Easter Questions

[denuseri]

I haven't seen any evidence that it wasn't caused by a flying saucer, either. A lack of evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen, but it does bring the subject into doubt. And if, as you claimed in your earlier posts, the Romans looked upon these signs as auguries, they would have to have been something more than a small quake and a thunderstorm.

You would think so right? But No... in reality even something as small as seeing 7 birds fly over the capitol city from east too west was taken as a sign by the Augers.


Well we certainly agree about that! I'm just not willing to put my faith in people who gleefully admit that they are little more than evil sinners in the eyes of their gods! Especially when they are trying to convince me that I'm just like them.


Well, since the celebration of Easter, for Christians at least, is all about the death and resurrection of Jesus, I don't think that questioning the validity of the stories to be beside the point.

Its not all about that alone...its actually more specifically a re-defining of the Jewish Passover by the early Christians who were Jewish (later exported by Paul and others through the Roman world). And outside of one obscure Germanic inter-relation that according to actual historical texts (at least so far as Ive been able to find at this point) is not a direct adaptation of a pagan ritual in any way so much as Saxon peoples associating the word Easter with one of their already "old gods" at the time from the 800's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter Not a bad layman's reference here btw.

[Thorne]

its actually more specifically a re-defining of the Jewish Passover by the early Christians who were Jewish

Yes, Passover, the celebration of another fictional event. Don't get me started!

[thir]

Yes, Passover, the celebration of another fictional event. Don't get me started!

Well, they are not still in Egypt. So they got out, somehow, right?

[thir]

I hope you Christians (and others) out there have not lost heart at this point - there is one more thing I would very much like to ask:

I have wondered for many years why Christmas is a much bigger Christian celebration than Easter?

I would have thought that Easter - with the resurrection - would be the crown of the events, the big victory over death! Also the cross was taken as a symbol for Christianity (by whom?) so again you'd think that Easter would be the really most important celebration, and a cause for great joy.

So, can anyone tell me why it isn't? Maybe it was, originally?

[thir]

I hope you Christians (and others) out there have not lost heart at this point - there is one more thing I would very much like to ask:

I have wondered for many years why Christmas is a much bigger Christian celebration than Easter?

I would have thought that Easter - with the resurrection - would be the crown of the events, the big victory over death! Also the cross was taken as a symbol for Christianity (by whom?) so again you'd think that Easter would be the really most important celebration, and a cause for great joy.

So, can anyone tell me why it isn't? Maybe it was, originally?

If there are any Christians who would like to talk about this, but who have lost the taste for it in the thread, please do write a PM (personal message.). I'd really like to know.

[Bellasub]

If there are any Christians who would like to talk about this, but who have lost the taste for it in the thread, please do write a PM (personal message.). I'd really like to know.

I really came on to this to mention that Christ was not created, but saw that got covered...then read Thorne's posts... skipped to the end to see how things ended. Largely, Christmas is a "bigger" celebration for 3 reasons.

1) It marks the end of the liturgical calendar, a New Year's of sorts. The church year is sort of like a mini-replay of the life of Christ every year.

2) Everyone agrees on the date of Christmas celebration. Easter is based on the lunar calendar and the Eastern Orthodox Christians, Coptic Christians, and Western Christians are often a little bit different on the date of Easter.

3) Mostly though, the secular world grasped heavily onto Christmas traditions and celebrations. Not that Christ's birth isn't a huge deal, it certainly is. At my church though, we spend basically the entire week at church. (short services monday, tuesday, wednesday, Maundy Thursday Mass + Footwashing, Good Friday is a...long service, then on Saturday we have Easter vigil which is about 3 hours and a wonderful amazing incredible service of anticipation and fulfillment. Then sunday morning is Easter worship service He is Risen indeed!)