You guys are pagans with your hard boiled eggs.

[Willh]

Let me jump in here ... and I believe I know what Willh is thinking here.

basically, what are supposed to be very religious holidays (Christmas, and Easter) have been totally commercialized by the big companies and media with Easter Eggs and Easter Bunnies and the Christmas trees, and people are basically forgetting what the meaing of this holidays really are ...

No, the whole intention of my post was simply to ask everyone their feelings about easter, what it meant to them, etc. I'm personally not a Christian, but the ritual of easter, to me, has always interested me because it includes so many references to older religious rituals, etc.
I was writing it out and then figured I'd joke a little too, and thus I referenced the people who, based on a shoddy understanding of religious history think it's nothing more than a "pagan" holiday...meaning evil.
That was just a simple lighthearted joke I threw in...I didn't expect anyone to take it seriously...or even give it much thought.

[Stormsfury]

Mike are you related to Ozzy? LOL!! Excellent post. Makes more sense now.

Yeah, though Ozzy has all the money, fame, and the heavy British accent.

[chadtm80]

ROFLMAO SF.. You have to be bloody kidding me.. lol

[Stormsfury]

Let me jump in here ... and I believe I know what Willh is thinking here.

basically, what are supposed to be very religious holidays (Christmas, and Easter) have been totally commercialized by the big companies and media with Easter Eggs and Easter Bunnies and the Christmas trees, and people are basically forgetting what the meaing of this holidays really are ...

No, the whole intention of my post was simply to ask everyone their feelings about easter, what it meant to them, etc. I'm personally not a Christian, but the ritual of easter, to me, has always interested me because it includes so many references to older religious rituals, etc.
I was writing it out and then figured I'd joke a little too, and thus I referenced the people who, based on a shoddy understanding of religious history think it's nothing more than a "pagan" holiday...meaning evil.
That was just a simple lighthearted joke I threw in...I didn't expect anyone to take it seriously...or even give it much thought.

Ok ... I see ...

Basically when I young, I associated Easter with Easter Eggs and baskets, and all the stuff that a kidwould want to remember about Easter. However ... I found out that Easter was to have a more significant role than just Easter Bunnies and such ....

Will, I know for a fact that you're agnostic and you're intent wasn't really to stir up controversy and such. I'm not what people would call a true Christian or even Christian for that matter ... I believe in God my own way ... I consider myself more of a spiritualist ...

SF

[Stormsfury]

ROFLMAO SF.. You have to be bloody kidding me.. lol

Yeah, it'd would be like watching the Munsters .. I'd be the slightly normal looking one out of the whole bunch (and an outcast) ...

[Lindaloo]

Mike are you related to Ozzy? LOL!! Excellent post. Makes more sense now.

Yeah, though Ozzy has all the money, fame, and the heavy British accent.

ROFLMBO!!!

[therock1811]

ROFLMBO!!!!!

[Pburgh]

Will, the Greeks dye eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ.

I take Easter very seriously and don't appreciate your jokes!!!

As you said "Anyways, all joking aside...what is your interpretation of the myth of resurrection?"

I don't consider the resurrection of Christ a myth. I'm sorry for you that you feel that way.

Maybe if you stick around here for awhile you might be enlightened.

Anyway, Happy Easter
Christ is Risen - for you and for me!
Karan

[Colin]

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY! Good god...

[Willh]

Will, the Greeks dye eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ.

I take Easter very seriously and don't appreciate your jokes!!!

As you said "Anyways, all joking aside...what is your interpretation of the myth of resurrection?"

I don't consider the resurrection of Christ a myth. I'm sorry for you that you feel that way.

Maybe if you stick around here for awhile you might be enlightened.

Anyway, Happy Easter
Christ is Risen - for you and for me!
Karan

I certainly hope I'll be enlightened.

[coriolis]

I know that many of the modern holidays have "borrowed" from holidays of other cultures. You could drag in druids/halloween/all saints day, as well as the whole santa claus thing. I myself don't get too excited about chicks, rabbits, and eggs for easter. These things have nothing at all to do at all with the ressurection of Christ. (Mel Gibson's sequel - you heard it here first) I think that the christian holidays have accumulated a lot of baggage, but at this point, I'd say that the christian holidays have pretty much co-opted the trappings that may well have once belonged to holidays of other beliefs. We are staunch believers in the Gospel, and we color eggs, buy chocolate bunnies and all that stuff. We all know the real message, and these little traditions just are ways to help celebrate the real thing. The eggs do fit in with the concept of new life, and chicks are sort of pure and blameless. But that's about as far as you can torture the analogy. But to answer your question the (true) story of the ressurection is one of awesome power and liberation!

I read your original post and took it for face value. Just please understand that over the last few days, the staff here has been through a lot, and everyone is edgy.

[Willh]

I know that many of the modern holidays have "borrowed" from holidays of other cultures. You could drag in druids/halloween/all saints day, as well as the whole santa claus thing. I myself don't get too excited about chicks, rabbits, and eggs for easter. These things have nothing at all to do at all with the ressurection of Christ. (Mel Gibson's sequel - you heard it here first) I think that the christian holidays have accumulated a lot of baggage, but at this point, I'd say that the christian holidays have pretty much co-opted the trappings that may well have once belonged to holidays of other beliefs. We are staunch believers in the Gospel, and we color eggs, buy chocolate bunnies and all that stuff. We all know the real message, and these little traditions just are ways to help celebrate the real thing. The eggs do fit in with the concept of new life, and chicks are sort of pure and blameless. But that's about as far as you can torture the analogy. But to answer your question the (true) story of the ressurection is one of awesome power and liberation!

I read your original post and took it for face value. Just please understand that over the last few days, the staff here has been through a lot, and everyone is edgy.

I prefer Bacchus, tho.

[Pburgh]

Sorry Will, unlike like you and Bacchus, I feel that there is hope in each new day.

[Anonymous]

My problem with Will and several other people here involve how they try to stir up trouble. Like EVERYONE already knows, this board has a family atmosphere to it. This board is comprised of decent, loyal, RESPECTFUL long-time members. When you come to a new board and do nothing but cause grief, I'd consider that person to be a "troll". That's just not tolerated here nor should it be tolerated anywhere. We all see what you're trying to do. And we won't stand for it. Since you people obviously prefer a hostile environment, whereas we don't, please leave and carry on elsewhere. Here's the door........

Yeah really, a serious question posed to the board along with a little tongue-in-cheek comment thrown in is grounds for showing him the dreaded proverbial Storm2k door, but regular liberal-bashing threads by those frequents here who are so family-oriented? Not hostile in the least! LMAO.

[Pburgh]

Relax Brett, I just took a bubble bath and feel so very calm. Why don't you try it. The sky is blue, the air is fresh and Christ has risen.

[Anonymous]

Relax Brett, I just took a bubble bath and feel so very calm. Why don't you try it. The sky is blue, the air is fresh and Christ has risen.

I'm plenty relaxed, thank you, just having a good time laughing at some of the absurdity being spewed here!

[petal*pusher]

Wowser Will! Some controversy you have started here! It's unfortunate that you have ruffled a few feathers.....but your post brings up some interesting facts.....and some misguided "facts" about this season that is upon us. And.....actually coloring eggs....bunnies.....did start as pagan customs.

Before I get yelled at.....I'm a Christian woman. I DO celebrate holidays; Easter, Christmas, etc. I was raised in a large family that attended church regularly.....even read scripture after dinner every night while we were still gathered around the table. Mom went "all out" preparing all the holiday goodies and welcomed our help. When I was a sophomore in H.S......EVERYTHING changed.....and I mean EVERYTHING!! My two older brothers had already left home; I was the oldest there.....3 younger siblings. Suddenly, my parents announced we would no longer attend our regular church. (Mom had been interested in this "new" church for about 3 years......but I was devestated when my Father decided to join her.)

Suddenly NO Christmas....NO Easter....NO birthdays....NO ham (or anything with a cloven hoof)....NO shrimp, lobster or any "scavenger fish"....NO Sunday worship.....Saturday was the Sabbath. Being a rebellious teenager.....and having a job working Saturdays, took me out of this "new religion".....but my 3 younger sibs had no choice. It was tough having all our before-celebrated holidays replaced by "Feast of the Tabernacle"...."Feast of the Trumpets"...."Day of Atonement"......and many others. In fact, this particular time is called the "Days of Unleavened Bread"......meaning one has to get everything out of the house that may have any type of leavening. Finding something....even dogfood, symbolizes the many sins in our lives.

I remember lots of challenges to my sibs and I.......this made huge changes in our lives. Doctors were replaced with prayer cloths.....Dad tithed 1/3 of his income (10% for church, 10% for widows and orphans, 10% for "Feast Days") Though I deeply resented this intrusion into our lives, I had to somewhat admire the true faith my parents had. I asked them LOTS of questions! When we got to the "Easter" questions.....of course, that "pagan" word surfaced quite a bit! Another thing Mom was upset about was the fact that religion changes actual occurances simply for the convenience of people. I remember her saying...."If Christ was in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights......and Friday was when He was placed in the grave.......people should be celebrating on MONDAY!!" (Think about it..... )

Here's a link with some of the info on Easter.........in the last few years, this particular church has made some huge changes! Now they CAN celebrate Christmas and Easter with my family.....but for many years we celebrated no holidays together...............p

http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/holidays/default.htm

[streetsoldier]

I believe that I have already walked this path with y'all once before..let me reiterate.

Early Christian missionaries didn't have entire Bibles at their disposal...maybe a Gospel or two, perhaps one of the Epistles. Some, if not most, were what we'd think of as "semi-literate". Sent into strange, pagan lands to convert savage tribes, they would often take some local customs and use them to illustrate Christian beliefs in ways the barbarians could understand (think of St. Patrick using a shamrock to teach about the Trinity, and you have one idea).

True enough, many of these early "borrowings" have been asssimilated into custom over the millennia; personally, I believe it's NOT harmful at all, IF proper instruction in Christian theology is given at opportune times to explain these things.

As to those tracts, Willh, I would hazard a guess that, if you looked for the publisher, the name "Chick Publications, Jack Chick, Publisher" would pop out at you. This guy, Jack Chick, has his own VERY narrow and skewed ideas as to what "true" doctrine should be...and, over the years, he and his company have been successfully sued by almost every mainstream Christian communion for malicious libel.

Not to be deterred, he merely moves his printing shop to another location, and within months spews the same tired "truth" all over again. I've been aware of Chick for 35 years...he and his following hasn't changed their spots in all that time...and are not likely to do so. And I simply relegate him to a mental niche I reserve for "fruitcakes".

'Nuff said.

[Willh]

I believe that I have already walked this path with y'all once before..let me reiterate.

Early Christian missionaries didn't have entire Bibles at their disposal...maybe a Gospel or two, perhaps one of the Epistles. Some, if not most, were what we'd think of as "semi-literate". Sent into strange, pagan lands to convert savage tribes, they would often take some local customs and use them to illustrate Christian beliefs in ways the barbarians could understand (think of St. Patrick using a shamrock to teach about the Trinity, and you have one idea).

True enough, many of these early "borrowings" have been asssimilated into custom over the millennia; personally, I believe it's NOT harmful at all, IF proper instruction in Christian theology is given at opportune times to explain these things.

As to those tracts, Willh, I would hazard a guess that, if you looked for the publisher, the name "Chick Publications, Jack Chick, Publisher" would pop out at you. This guy, Jack Chick, has his own VERY narrow and skewed ideas as to what "true" doctrine should be...and, over the years, he and his company have been successfully sued by almost every mainstream Christian communion for malicious libel.

Not to be deterred, he merely moves his printing shop to another location, and within months spews the same tired "truth" all over again. I've been aware of Chick for 35 years...he and his following hasn't changed their spots in all that time...and are not likely to do so. And I simply relegate him to a mental niche I reserve for "fruitcakes".

'Nuff said.

No offense, but I think it's rather ignorant to be calling these people "savages" and "barbarians".

[streetsoldier]

Willh,

I was merely reflecting the prevailing wisdom AT THAT TIME; this is how the wandering tribes were seen BY those early missionaries, ill-prepared as they were, who were sent out to convert them...and (more than likely) die at their hands in the process.

This, Willh, is typical of the careful historian; not "20-20 hindsight", or trying to ascribe 21st Century feelings and aspirations to people who didn't think in the same terms we do, but rather, to "get in their heads" or "walk in their shoes", using their own writings to better understand their world.

Try re-enacting sometime..divorcing even your everyday language from any modern attributes in order to present yourself as a "living history" figure. It can be an eye-opener!

However, I stand by my description of Jack Chick as written, unapologetically.