Bill O'Reilly

[Pogo]

Wrong again. One must be born again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. O'Reilly openly admits he is not ( while I do personally know of several born again catholics ) and therein is not a Christian. John Gotti was Catholic too. So what?! As to the matter of Communism being a religion I disagree. It most certainly is and should be classified as such in the USA. imo. - J.

Bzzzzzzzt. The "born again" bullshit exists only in your tiny little bubble. Catholicism is Christian, which I know from experience. It's not exactly a secret; it's the original Christianism. Not a secret, that is, except to the adherents of the church of Ignoranus Maximus such as yourself, Your Ignornancy.

As for communism....
re·li·gion (r-ljn)
n.
1.a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion. -- Free Online Dic

Nnnnnnope. Doesn't qualify. You lose.
I understand losing the point is actually the goal of Ignoramusism. Well done. You're on your way to that nebulous afterlife known as Ignoramutory.

Wrong again. According to the Bible Romans 10:8 and John 3: 16 I am right and you are wrong. But we already knew that.

Even wronger; we "know" no such drivel. Nothing, neither in Romans 10:8 nor John 3:16, has anything to do with defining what "religion" is. Nor AFAIK anywhere in the Bible. Not even remotely close.

Let's move on here.....

Because you're sinking like the Titanic...

I was born into a Roman Catholic family - there is nothing you can tell me that is new about Catholicism..

Then you should have known better from the start. Which tells me your ignorance is not accidental but deliberate.

it isn't my first rodeo on the subject of communism either.

Then you're arrested in a stage where it was the first, because you're astoundingly ignorant on the topic, as we'll demonstrate presently. Usually when we do these things we learn something; that seems to be a sin in la Iglésia Ignorámia.

I have the research of Richard Wurmbrand founder of VOM who spent over 17 years in a communist prison and wrote a book first hand about their boasts in their god - satan vs. our God - Jesus. So there's that.

Is there really.

First thing, what the hell is a 'communist prison'? Is that a jail cell where the entire community serves as the warden? Communism has nothing to do with prisons, any more than it has to to with religion. It's a socioeconomic system. Socioeconomic systems don't run prisons. Governments do that.

Second thing: "Satan", if such a thing exists, is the invention of a Christianist propagandist bent on dividing the world into a simplistic dichotomy of "good versus evil". To paraphrase Voltaire, where Satan does not exist it is necessary for Christianism to invent him. It's a marketing tool, generically known as fearmongering. And it has nothing to do with communism, since communism is not a religion and has no deities.

Furthermore, there are the documents and records recorded first hand accounts of Karl Marx, his satanic poetry, correspondence between he and Engels, his own son addressed him as a high priest of satanism. It's an old religion under a different name. Commmunism is pure satanism. ........so there is no mystery to solve here, Sherlock.

-Jeremiah

"Satanic poetry" huh? You should prolly not dabble in analyzing philosophers when you don't even know that Catholicism is a Christian religion. It's way over your head. Marx was an atheist by the time he wrote on communism, and atheists by definition have no "Satan".

Marx didn't invent communism anyway; it's far older than that. I doubt you have any idea what we're talking about. Want to see some actual communists? Here ya go. Their religion, if you're interested, is Christian. Quite strongly. And I know this from direct experience too. And they've been doing this for about five hundred years.

"Sherlock"...

 

[whitehall]

American progressives make a big show of demonstrating their tolerance for every culture and religion except Christianity. We have some nut case local politicians in NY outlawing the use of the word Easter and substituting "spring egg hunt". Kids can be expelled for carrying a Bible in school but the Koran is a mandatory subject and little American girls are either forced or "encouraged" to see what it is like to wear a burhka. You can't enjoy a 200 year tradition of a Christmas tree or a Manger scene on public property or risk a costly law suit sponsored by the ironically named ACLU but the hypocrite politicians make a big show of a gigantic Christmas tree in Washington.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Bzzzzzzzt. The "born again" bullshit exists only in your tiny little bubble. Catholicism is Christian, which I know from experience. It's not exactly a secret; it's the original Christianism. Not a secret, that is, except to the adherents of the church of Ignoranus Maximus such as yourself, Your Ignornancy.

As for communism....
re·li·gion (r-ljn)
n.
1.a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion. -- Free Online Dic

Nnnnnnope. Doesn't qualify. You lose.
I understand losing the point is actually the goal of Ignoramusism. Well done. You're on your way to that nebulous afterlife known as Ignoramutory.

Wrong again. According to the Bible Romans 10:8 and John 3: 16 I am right and you are wrong. But we already knew that.

Even wronger; we "know" no such drivel. Nothing, neither in Romans 10:8 nor John 3:16, has anything to do with defining what "religion" is. Nor AFAIK anywhere in the Bible. Not even remotely close.



Because you're sinking like the Titanic...



Then you should have known better from the start. Which tells me your ignorance is not accidental but deliberate.



Then you're arrested in a stage where it was the first, because you're astoundingly ignorant on the topic, as we'll demonstrate presently. Usually when we do these things we learn something; that seems to be a sin in la Iglésia Ignorámia.

I have the research of Richard Wurmbrand founder of VOM who spent over 17 years in a communist prison and wrote a book first hand about their boasts in their god - satan vs. our God - Jesus. So there's that.

Is there really.

First thing, what the hell is a 'communist prison'? Is that a jail cell where the entire community serves as the warden? Communism has nothing to do with prisons, any more than it has to to with religion. It's a socioeconomic system. Socioeconomic systems don't run prisons. Governments do that.

Second thing: "Satan", if such a thing exists, is the invention of a Christianist propagandist bent on dividing the world into a simplistic dichotomy of "good versus evil". To paraphrase Voltaire, where Satan does not exist it is necessary for Christianism to invent him. It's a marketing tool, generically known as fearmongering. And it has nothing to do with communism, since communism is not a religion and has no deities.

Furthermore, there are the documents and records recorded first hand accounts of Karl Marx, his satanic poetry, correspondence between he and Engels, his own son addressed him as a high priest of satanism. It's an old religion under a different name. Commmunism is pure satanism. ........so there is no mystery to solve here, Sherlock.

-Jeremiah

"Satanic poetry" huh? You should prolly not dabble in analyzing philosophers when you don't even know that Catholicism is a Christian religion. It's way over your head. Marx was an atheist by the time he wrote on communism, and atheists by definition have no "Satan".

Marx didn't invent communism anyway; it's far older than that. I doubt you have any idea what we're talking about. Want to see some actual communists? Here ya go. Their religion, if you're interested, is Christian. Quite strongly. And I know this from direct experience too. And they've been doing this for about five hundred years.

"Sherlock"...

Maybe not but it has everything to do with defining who a Christian is and according to scripture? I'm right and you're wrong. No big surprises here. The rest of your arguement is pure nonsense or irrelevant. Take your pick. Today's your day. lol. - J.

 

[freedombecki]

The only thing that's under attack are what's left of O'Riled Up's brain cells.

No they aren't.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Oh and go buy yourself a copy of Marx & Satan by Richard Wurmbrand and read first hand the account of Marx, Engels and his involvment with satanism. You obviously do not have a clue. Google it, genius.

 

[freedombecki]

The only thing that's under attack are what's left of O'Riled Up's brain cells.

true

No it isn't.

 

[Pogo]

Oh and go buy yourself a copy of Marx & Satan by Richard Wurmbrand and read first hand the account of Marx, Engels and his involvment with satanism. You obviously do not have a clue. Google it, genius.

Umm... I'm not interested. I don't even believe in the existence of "Satan", or for that matter "Satanism". I'm a bit too old for the monsters-under-the-bed charade.

This thread isn't about communism or "Satan" anyway. Unless you consider Bill O'Reilly -- or the Easter Bunny-- to be Satan.

Maybe not but it has everything to do with defining who a Christian is and according to scripture? I'm right and you're wrong. No big surprises here. The rest of your arguement is pure nonsense or irrelevant. Take your pick. Today's your day. lol. - J.

My "pick" would be that simple gainsaying "I'm right and you're wrong" makes no point. You are clearly out of your league.

 

[freedombecki]

Christian Organizations Under Attack on U.S. Campuses​

Tuesday, March 26, 2013


The political correctness crowd may have a new Christian holiday to target.

Fox News reported that some schools in Long Island, New York are now banning the word “Easter” from being used in Easter celebrations. Instead, the word “spring” is substituted in order to avoid offending non-Christians.

Fox News’s Jesse Waters interviewed Professor Carol Swain of Vanderbilt University about the new politically correct effort to ban “Easter.” She said that this “is part of a larger effort across the country because we find on our college and university campuses, our Christian organizations are under attack.”

...

Read more: Christian Organizations Under Attack on U.S. Campuses ? Patriot Update

So the state of New York schools are banning using the word "Easter" from Easter celebrations to appease people who took out the World Trade Center from feeling bad about themselves?

And they're throwing American ancestors who left Europe to escape Christian persecution under the bus for fighting the Revolutionary War to rid the usurpers of American's Christian laborers?

Now we'll all have to go back to school in Europe to remember how to oppress people who practice Christianity (again) so we can fit in with the One-Worlders whose plot it is to subjugate the American Constitution so it will be easier to throw America under the bus when the agents of chaos are finished with us. And they're making sure we consider ourselves the ring-leaders of banning Christian traditions from society.

God they still think they're smarter than us.

 

[freedombecki]

Considering that eggs and rabbits have nothing to do with Jesus, but rather are pagan fertility symbols that Rome instituted into the belief system when they mixed Jesus with pagan beliefs to better sell it to the people, I'm wondering why Christians are so upset about it?

I mean.......................bunnies and eggs had NOTHING to do with what was happening when Christ was crucified, because Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (as any good observant Jew would do).

Nothing about a sunrise service, eggs, bunnies or other fertility symbols, it's something made up by the Romans to sell Christianity.

Sorry, ABikerSailor, but God made the eggs and rabbits long before pagans were on the scene to steal his glory.

Your argument is a house of cards.

 

[freedombecki]

Granny says Jesus comin' back soon an' he gonna get `em fer dat...

Egyptian mosque turned into house of torture for Christians after Muslim Brotherhood protest
March 26, 2013 > Islamic hard-liners stormed a mosque in suburban Cairo, turning it into torture chamber for Christians who had been demonstrating against the ruling Muslim Brotherhood in the latest case of violent persecution that experts fear will only get worse.

Such stories have become increasingly common as tensions between Egypt’s Muslims and Copts mount, but in the latest case, mosque officials corroborated much of the account and even filed a police report. Demonstrators, some of whom were Muslim, say they were taken from the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in suburban Cairo to a nearby mosque on Friday and tortured for hours by hard-line militia members. “They accompanied me to one of the mosques in the area and I discovered the mosque was being used to imprison demonstrators and torture them,” Amir Ayad, a Coptic who has been a vocal protester against the regime, told MidEast Christian News from a hospital bed.

Ayad said he was beaten for hours with sticks before being left for dead on a roadside. Amir’s brother, Ezzat Ayad, said he received an anonymous phone call at 3 a.m. Saturday, with the caller saying his brother had been found near death and had been taken to the ambulance. “He underwent radiation treatment that proved that he suffered a fracture in the bottom of his skull, a fracture in his left arm, a bleeding in the right eye, and birdshot injuries,” Ezzat Ayad said.

Amir Ayad lies in a hospital bed after he was allegedly beaten by Islamic hardliners who stormed a mosque in suburban Cairo.

Officials at the Bilal ibn Rabah Mosque said radical militias stormed the building, in the Cairo suburb of Moqattam, after Friday prayers. “[We] deeply regret what has happened and apologize to the people of Moqattam,” mosque officials said in a statement, adding that “they had lost control over the mosque at the time." The statement also “denounced and condemned the violence and involving mosques in political conflicts.”

The latest crackdown is further confirmation that the Muslim Brotherhood’s most hard-line elements are consolidating control in Egypt, according to Shaul Gabbay, a professor of international studies at the University of Denver. “It will only get worse,” said Gabbay. “This has been a longstanding conflict, but now that the Muslim Brotherhood is in power, it is moving forward to implement its ideology – which is that Christians are supposed to become Muslims. “There is no longer anything to hold them back,” he continued. “The floodgates are open.”

Read more: Egyptian mosque turned into house of torture for Christians after Muslim Brotherhood protest | Fox News

We are still waiting for his return.

Well, some of us aren't, because he lives within our hearts.

 

[Pogo]

Considering that eggs and rabbits have nothing to do with Jesus, but rather are pagan fertility symbols that Rome instituted into the belief system when they mixed Jesus with pagan beliefs to better sell it to the people, I'm wondering why Christians are so upset about it?

I mean.......................bunnies and eggs had NOTHING to do with what was happening when Christ was crucified, because Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (as any good observant Jew would do).

Nothing about a sunrise service, eggs, bunnies or other fertility symbols, it's something made up by the Romans to sell Christianity.

It had nothing to do with Rome.
The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD
The first mention of a Hare that brings eggs was in 1682 AD
It's an Alsace tradition not Roman.
In medieval times they thought that the Hare was a hermaphrodite and was associated with the virgin birth.

I think your dates are off, Peach. You refer to von Frankenau's De ovis paschalibus but that work merely describes an already-ancient symbol. The hare as fertility symbol goes back to prolly well before Rome and certainly predates Christianity. The moon-hare as fertility symbol was associated with the Saxon fertility goddess Eostre (from which the name Easter comes). The ancient Celts said this hare appeared on the surface of the full moon that dated the occasion. Hare hunts were held in medieval England on Easter day by the local mayor and aldermen.

Demonstration that the hare-as-fertility/resurrection symbol predated Christianity:
The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus and Aelian) that the hare was a hermaphrodite.[3][4][5] The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif,[3][6] representing the "One in Three and Three in One" of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols. In England, this motif usually appears in a prominent place in the church, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This suggests that the symbol held significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they may have been masons' or carpenters' signature marks.[7] -- Wiki on rabbits and hares

Eggs too were an ancient symbol, and even connected to the hare, which in Germany laid eggs (always a symbol of fertility, rebirth and Spring) for good children. Persians would present each other with painted eggs, and Russians would lay red-dyed eggs on graves as a resurrection charm. (Red of course being the colour of life recalling the direct fertility symbol of menstrual blood, which is why women paint their fingernails that colour... but we digress)

The fertility goddess Eostre ("Easter") was a northern form of the even more ancient middle eastern deity Astarte, whose worship goes back to the Bronze Age and was one of the archtypes that serves as a basis for the "Virgin Mary", with her sacred drama known to have been performed every December 25th in Syria and Egypt, where a solar god (the sun) was born from the celestial Virgin (an allegory for the winter equinox and beginning of growing daylight).

"No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fifth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or simply the Heavenly Goddess; in Semitic lands she was a form of Astarte." -- Sir James Frazier, The Golden Bough

So that's where Easter Bunnies come from

 

[Dante]

The only thing that's under attack are what's left of O'Riled Up's brain cells.

true

Hi Ya Pante Waste...

Dante Fevah, IT lives!

 

[Mr. Peepers]

Oh and go buy yourself a copy of Marx & Satan by Richard Wurmbrand and read first hand the account of Marx, Engels and his involvment with satanism. You obviously do not have a clue. Google it, genius.

Um, despite whatever crackpot's tome you "read", atheists do not acknowledge the existence of god nor satan. Neither exist. I should know... I'm an atheist. Moron.

 

[t_polkow]

The only thing that's under attack are what's left of O'Riled Up's brain cells.

O'Reilly plays the bottom feeders for ratings and they take the chum all the time

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Oh and go buy yourself a copy of Marx & Satan by Richard Wurmbrand and read first hand the account of Marx, Engels and his involvment with satanism. You obviously do not have a clue. Google it, genius.

Um, despite whatever crackpot's tome you "read", atheists do not acnowledge the existence of god nor satan. Neither exist. I should know... I'm an atheist. Moron.

Never claimed you were. I said Marx was a believer in satan and a believer in G-d ( although his avowed enemy ) Read Wurmbrands book before you condemn it. That would be a good start for making a sound decision. Examine the facts first. A novel idea for you probably.

 

[Pogo]

Again..... what does Karl Freaking Marx have to do with Easter and Bull O'Reilly?

 

[t_polkow]

Insane thing xtains say to Atheists:

Atheists really do believe in God

A variation of this would be, "You're just pretending God doesn't exist!" This statement is usually followed by "You just don't want to be held accountable for your sins!"

That accusation is not very well thought out. If I really did believe in a god then I would be afraid of Hell and would be doing everything I could to avoid going there. I recognize that being an atheist wouldn't absolve me of anything and I would just be putting myself in danger of Hell-fire.

“Why do you hate God?”

This is a twist on the previous remark and is equally daft. Atheists do not “hate” God because they do not even accept his existence. How do you hate an imaginary figure? Atheists simply reject the idea of a supernatural Supreme Being because they do not find sufficient evidence to do so. Period.

Atheists do not believe in god as much as they do not believe in telemarketing scams, tabloid news, amulets, superstition, folklore, etc. They might “hate” and detest the people propagating such lies as they detest the institutions that promote god – but let me repeat – they do not hate God.

“Do you believe in Satan?”

Yes, there are evangelicals who are that stupid. Atheism is simply the denial of an imaginary arbiter in the sky many call god. It doesn't presuppose anything else. Besides, the majority of atheists deny any form of supernaturalism and that includes the fictional devil. Why would atheists believe in or worship Satan, for goodness’ sake? God, angels, satan and all that crap are the same thing – just crap.


One of the most insane remarks. Ever.

“Have you ever read the bible?”



Most atheists know the bible more than any evangelical would ever be – I’ve known many evangelicals who don’t know anything about the history of their own religion, their denominations, their creeds, how and when the bible was written, etc. Some even think that the bible Jesus read was the King James Version!!

The fact that atheists are who they are proves that most of them have undergone periods of study and research into the religions and found them wanting. Many have studied the bible and realized it is just religious fiction.

Prove there isn’t a god.

Wow….that’s a reason to believe something. I can’t prove Smurfs don’t live on Saturn. That gives me exactly zero reasons to think that they might. It works the same for a god. The logic of it all doesn’t change just because of the possible conclusions.

If God isn’t real, there is no point to life. Why not commit sucide?

I’m guessing their life must REALLY suck at this point. I mean they have to make up a reason to live it. Personally I enjoy the heck out of my life…..with no invisible friends.


If there is no God how did we get here / how does this or that happen?

Err…how dumb do you have to be to think that not knowing something equals a magical guy living in the sky had to have done it? Seriously, that’s what you are saying. I’m pretty sure my cat would pick up the hole in that logic. Stumping science on any question does nothing at all to show there is a god. Anything science has found the real answer to never needed magic. There is no reason to think any of the others will either. If you want to show there is a god, you need the evidence yourself/

If you don’t believe in God, why do you talk about him / work against him?

It’s not your imaginary friend we have issues with. He doesn't pass laws that impinge on other people’s freedom. This is a case of them not realizing that Christians are the problem. And that’s all it is.


Evolution is only a theory.

Well…so is General Relativity that covers gravity. There are statements from the National Academy of Science, and any other scientific organization you want to name that state evolution is a fact. Playing silly games because you don’t understand what a theory is in science is goofy. And if there were a group that would make the declaration that it is now a fact, that body is already on record saying exactly that. The AAS’s statement points out that it is more solid than any description of gravity, and that’s very much true if you really understand.

“I’ll pray for you.”

Enough said. Please carry on your schizophrenic conversation with your imaginary friend and stop bothering me.

 

[peach174]

Considering that eggs and rabbits have nothing to do with Jesus, but rather are pagan fertility symbols that Rome instituted into the belief system when they mixed Jesus with pagan beliefs to better sell it to the people, I'm wondering why Christians are so upset about it?

I mean.......................bunnies and eggs had NOTHING to do with what was happening when Christ was crucified, because Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (as any good observant Jew would do).

Nothing about a sunrise service, eggs, bunnies or other fertility symbols, it's something made up by the Romans to sell Christianity.

It had nothing to do with Rome.
The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD
The first mention of a Hare that brings eggs was in 1682 AD
It's an Alsace tradition not Roman.
In medieval times they thought that the Hare was a hermaphrodite and was associated with the virgin birth.

I think your dates are off, Peach. You refer to von Frankenau's De ovis paschalibus but that work merely describes an already-ancient symbol. The hare as fertility symbol goes back to prolly well before Rome and certainly predates Christianity. The moon-hare as fertility symbol was associated with the Saxon fertility goddess Eostre (from which the name Easter comes). The ancient Celts said this hare appeared on the surface of the full moon that dated the occasion. Hare hunts were held in medieval England on Easter day by the local mayor and aldermen.

Demonstration that the hare-as-fertility/resurrection symbol predated Christianity:
The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus and Aelian) that the hare was a hermaphrodite.[3][4][5] The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif,[3][6] representing the "One in Three and Three in One" of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols. In England, this motif usually appears in a prominent place in the church, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This suggests that the symbol held significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they may have been masons' or carpenters' signature marks.[7] -- Wiki on rabbits and hares

Eggs too were an ancient symbol, and even connected to the hare, which in Germany laid eggs (always a symbol of fertility, rebirth and Spring) for good children. Persians would present each other with painted eggs, and Russians would lay red-dyed eggs on graves as a resurrection charm. (Red of course being the colour of life recalling the direct fertility symbol of menstrual blood, which is why women paint their fingernails that colour... but we digress)

The fertility goddess Eostre ("Easter") was a northern form of the even more ancient middle eastern deity Astarte, whose worship goes back to the Bronze Age and was one of the archtypes that serves as a basis for the "Virgin Mary", with her sacred drama known to have been performed every December 25th in Syria and Egypt, where a solar god (the sun) was born from the celestial Virgin (an allegory for the winter equinox and beginning of growing daylight).

"No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fifth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or simply the Heavenly Goddess; in Semitic lands she was a form of Astarte." -- Sir James Frazier, The Golden Bough

So that's where Easter Bunnies come from

I was referring to Christianity, which is what this thread is about.
Not when the hare started as a fertility symbol in pagan religion.

 

[Pogo]

American progressives make a big show of demonstrating their tolerance for every culture and religion except Christianity. We have some nut case local politicians in NY outlawing the use of the word Easter and substituting "spring egg hunt". Kids can be expelled for carrying a Bible in school but the Koran is a mandatory subject and little American girls are either forced or "encouraged" to see what it is like to wear a burhka. You can't enjoy a 200 year tradition of a Christmas tree or a Manger scene on public property or risk a costly law suit sponsored by the ironically named ACLU but the hypocrite politicians make a big show of a gigantic Christmas tree in Washington.

No you can't, because the tradition is a lot older than that. Again it goes back to Rome and the sacred pinea silva (pine groves) from which the dendrophori (tree-bearers) would harvest one to bring in a procession to the sanctuary to be decorated. This practice was more associated with Arbor Intrat, the spring equinox (and thus closer to Easter) but the association of evergreens with both the winter solstice and spring equinox is evident (and includes holly and mistletoe). Decorating trees for winter solstice was practiced at least 500 years ago in Baltic Europe (Livonia) and was so pagan that the celebration of Christmas itself was actually illegal in early Massachusetts.

 

[Pogo]

It had nothing to do with Rome.
The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD
The first mention of a Hare that brings eggs was in 1682 AD
It's an Alsace tradition not Roman.
In medieval times they thought that the Hare was a hermaphrodite and was associated with the virgin birth.

I think your dates are off, Peach. You refer to von Frankenau's De ovis paschalibus but that work merely describes an already-ancient symbol. The hare as fertility symbol goes back to prolly well before Rome and certainly predates Christianity. The moon-hare as fertility symbol was associated with the Saxon fertility goddess Eostre (from which the name Easter comes). The ancient Celts said this hare appeared on the surface of the full moon that dated the occasion. Hare hunts were held in medieval England on Easter day by the local mayor and aldermen.

Demonstration that the hare-as-fertility/resurrection symbol predated Christianity:
The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus and Aelian) that the hare was a hermaphrodite.[3][4][5] The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif,[3][6] representing the "One in Three and Three in One" of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols. In England, this motif usually appears in a prominent place in the church, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This suggests that the symbol held significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they may have been masons' or carpenters' signature marks.[7] -- Wiki on rabbits and hares

Eggs too were an ancient symbol, and even connected to the hare, which in Germany laid eggs (always a symbol of fertility, rebirth and Spring) for good children. Persians would present each other with painted eggs, and Russians would lay red-dyed eggs on graves as a resurrection charm. (Red of course being the colour of life recalling the direct fertility symbol of menstrual blood, which is why women paint their fingernails that colour... but we digress)

The fertility goddess Eostre ("Easter") was a northern form of the even more ancient middle eastern deity Astarte, whose worship goes back to the Bronze Age and was one of the archtypes that serves as a basis for the "Virgin Mary", with her sacred drama known to have been performed every December 25th in Syria and Egypt, where a solar god (the sun) was born from the celestial Virgin (an allegory for the winter equinox and beginning of growing daylight).

"No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fifth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or simply the Heavenly Goddess; in Semitic lands she was a form of Astarte." -- Sir James Frazier, The Golden Bough

So that's where Easter Bunnies come from

I was referring to Christianity, which is what this thread is about.
Not when the hare started as a fertility symbol in pagan religion.

Well, you said "The first mention of a Hare that brings eggs was in 1682 AD-- It's an Alsace tradition not Roman." You are correct that it's not Roman originally -- it's older. So I don't agree that the first observance was 1682; we have history far earlier than that, and it didn't come from Alsace.

Just giving the whole picture here.

I thought the topic was Bill O'Reilly. Isn't that why it's in "Media"?