If you were to die today do you know where you would go?

[iceman]

"Hope nobody's mentioned the truth about the "Easter Bunny" yet ..."

Ah, yes the fetility goddess. Wow I'm learning a lot here....

[Stalemate]

I was merely pointing out how you contradicted yourself.

Got it.

Didn't work.

Thanks.

[Stalemate]

and how you (adept) posted religious material on this board and weren't chastised, ridiculed or tormented at all for your beliefs.

Cute joke.

[iceman]

Ok I was inspired by the research I did yesterday and looked up the Holiday's origins....

Anyone want to tell me why we celebrate this crap?? From what I see most of it was imported by the 'Church" to keep the locals happy with the god's they were already worshipping....

I don't get it....

[confus-ed]

I don't get it....

Many Christian festivals are positioned closely to what might have been more 'traditional' celebrations, I guess (& many historians too) to give alternative celebration times to things such as Midwinter-festival (21st December) etc .. but not all by a long way, so its not a replacement for those (else why don't we have something religious that ties into the summer solstice ? which is hugely significant in most pagan culture ..)

Easter is about celebrating Christ's sacrifice for mankind, just which day that happens, personally I see as irrelevant & its only fixed by tradition nowadays.

[iceman]

Many Christian festivals are positioned closely to what might have been more 'traditional' celebrations, I guess (& many historians too) to give alternative celebration times to things such as Midwinter-festival (21st December) etc .. but not all by a long way, so its not a replacement for those (else why don't we have something religious that ties into the summer solstice ? which is hugely significant in most pagan culture ..)

Easter is about celebrating Christ's sacrifice for mankind, just which day that happens, personally I see as irrelevant & its only fixed by tradition nowadays.

Ya but... What about all the bunny stuff - it's crazy where all that came from... besides from the stuff I'm reading Christ's death was commanded to be celebrated at the time of the passover, and yet it's completely missed! Ok, I'm offically confus-ed

[meatwad]

(else why don't we have something religious that ties into the summer solstice ? which is hugely significant in most pagan culture ..)

Well, that's the time of year we celebrate the time our forefathers told your forefathers to stuff it. Does that count?

[Outcoded]

omg, outcoded, you are sober! There is no way you could have "typed" that drunk...

outcoded has a very well trained voice to text system...

B*****ks was I, what I actually said was "There's got to be some more beer round here somewhere", the computer musta misheard the slur.

[Platypus]

Anyone want to tell me why we celebrate this crap?? From what I see most of it was imported by the 'Church" to keep the locals happy with the god's they were already worshipping....

I don't get it....

This is why I as a Christian do not observe these kinds of festivals. I'm definitely in the minority in this regard, but I don't believe Christianity should be pretending pagan festivals are "Christian", and I see it as most unfortunate that most of orthodox christianity gives opponents like atheists, Jehovah's Witnesses etc a stick to beat them with in this regard.

I'm not at all surprised that people are confused about it, but on the other hand, it does take the wind out of critic's sails if they use this on me to lambast Christianity, and I agree happily that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ, or that Easter is the fertility festival of Eostre (Astarte - hence the rabbits, symbol of fertility) and shouldn't be observed by Christians.

Jesus and his apostles who implemented his teachings to establish the Christian Church, prior to later corruption, commanded his death and resurrection to be commemorated in the taking of communion, rather than by any fixed (or moveable... ) festival.

[confus-ed]

This is why I as a Christian do not observe these kinds of festivals.... and I agree happily that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ, or that Easter is the fertility festival of Eostre (Astarte - hence the rabbits, symbol of fertility) and shouldn't be observed by Christians..

You what ? You don't celebrate Christmas or Easter ? & Christians shouldn't observe them ? .. I think I know what you are trying to say - but it didn't seem to turn out too well ?

[Platypus]

You don't celebrate Christmas or Easter ?

Not as any kind of "christian" celebration. I'll exchange Christmas presents, or eat hot cross buns, no problem, but I don't imagine it really has anything to do with Christ. Sadly the mish-mash of traditions which have grown over the core truths of Christianity over the centuries make it feasible for folk like our friend iceman to ask "Anyone want to tell me why we celebrate this crap??" And there isn't a truthful answer that can link in the pagan stuff that doesn't fit, without confirming the view of a skeptic that "christianity" is a cobbled-up heap of fables based on earlier legends.

For me, being able to answer "I don't... " circumvents that. For the rest of what is presented to the world as the Christian Church, in the thirty years since I became a Christian, I haven't observed anything that would make me think there is value in burying the straightforward truths of who Jesus was and what he did under a mass of religious "stuff".

[meatwad]

Not as any kind of "christian" celebration. I'll exchange Christmas presents, or eat hot cross buns, no problem, but I don't imagine it really has anything to do with Christ. Sadly the mish-mash of traditions which have grown over the core truths of Christianity over the centuries make it feasible for folk like our friend iceman to ask "Anyone want to tell me why we celebrate this crap??" And there isn't a truthful answer that can link in the pagan stuff that doesn't fit, without confirming the view of a skeptic that "christianity" is a cobbled-up heap of fables based on earlier legends.

For me, being able to answer "I don't... " circumvents that. For the rest of what is presented to the world as the Christian Church, in the thirty years since I became a Christian, I haven't observed anything that would make me think there is value in burying the straightforward truths of who Jesus was and what he did under a mass of religious "stuff".

Kind of like Jehova's Witnesses?

[iceman]

In speaking with a Jehovah Witnesses... I've got to say that I'm pretty impressed with the way they explain the holidays...and some other stuff. Makes a whole lot more sense than stuff I've been told before. Maybe not as far off center as one might think.

[arch0nmyc0n]

Here's a thought I've had recently... why is it "season's greetins" and not "merry chirstmas" anymore? they say all those "Happy Hannuka" things tho... but for some reason if we say merry christmas people think it's preachuing or something... I heard a rumour that some guy sued a school somewhere because it had a manger scene in front of it and he found it offensive... if I lived in the same city I'd sue him cause I find him offensive....

[Platypus]

Kind of like Jehova's Witnesses?

It is one of the things I find agreement with JW's about. It's kind of amusing to find them a bit non-plussed if they knock on my door to tell me all about that and find I already know... Unfortunately this is used as ammunition to target potential recruits to the organisation, which I would have much disagreement with. So that's why I mentioned in a previous post how disappointing I find it that orthodox christianity offers a stick for opponents to beat them with by promoting so much that is not actually Christian in their beliefs and practice.