Is Easter Pagan?

[grafted]

(06-23-2010 04:58 PM)sheep wrecked Wrote:  

(06-23-2010 04:42 PM)Dee Wrote:  

(04-01-2010 09:20 PM)Vic Wrote:  While we have another thread about easter and passover in the Messianic section, http://www.seekgod.ca/forum/showthread.p...215&page=5

lets hit this question directly here.

Is Easter a pagan holiday that Christians have adopted as their own, as many are accusing, or is it a special time for declaring the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

What does easter mean?

Could it not be both?
Just some thoughts-- The Israelites were in trouble for mixing 'strange fire' and other gods/ images/ in with what God told them to keep to His rules. What could be the "strange fire" in our time? Is everything OK to do just because "in my heart" I don't believe it is now what it was 100 or 1000 yrs ago? Is that trusting in my own understanding (therefore wrong?) Could the Israelites get away with saying that when they made the golden calf? Are we different than them, are there different expectations on us in the New Covenant? Do I have "weak faith" because I may think it IS still demonic/ pagan when it may mean nothing? It would be easier to answer if I knew what exactly was expected of me by the Almighty Creator of the Universe and everything in it. 1 Cor. chapter 10- I am studying it now.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NET) "For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." This is "Passover" - remembering His death. But the Word also says:
Philippians 3:10 (NET) "My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death,..." This gives me peace, just the simplicity of these words from Him. Isn't the other stuff from "man"?

For me, when I review what Israel did, they used pagan things to worship pagan gods. Or their hearts were not right with the Lord.

Traditions and customs at Easter are something people do to celebrate as their culture treats it. I think it's a strawman to get people to feel guilty about stuff that matters little. The actuality is worship and thankfulness for what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection. What people do does not affect the sacrifice or the relationship with Christ. If a person is one with Christ, the things of this world are just that.

The thing is, our lives are full of paganism, yet God sees through that and into the heart. Are eggs pagan? bunnies? Everything on earth is used in other religions to worship their gods so we should not have trees, flowers, etc near us when we celebrate the Lord?

Didn't he specify how to remember him though?