Is Easter Pagan?

[Vic]

Worldwide, people are recognising this day as the proclamation and rememberance of when Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. Many read the Scriptures relating to this somber event which culminated in Jesus rising from the dead and providing the only way to the Father, forgiveness of sins and salvation. What an incredible love God has for us, and allowing the New Covenant to be brought in through Christ, our Passover Lamb. The final sacrifice for all who will believe.

Through all the false accusations He stood as the promised Messiah and King of kings. And we have people today claiming and falsely accusing that to remember this time and publicly proclaim Christ in it is pagan. How sad, to think that to publicly proclaim the Scriptural truths when surrounded by a dying world is somehow pagan.

May each consider who Jesus Christ is in their own lives and know that He lives and if you know HIm, you have the promise of eternal life.

We serve a risen Savior.

[Mary]

[corecrash]

(04-06-2012 11:14 AM)Vic Wrote:  Worldwide, people are recognising this day as the proclamation and rememberance of when Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. Many read the Scriptures relating to this somber event which culminated in Jesus rising from the dead and providing the only way to the Father, forgiveness of sins and salvation. What an incredible love God has for us, and allowing the New Covenant to be brought in through Christ, our Passover Lamb. The final sacrifice for all who will believe.

Through all the false accusations He stood as the promised Messiah and King of kings. And we have people today claiming and falsely accusing that to remember this time and publicly proclaim Christ in it is pagan. How sad, to think that to publicly proclaim the Scriptural truths when surrounded by a dying world is somehow pagan.

May each consider who Jesus Christ is in their own lives and know that He lives and if you know HIm, you have the promise of eternal life.

We serve a risen Savior.

Hey vic. great post. Are they really saying that celebrating our Risen Lord itself is paganism? Or are they saying mixing it with Easter Eggs and Easter bunnies mixes it with pagan elements?

Do you think it's wrong for someone to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection in the Passover and in the Feast of Unleavened bread since those two festivals were a shadow and an image of what he was to do on the Cross for us?

[King Lemuel III]

Many who wish to trash Christians and the Church try to say our holidays are pagan days of celebration. This is really a bunch of bull. Many ancient cultures had spring and winter festivals that often centered around pagan gods. These dates could include all sorts of sordid behavoir including visiting temple prostitutes. We do not have any New Testament laws telling us to celebrate certain feasts or festivals. Instead, Christians, by common agreement, got together and established these our own winter and spring holidays. Our two main holidays, Christmans and Easter, gave the Christians as well as pagans who may have been interested in Christianity, an ALTERNATIVE to the pagan festivals! The Church was able to sanctify, reclaim, and set apart these pagan celebrations and bring honor and glory to Christ. There is no sin in this! There is no compulsion for us to celebrate these festivities (Col 2:16, 17 and Romans 14). We have Christian Liberty to do so or not do so "as unto the Lord."

I personally think it is a great thing that our Christian anscestors did co-op these pagan Holidays! It will be interesting in heaven to find out how many souls found Jesus on these days as they heard the gospel of the Grace of God proclaimed instead of paganism. Prais God from whom all blessing flow!

Another example of this of co-opting the secular culture was the practice of Charles Wesley, the great Methodist hymn writter. He took the popular tunes from the pubs and taverns of Great Britan and put Christian lyrics to them. There is no sin in doing this! Just think, some of the deepest and moving theological lyrics about our risen savior and different aspects of the Christian life were set to pub and tavern tunes! Many of these hymns are still sung today. My college (Azusa Pacific Univ) when I was attending even had an upper level class on these hymns and the theology that they teach. I have heard testimonies from Christians who were won to Christ from these hymns.

The moral of the story is, you just may be full of beanie weanies if you think Christianity taking over and turning on its head the pagan holidays of days go by is a bad thing!

God bless, Merry Christmas and Happy Easter to all of you self righteous grinches out there!

[Vic]

It's that time again.

[YYZ Skinhead]

It may be impossible for me to separate Easter and Paganism because the Asatru Ostara fest to which I went had a whole lot of the activities and symbols that were identical to what secular Christians associate with Easter.

I celebrated "Passover" once when I was in the Worldwide Church of God cult. At the time I was unaware of/unfamiliar with the verse that says Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, meaning that Believers in Jesus as God are no longer obligated to observe Passover.

Easter is essentially a non-issue AFAIAC. To me, Easter (the holiday) means chocolate and "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown". Every day is the day to think of Christ sacrificing Himself for ungrateful humans and conquering death by rising from the dead. I really wish TBN would cut out showing The Snuff Film of the Christ to any poor kid who can turn to that "Christian" channel and watch the most violent torture porn movie in the universe.

[Vic]

(03-25-2013 01:40 PM)YYZ Skinhead Wrote:  It may be impossible for me to separate Easter and Paganism because the Asatru Ostara fest to which I went had a whole lot of the activities and symbols that were identical to what secular Christians associate with Easter.

Hey there, LM. Been thinking about this and you know, what strikes me is the issue of what you did as a practicing pagan, and what you believed about easter and aligning it to a pagan celebration instead of Christ and what true believers think.

When all things become new in Christ what we think is also different. As has been shown in this thread, Easter has never been the name of a pagan god, etc. The parallels have been drawn to paganism by those who do not believe Christ, or who deny the Scriptural truths of what happened to Christ etc. Many things in the occult do attempt to parallel the things of Christ---hence we have all those false prophets, false teachers and false doctrine. But that does not make the Truth false or pagan.

Secular christians---aren't believing Christ. THey are basically culture christians, and it's not about Christ for them. So they are going to portray worldly ideas about things, instead of Scripturally valid and sound doctrine.

If you ask a true Christian about Easter, you are going to hear about Jesus, and about the fulfilled prophecies, about all the Scriptures relating to who He is, about the last supper, the garden, being betrayed by Judas, all those events, and being crucified, and then most amazingly, in the early hours of Sunday, He arose, and the dawn of that new day, brought the fulness of salvation because Jesus conquered death. And then began the declaration of the Gospel.....

It's easy to think in worldly terms and ideas. And I mean just go shopping right now, and see all the goodies. And if Christians want to have a huge celebration because of Jesus at this time, it really can't be condemned because for real believers it is really focused on the Truth of Jesus Christ and the whole world knows about Christ because of this specific time. It's acknowledged worldwide that Easter is about Christ--and that's in the secular media. THat many want to merge it into being pagan...what is new really?

Quote:I celebrated "Passover" once when I was in the Worldwide Church of God cult. At the time I was unaware of/unfamiliar with the verse that says Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, meaning that Believers in Jesus as God are no longer obligated to observe Passover.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb--the only one and final one. There is no need to ever sacrifice anything because of Him.

John the Baptist declared this about Jesus: .

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Quote:Easter is essentially a non-issue AFAIAC. To me, Easter (the holiday) means chocolate and "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown". Every day is the day to think of Christ sacrificing Himself for ungrateful humans and conquering death by rising from the dead. I really wish TBN would cut out showing The Snuff Film of the Christ to any poor kid who can turn to that "Christian" channel and watch the most violent torture porn movie in the universe.

I think how we celebrate Christ at any time is a personal decision. That most Christian churches have the Friday service to commemorate Christ dying and as a witness to a dying world, is important in the scheme of things. That on the Sunday it's declared He is Risen---and I just so love so many hymns written that declare that....to me it's about knowing who we are in Christ and the importance of what Easter really means, in order to refute the false things associated with it. Not the worldly or pagan interpretations. But what it means to a true believer concerning events recorded in the Scriptures that need to be declared to the world.The very Truth of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins.

Joh 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Joh 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Joh 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

[YYZ Skinhead]

Beg pardon if I offended anyone who celebrates Easter as Resurrection Day. I was just saying that it is hard for me to separate Easter and Paganism because they share a lot of the symbolism and rituals. This is only based on my experience. I was in the Worldwide Church of God and they were the primary source of the info I got about Easter, Christmas, Passover, et cetera.

[Vic]

(03-28-2013 12:33 PM)YYZ Skinhead Wrote:  Beg pardon if I offended anyone who celebrates Easter as Resurrection Day. I was just saying that it is hard for me to separate Easter and Paganism because they share a lot of the symbolism and rituals. This is only based on my experience. I was in the Worldwide Church of God and they were the primary source of the info I got about Easter, Christmas, Passover, et cetera.

I don't think you offended anyone, certainly not me. I hope I didn't upset you. I know you were basing your thinking on what you used to do. I think we all have a tendency to do that. Because you are now in Christ, perceptions can change about what things really mean for us as believers, because of Christ. WWC is not sound doctrine so you kind of got hit all over the place throughout your whole life about what is of God and what is not. I was merely pointing out that in Christ we tend to think of the things of Christ and what He did as a priority, and as found in the Scriptures. The things of the world and those beliefs belong to the world and fade away, as they are replaced with the things of Scripture and Truth of Christ.

When I first read your post this Scripture came to mind, and what we all used to be thinking and doing, before Christ took hold of us.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

It is a glorious thing to be able to share Christ who died for us so that we might live with Him forever. I am so glad that God delivered you and me and so many others and you are a sister in Christ.

[Vic]

I was thinking about before our family knew Christ, and how as non-believers, my parents always went to a church at easter. They talked about it being about Christ dying, but I don't think they really knew what it was they were talking about. I guess even then seeds were being planted.

But I was thinking about all the churches we went to before we understood, and I never saw any that had sunrise services, never had easter bunny celebrations in the church, no sacrificing anything on the 'altar' or anything that didn't seem to be about Christ. And that was even fairly liberal churches in the scheme of understanding Scripture now.

Over the years, I have never seen any of the churches but one--and it was just once, that went to the park for an easter sunday 'sunrise' service. Sunrise was already an hour or more past, but whatever. But the point was recounting the scriptures of how the women went to the tomb in the early hours---dawn or predawn, and by sunrise it was known that Jesus was risen. It wasn't about the sunrise or worshipping the sunrise as soooo many are pointing fingers at believers and saying that's what they are doing.

THe focus as far as I have seen in 40 plus years as a Christian and attending roughly 6 different churches, Easter has always been a somber declaration and recounting of the last week of CHrist's time on earth, the last supper, the crucifixion service on 'Good Friday', when Jesus was given and died as our Passover Lamb for all our sins, taking the punishment and wrath that should have been ours, fulfilling the type and shadow of Passover and deliverance from the bondage of Egypt or our sins--and those services have always been at 10 or 11 am on that day.

Then on Sunday, the absolute joy of knowing Christ conquered death, and rose from the dead, promising all who believe eternal life with Him forever. And those services have normally been the usual time of Sunday morning services...

The accusation by so many within Hebrew roots in particular, has never been what we have experienced as believers, and before we were believers. And so far, other than what you have suggested within the WWC, LM, I have seen no actual documentation of pagan activities, ie, worship of pagan gods etc, within a Bible believing Christian church. Perhaps there are others who have actually witnessed the worship of something other than God taking place in Christian churches at Easter or otherwise, and if so, I would really appreciate seeing the documentation.