Christians without Easter

[Stranger_On_A_Train]

@raindog

yea, that was a downer.

Life’s a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life’s a laugh and death’s a joke, it’s true.
You’ll see it’s all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

{refrain}
And always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the right side of life…

Stranger

[alphaboi867]

@Wendell_Wagner

There are other groups that are (or at least call themselves) Christian which don’t celebrate Christmas or Easter. One such are the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses have a Passoverish memorial feast celebrating Jesus’s death?

[Wendell_Wagner]

There is a list here of denominations that don’t celebrate Easter:

Easter

[Clothahump]

I wish I knew where this came from originally.

An Easter Blessing

Beloved, let us rejoice, for this is a time of celebration. In the true spirit of this season, let our hearts be gladdened, and let us pray and pay tribute to the deity in whose honor this holiday comes… …Eastre, the Germanic goddess of spring.

No, no, wait, that’s not right. Let’s try again. Please forgive our previous silly mistake. As we all well know, beloved, this holiday comes not because of any primitive druidic goddess, but rather in honor of a heroic figure, a true god among men, who was born of a mortal woman and a divine Father. As should be obvious by now, the name of this very special child was… …Hercules.

No - hold on. That can’t be right either. Of course, of course. The hero of our story, the one whom we have gathered here to thank, was no figure of pagan Greek polytheism. He was a redeemer, one who came to earth to lift up sinful and ignorant humans, knowing full well he would pay the ultimate price for his actions, but willing to go ahead anyway out of love and compassion. As you all know, this blessed Savior was called… …Prometheus.

No, no, give us just a minute. We’ll get it right. We all know full well who is being described here, of course. He is the one, the One, who defeated death itself and rose from the grave, in a miracle that no other would-be savior has ever been able to duplicate. By dramatically displaying his power over death, he proved once and for all that he was the single true god. And his name was… …Osiris.

No, wait. That’s not right either. Of course! What a ridiculous error to make. Our apologies. Beloved, only one god fits this description. You know him well – millions of you around the world today worship him. He was conceived miraculously and visited while still an infant by wise men who were guided to him by a star. He lived in a small province whose evil ruler sought to have him killed before he could rise to power, but his parents were warned by a heavenly messenger who instructed them to take their child to a neighboring district, where he would be safe from the slaughter. This miracle child would come to grow up and perform many great deeds, and the timeless and moving story of his life was recounted throughout history and still rings true today. I refer of course to… …Krishna. Is that right?

That can’t be right, can it? No! Beloved, the god to whom I refer stands alone, unique, head and shoulders above the myths and fables of the false religions. No other savior ever claimed to duplicate his deeds. No other prophet was anything at all like him. He was the mediator between God and man, he helps departed souls ascend to heaven, and he will judge the human race at the end of the world. He shed the blood of an innocent to wash away the sins of the world and established a sacred meal ritual where flesh and blood were symbolically consumed by initiates. Only one person fits that description. You know this person well - his birthday falls near the end of the year, on December 25. As should be more than obvious by now, this person can only be the one who was called… …Mithras.

That doesn’t seem right either… Of course. That, too, is incorrect. My most sincere apologies. Beloved, do not let these slight slips of the tongue distract you from the power of the message I bring. Our religion is the one true religion. The claims of all others crumble under scrutiny, but ours and ours alone is validated, again and again, by historical fact. It was the first of its kind to make such claims as these; all others are merely impostors which sought to capitalize on its fame.

Our savior cannot be mistaken for any other. He performed countless miracles on earth, miracles well attested to by bystanders. He healed the sick and the crippled, restored sight to the blind, cast out demons, yea, even raised the dead! His birth was of a virgin, foretold by an angel. While still a child, he exhibited extraordinary knowledge of religious scripture. He reformed the corrupt and worldly religions of his day. He was crucified, rose from the tomb and appeared to his disciples to prove to them his power over death, after which he ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. He was known as “the Son of God!” No other religion can make such claims! No other savior proved his divinity again and again to so many! No one can doubt his power or the truth of the message he brought. His memory will live forever. How can he be mistaken for anyone else? Of course, by now there is not a shred of doubt in any of your minds. You know as well as I do to whom I am referring. We must worship him, pay tribute to his memory, and focus on spreading his message of love and compassion; that, after everything, is the true meaning of Easter. Come, beloved, let us pray and honor the divine prophet whom I have just described. Let us glory in the everlasting love of… …Apollonius of Tyana. Wait - wait - wait - eh, you know what? Screw this.

[JRDelirious]

@raindog

That’s interesting.

Can you tell me where in the bible virtually any of the ‘activities’, or ‘rituals’ associated with the modern Easter can be found?

What people of a certain set of Western cultures carry on with during the popular festival identified in English with the word “Easter” has little to do with the Christian Solemnity of the Resurrection or with Biblical texts. So yes, bunnies, eggs, flowery bonnets, etc. are Pagan and were transferred from the Pagan Spring festivals to “Easter”. That much is true.

However, that the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus would have happened some time around the date of Passover IS a part of the Gospel story, so if anything, from Biblical sources the Passion and Resurrection are identified as overtly co-opting *Passover * (Jesus = lamb, etc.). As tom~ said, in many of our languages the word for the holiday celebrated last Sunday IS a derivative of the word “Passover”. Heck, in Spanish one is “Pascua de Resurrección” and the other is “Pascua Judía”. Unlike Christmas, which date was pulled out from under their hats by the Church fathers, the Holiday of the Resurrection does then have a Biblical referent for happening sometime shortly after the Spring equinox: it’s “Judeo Christian” in origin and then gets Euro-Pagan accoutrements.

If the ancient Hebrews timed Passover to coincide with Spring to co-opt Canaanite or Babylonian festivals is another story altogether (as is how come it was the proto-Christians who decided to expand to also co-opt the Hellenistic, Orphic, Mithraic, etc. myths. Really, this was the WalMart of religions, while everyone else stayed Mom-n-Pop…)

[astorian]

@Clothahump

I wish I knew where this came from originally.

So, if ancient Greeks believed in Hercules, they’d have eternal life?

And Osiris commanded Egyptians to love their neighbor?

This sounds like the work of a sophomore at a Jesuit high school.

[Northern_Piper]

@raindog

That’s interesting.

Can you tell me where in the bible virtually any of the ‘activities’, or ‘rituals’ associated with the modern Easter can be found?

Well, let’s start with Lent, the forty days preceding Easter, which are meant to be a time of introspection and reflection. The model for Lent is the Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness, which lasted for forty days, and is recorded in the three synoptic Gospels: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. Lent is one way for believers to try to share in that experience.

Turning to Holy Week, it starts with Palm Sunday. That day is to commemorate the entry of Christ into Jerusalam, being greeted by crowds waving palm branches and crying “hosanna”. In churches that observe Palm Sunday, palms are handed out to the congregation, hymns often echo the “hosanna” theme, and there is sometimes a procession through the church, to represent the original procession. The basis for these commemorations are: Matthew 21: 1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12: 12-19.

Thursday of Holy Week, called Maundy Thursday in some traditions, is the source of three traditions. First, there is Jesus’ Washing of the Feet of the Disciples, as recorded by John 13:1-15. That practice is most famously continued by the Pope himself on Maundy Thursday, but is also followed by many other denominations, as noted in the Wiki article.

Then, and even more importantly, is the Institution of the Last Supper (or Mass, or Eucharist, or Communion, depending on the terminology of each denomination). This, along with baptism, is one of the central sacraments of Christian theology. The Synoptic Gospels and Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians contain jesus’s explicit instructions to continue the practice of the Last Supper, “in remembrance of me.” (See: Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:13-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.)

Third, after the Supper, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26). This is of course now an almost universal practice among Christian churches, not just on Easter. (See this recent thread on the topic: Music or Easter services?

Then comes Good Friday, commemorating the trial, cruxifixion and death of Jesus, as recorded in all four Gospels. Services on this day are sombre, as befitting the events it commemorates. Customarily the priest wears a black cassock, there is little or no singing, the altar is swept bare, and the cross is covered in a black veil as a sign of mourning. There is no eucharist, since this is a day of mourning, not a day of celebration.

Finally, on Sunday, it is Easter itself, to celebrate the Resurrection, which is recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. The church services are joyful, with lots of hymns of praise, and the celebration of the Eucharist - probably the most holy observance of the church, since it celebrates both the institution of the eucharist, as a reminder of salvation, and the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.

So yes, the Easter rituals of the church are firmly grounded in the Bible.

[raindog]

@JRDelirious

What people of a certain set of Western cultures carry on with during the popular festival identified in English with the word “Easter” has little to do with the Christian Solemnity of the Resurrection or with Biblical texts. So yes, bunnies, eggs, flowery bonnets, etc. are Pagan and were transferred from the Pagan Spring festivals to “Easter”. That much is true.

However, that the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus would have happened some time around the date of Passover IS a part of the Gospel story, so if anything, from Biblical sources the Passion and Resurrection are identified as overtly co-opting *Passover * (Jesus = lamb, etc.). As tom~ said, in many of our languages the word for the holiday celebrated last Sunday IS a derivative of the word “Passover”. Heck, in Spanish one is “Pascua de Resurrección” and the other is “Pascua Judía”. Unlike Christmas, which date was pulled out from under their hats by the Church fathers, the Holiday of the Resurrection does then have a Biblical referent for happening sometime shortly after the Spring equinox: it’s “Judeo Christian” in origin and then gets Euro-Pagan accoutrements.

If the ancient Hebrews timed Passover to coincide with Spring to co-opt Canaanite or Babylonian festivals is another story altogether (as is how come it was the proto-Christians who decided to expand to also co-opt the Hellenistic, Orphic, Mithraic, etc. myths. Really, this was the WalMart of religions, while everyone else stayed Mom-n-Pop…)

Well put, and I agree with all of this.

From my POV, the coincidence of timing of Easter---------which appears to be the only thing Easter shares in common with the celebration of Passover and/or the Celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ------- means that I think a fairly compelling case can be made that Easter is not only not “needed” for such a celebration, but like Christmas a perversion and distraction of the true nature of what is being celebrated. (particularly in light of the historic way it was celebrated by Christ’s followers, and their general antipathy towards such perversions)

[raindog]

@Northern_Piper

Well, let’s start with Lent, the forty days preceding Easter, which are meant to be a time of introspection and reflection. The model for Lent is the Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness, which lasted for forty days, and is recorded in the three synoptic Gospels: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. Lent is one way for believers to try to share in that experience.

Turning to Holy Week, it starts with Palm Sunday. That day is to commemorate the entry of Christ into Jerusalam, being greeted by crowds waving palm branches and crying “hosanna”. In churches that observe Palm Sunday, palms are handed out to the congregation, hymns often echo the “hosanna” theme, and there is sometimes a procession through the church, to represent the original procession. The basis for these commemorations are: Matthew 21: 1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12: 12-19.

Thursday of Holy Week, called Maundy Thursday in some traditions, is the source of three traditions. First, there is Jesus’ Washing of the Feet of the Disciples, as recorded by John 13:1-15. That practice is most famously continued by the Pope himself on Maundy Thursday, but is also followed by many other denominations, as noted in the Wiki article.

Then, and even more importantly, is the Institution of the Last Supper (or Mass, or Eucharist, or Communion, depending on the terminology of each denomination). This, along with baptism, is one of the central sacraments of Christian theology. The Synoptic Gospels and Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians contain jesus’s explicit instructions to continue the practice of the Last Supper, “in remembrance of me.” (See: Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:13-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.)

Third, after the Supper, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26). This is of course now an almost universal practice among Christian churches, not just on Easter. (See this recent thread on the topic: Music or Easter services?

Then comes Good Friday, commemorating the trial, cruxifixion and death of Jesus, as recorded in all four Gospels. Services on this day are sombre, as befitting the events it commemorates. Customarily the priest wears a black cassock, there is little or no singing, the altar is swept bare, and the cross is covered in a black veil as a sign of mourning. There is no eucharist, since this is a day of mourning, not a day of celebration.

Finally, on Sunday, it is Easter itself, to celebrate the Resurrection, which is recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. The church services are joyful, with lots of hymns of praise, and the celebration of the Eucharist - probably the most holy observance of the church, since it celebrates both the institution of the eucharist, as a reminder of salvation, and the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.

So yes, the Easter rituals of the church are firmly grounded in the Bible.

Wow.

I appreciate that you have taken the time to cite your points. I am at work and don’t have the time to go through your texts at the moment.

But a post like this deserves a thoughtful reply. I will review the texts, and try to reply later.

[gytalf2000]

@dangermom

Some Christians believe that since Christmas and Easter aren’t in the Bible–they’re not commanded or celebrated in the text–they should not be observed. I saw one person comment that since you’re supposed to be remembering the cross all the time, you don’t need a special day for it–every day should be ‘Easter.’

(I also saw one person who was raised Church of Christ, who only celebrated the eggs/candy part and is uncomfortable with religious aspects of it–who is married to a guy who only likes the religious part and is uncomfortable with eggs and candy. They don’t do Easter very much!)

I was raised in the fundamentalist Church of Christ – we never had any “special services” for Easter and Christmas. Sometimes the preacher might have a sermon related to the holiday “that all the denominationalists are observing today”, and sometimes – let’s just say usually – he would not. Almost all the families comprising the congregation would have Easter eggs for their children after the services, though, but it was not seen as a religious thing, more of a “social holiday” due to the culture-at-large.

It was the same deal at Christmas – pretty much all of the families would do the “Santa Claus” bit, put up decorations, etc., at their houses, but you would not see any Christmas decorations at the church building itself.

The reasoning behind the non-observance? There was no indication in the New Testament that Jesus wanted his followers to observe his birthday or have an annual celebration of his death/resurrection. The weekly communion service served to remind Christians that he died and then rose up on the third day. An annual celebration of this – Easter – would be redundant, not to mention “unscriptural”.