are celebrating a pagan version of the holiday. Rather like birthdays that are not their own, they gather to be with family and enjoy family interactions. The reason doesn't matter to them, being with family does.
The Pagan Origins of Jesus Christ and Christianity
...Wanna keep talking or just admit you were wrong, have been corrected and go on with life?
I'm not wrong. Try looking at scholarly reports and originals of many mythological stories, and you will see this for yourself. Then add the history and cultures where mythology and various religions originate and you will be convinced.
I have always had a strong interest in both religion and mythology. Take any of your stories (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse) and you will find the differences between any of them and Christianity more interesting than trying to force similarities to fit the same mold. The disservice to all is equal--why is it that uniqueness, where ever it surfaces, there are those who insist on stomping it into a boring uniformity?
Atheist comparisons to mythologies and religions are pathetic at best. They should at least do a little more in depth study on one, even if they are too lazy to do it on both.
Kinda figured. Takes a mature adult to admit when they're wrong.
no where near as amazing as the lies atheists spread about Christianity as if there were actually some truth to what they say....Never ceases to amaze me how little theists know about their own religions while atheists know so much more.
your source is Bruce who prides himself as never having studied mythology.....yet the claims you quote include..
no where near as amazing as the lies atheists spread about Christianity as if there were actually some truth to what they say....Never ceases to amaze me how little theists know about their own religions while atheists know so much more.
Yes, but for good reason. Done to blot out and erase Paganism. Other dates like Easter they just got wrong since it should be synced with the Jewish Passover.Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection for the Christians. All this crap about bunny eggs, goddesses and hanky panky in the moonlight is just so much camel crap.
I picked the Wikipedia version for the explanation.
Easter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Christian and cultural festival. For other uses, see Easter (disambiguation).
Easter
Eastern Orthodox Christian icon depicting theHarrowing of Hell or Descent intoHades[1][2][3] (cf. Resurrection of Jesus in Christian art)
Type Christian, cultural
Significance Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Celebrations Church services, festive family meals, Easter egg hunts and gift-giving
Observances Prayer, all-night vigil, sunrise service
2014 date 20 April (Western)
20 April (Eastern)
2015 date 5 April (Western)
12 April (Eastern)
2016 date 27 March (Western)
1 May (Eastern)
Related to Passover, of which it is regarded the Christian equivalent; Septuagesima,Sexagesima, Quinquagesima,Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Clean Monday,Lent, Great Lent, Palm Sunday,Holy Week, Maundy Thursday,Good Friday, and Holy Saturdaywhich lead up to Easter; andThomas Sunday, Ascension,Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, andCorpus Christi which follow it.
Easter[nb 1] (Old English usually Ēastrun, -on, or -an; also Ēastru, -o; and Ēostre),[4] also called Pasch(derived, through Latin: Pascha and Greek Πάσχα Paskha, from Aramaic: פסחא, cognate to Hebrew:פֶּסַח Pesaḥ),[nb 2][5][6][7][8] or Resurrection Sunday,[9][10] is a festival and holiday celebrating theResurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred three days after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary.[11][12] It is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
The week before Easter is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, includingMaundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday), commemorating the Last Supper and its precedingfoot washing,[13][14] as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus.[15] In western Christianity, Eastertide, the Easter Season, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts seven weeks, ending with the coming of the fiftieth day, Pentecost Sunday. In Orthodoxy, the season of Pascha begins on Pascha and ends with the coming of the fortieth day, the Feast of the Ascension.
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, the full moon that occurs on or soonest after 21 March (taken to be the date of the equinox).[16]Ecclesiastically, the equinox is thus reckoned to be on 21 March (although the astronomical equinox occurs on 20 March in most years), and the "Full Moon" is not necessarily on the astronomically correct date. The date of Easter therefore varies from 22 March to 25 April inclusive. Eastern Christianity bases its calculations on the Julian calendar, whose 21 March corresponds, during the 21st century, to 3 April in the Gregorian calendar, and in which therefore the celebration of Easter varies between 4 April and 8 May.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In many languages, the words for "Easter" and "Passover" are identical or very similar.[17]Easter customs vary across the Christian world, and include sunrise services, exclaiming the Paschal greeting, clipping the church,[18] and decorating Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb.[19][20][21]The Easter lily, a symbol of the resurrection,[22][23] traditionally decorates the chancel area of churcheson this day and for the rest of Eastertide.[24] Additional customs that have become associated with Easter and are observed by both Christians and some non-Christians include egg hunting, the Easter Bunny, and Easter parades.[25][26][27] There are also various traditional Easter foods that vary regionally.
Easter - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
The importance of knowing history
The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
The Pagan origins of Easter
wol.jw.org
"Many people believe that they are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus when they celebrate Easter. But actually, the celebration of Easter has been linked to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess of the dawn and of spring. The Dictionary of Mythology explains that she was also a fertility goddess. Some Easter customs are connected with this. For example, eggs “have been prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection,” says the Encyclopædia Britannica. Also, rabbits have long been used as symbols of fertility in pagan worship. It is clear that Easter is not related to the resurrection of Jesus."
Note: Acts 12:4 KJV mistranslates the Greek word for passover (Gk. pascha) as "Easter."
The importance of knowing history
The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were:
The Pagan origins of Easter
"Many people believe that they are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus when they celebrate Easter. But actually, the celebration of Easter has been linked to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess of the dawn and of spring. The Dictionary of Mythology explains that she was also a fertility goddess. Some Easter customs are connected with this. For example, eggs “have been prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection,” says the Encyclopædia Britannica. Also, rabbits have long been used as symbols of fertility in pagan worship. It is clear that Easter is not related to the resurrection of Jesus."
Note: Acts 12:4 KJV mistranslates the Greek word for passover (Gk. pascha) as "Easter."
Interesting. What a coincidence. When I was attending Catholic school, they called it Easter Sunday as the resurrection of Jesus. I didn't know it was just associating the day with the grand event. At service today, there wasn't much mention of Easter or what we know now as the pagan holiday. Makes sense.
ETA: Interesting that you do not celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I'm just guessing as I don't think JW does that. Maybe you could personally or not.
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