[Closed] Christian knowledge regarding Easter sought.

Friday - day one
Saturday - day two
Sunday - day three, the third day.

I guess.

"On the third day, he rose again, in accordance with the scriptures".

So where does Easter Monday fit in to this?

ohnohesback - Member

So where does Easter Monday fit in to this

It's a public/bank holiday ... 😛

IIRC, Monday its a legacy of the fact that the Catholic Church is a spin off of the original Christian church, who celebrated Monday as a day of renewal.

(2 years in a seminary.)

So where does Easter Monday fit in to this?

I don't think it does really, other than in the way that you get an extra bank holiday on Monday if New Year's Day falls on a Sunday.
But as Easter Day is always on a Sunday, you get Monday as a bank holiday.

It's a pagan festival that the church couldn't stamp out, so they rebranded it. Don't expect any logic, you won't find any.

Everyone used to have to work… there were no Bank Holidays, so Easter was celebrated on the only day off, Sunday, which was traditionally wasted thinking god for your horrible life every week anyway.

IMHO the poor maths is not the biggest problem with this story

Here you go- my memory isn't as bad as I thought:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday

It's a pagan festival that the church couldn't stamp out

I'm fairly sure they did stamp it out. Where do you live?

Summerisle?

[i]It's a pagan festival that the church couldn't stamp out[/i]

This, because to get to the date, you have to work out the first Sunday after the vernal equinox full moon, which doesn't at all sound like a pagan festival. No, no not at all... 🙄

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Don't forget about the star over Bethlehem.

I'm fairly sure they did stamp it out. Where do you live?

Please say Easter Island

I'm fairly sure they did stamp it out. Where do you live?

It's based in the cycle of the moon. Pagan.
Bunnies. Pagan symbolism.
Eggs. Pagan symbolism.
Hot cross buns. Pagan again.
There isn't anything even vaguely Christian in easter.

So the pagans are celebrating today? Wicked, where can I see these celebrations?

This explains it a bit more clearly..
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/jesus-died-to-give-us-two-bank-holidays-2014041785796

Everywhere. Not that they care it was Pagan, it's just chocolate day now. Nothing more pagan than stuffing your face.

BTW They must have had really good suntan oil in his times cos he always looks a bit pasty in the paintings...

I it's a pity I didn't notice this thread earlier as they were knocking on the door a while ago.... 🙂

IMHO the poor maths is not the biggest problem with this story

Ha ha excellent post.

[IMG] [/IMG]

HTH.

So the pagans are celebrating today? Wicked, where can I see these celebrations

Nice.

So you didn't see any pagan celebrations slowman ..... not even dodgy looking people in a circle ? 🙁

Where did you go for your nice walk ?

ernie_lynch - Member
So the pagans are celebrating today? Wicked, where can I see these celebrations?

You're welcome round to our's anytime.

slowoldman - Member
Nice.

We had beef.
🙂

I celebrated Easter with a Pagan [ wiccan] at a Jewish familyies house [ passover Sedan]

Beat that one STW

PS its actually all true

It's a pagan festival ...etc etc.

What!? How come nobody ever mentioned this before! 😉

We were all way too busy discussing Clarkson and lane changing

And why, exactly, is a supposedly Christian 'festival' named after Eostra, a pagan goddess, who's earthly avatar is the hare, later changed to the rabbit, because it's 'safer' than the rather spooky hare.

why, exactly, is a supposedly Christian 'festival' named after Eostra, a pagan goddess

Because of the English monk Bede apparently.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-pagan-goddess-behind-the-holiday-of-easter/

[i]Why do only English speakers celebrate “Easter”? Most other peoples of the world call the holiday observed by Christians this Sunday by some variant of the word “Pascha.”

In almost every other international language, the holiday is called by some permutation of “Pesach,” the Hebrew word for the Passover holiday/sacrifice.[/i]

English arrogance suggests that an international religious feast celebrated across the globe was specially created to suit the English language, the existing religion, and local English seasons.

Bitter, critical and self-righteous. 😆

English arrogance. Etc etc.....

WGAS what it's called, its a four day weekend!

If you don't like it, go to work in protest?

What's causing the confusion, is that in Jesus's time Tuesday and Thursday came between Friday and Saturday

[quote=enfht opined]Bitter, critical and self-righteous.

Enough about you now what are your views on the topic 😛

Not just English that calls it Easter - German is Ostern.

English arrogance suggests that an international religious feast celebrated across the globe was specially created

Yay! Engurland, Engurland. And Deutschland, Deutschland.

Go us.

Good post, thank you OP. This thread has made a couple of things clearer.

I must admit that I have wondered about the three days and three nights part of it - although it doesn't really matter about the timescale, I guess. The message and the meaning is the most important thing and the Crucifiction and our redemption is the vital thing.

I was very upset by Woppit's thread title and I'm glad that there is another thread on here which is much more meaningful.

There are some pagan festivals that have been incorporated into the Christian calendar - Yuletide / Christmas, Eostre / Easter but this just makes it more interesting. God is the same God whatever we call him but we all worship in different ways and maybe at different times. It matters not, Christian or Islam or Buddhist or something else. God is God.

There is evidence of Bibilical events in history - I think it was Josephus who wrote about Christ in his writings - and there is evidence of the Flood in C Leonard Woolley's book about his excavations in Ur of the Chaldees. (Fantastic book by the way).

Julian - not a very good Christian but would like to be a better one.

There is evidence of Bibilical events in history - I think it was Josephus who wrote about Christ in his writings

What about Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, didn't they write something ?

OP - wasn't it Pontius Pilate who first said "oh no he's back"?

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Good point, and yes, of course.

I was thinking of accounts in writings outside of the Bible as there are some / many who would dispute Biblical accounts.

I don't believe there is any contemporaneous account of Jesus's life. The earliest is Paul about 80 years after he is said to have died. Josephus was 10 or so years after that. The greatest documenters of the day (the Romans) have no account of him at all, trial or otherwise.

Documented history is not on Christianity's side. Hence the importance of Faith.

TBH I've never heard of Josephus, who was he and why would he be a reliable source ?

Confirmation bias?

Interesting point peakyblinder. More research needed.

My faith is not diminished though.

My faith is not diminished though.

It's held out against one critical comment on a chat forum ?

If you think it's confusing counting days, the Muslim's believe he wasn't crucified he was substituted. Yes Jesus appears in the Quran!

He was roman/jewish historian.

The text referred to is not what anyone today would call strong evidence - occurring so far after the date, not been correlated with other writings by the same author and there being no original manuscripts to study. It is widely accepted that it has been embellished by later Christians.

[url= http://http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus ]Josephus[/url]

Yes Jesus appears in the Quran!

Next you'll be telling us that Moses does too !

I was very upset by Woppit's thread title and I'm glad that there is another thread on here which is much more meaningful.

Indeed, given that STW by their own words is responsible for what is written here, it was an odd one legally!! But religion bashing is nowt new here...

Josephus was a Roman historian writing at the time and is considered an important source on the Roman Empire including all the Jewish groups in Jerusalem - joy of sitting next to some own revising Theology A level!!

My faith is not diminished though.

I sincerely don't intend to do that either. I sometimes wonder at the fact that so much of civilization has been shaped by Christianity, DESPITE there being no evidence. Stand in any big cathedral, imagine the work that went into its creation and then consider it is all based on pure faith. And then imagine how many others exist. Mind blowing.

It's not for me religon (I tried it out, researched a lot and settled on philosophical Taoism as a sort of code), but as long I'm not being harmed by it I can happily live in a world with people of faith!

its held out against one crititcal comment etc?

Don't quite follow

Eostre was the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of the Spring, and of fertility. The egg and the hare were her symbols of fecundity and re-birth which is why we have them today.
As the Anglo-Saxon (and Jutes, Danes etc) were all of the same racial and cultural stock then its fairly obvious that the worship of that Goddess would have been over a large part of North Western and central Europe, not 'England' alone.

Next you'll be telling us that Moses does too !

It's a great cast list in these abrahamic religions.

ernie_lynch - Member
Yes Jesus appears in the Quran!
Next you'll be telling us that Moses does too !

😀 😀

Stand in any big cathedral

Strasbourg Cathedral this weekend was wonderful!!!

There are so many things that have happened in my life which confirm my faith now. Not then, but now... Hard to explain

Josephus was a Roman historian writing at the time and is considered an important source on the Roman Empire including all the Jewish groups in Jerusalem

Well that explains my ignorance. I struggle to keep with current affairs let alone what the news was 2,000 years ago.

Indeed

(but giving the other sarcy posts (Moses) who knows, eh?!? 😉 )

As the Anglo-Saxon (and Jutes, Danes etc) were all of the same racial and cultural stock then its fairly obvious that the worship of that Goddess would have been over a large part of North Western and central Europe, not 'England' alone.

Lucky the Jews in North Africa/the Middle East established a religious feast in April 3,000 years ago to tie in with North European Anglo-Saxon one then.

Or did you think that Easter had nothing to do with the Passover ?

Christian or Islam or Buddhist or something else. God is God.

Buddhists do not believe in God in the Abrahamic sense they think everyone can achieve God [ head] like status. I think its hard to reconcile them as the same God but I get the idea. Its probably harder to do this with the polytheistic faiths

given that STW by their own words is responsible for what is written here, it was an odd one legally!! But religion bashing is nowt new here.

Two points
1. Forgive us or turn the other cheek which ever part of your faith appeals most
2. Blasphemy is no longer a crime here

did you think that Easter had nothing to do with the Passover ?

I am going to go for the celebration/remembrance of the Exodus [ of the Jews ]from Egypt [ and slavery] led by Moses to the promised land* and celebrated by Jews and the Death and resurrection of the [ Disputed] son of god celebrated by Christians as unrelated

You ?

* what is it 1000 + years before Christ? I forget anyone?

as unrelated

The Last Supper was the Passover Seder. All the readings in Catholic churches on Maundy Thursday relate exclusively to the Passover.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/holy-thursday/holy-thursday-readings/

Easter is when it is because of the Passover and nothing else. It isn't in April because of a Pagan feast, even if there are eggs and bunnies at Easter. The Passover was established 3,000 years ago.

Julian - not a very good Christian but would like to be a better one.

You are telling me!

Blimey, if you need a STW thread to fill in the basic gaps in the knowledge of a religion you believe in, your faith must be all encompassing. Not sure if I could 'commit' to a religion unless I had done my homework in a big way first, but I guess that's why I was always destined to be an atheist.

very upset

Genuine question, not meant to be (too) derogatory, but do you actual mean that? You we actually, genuinely, properly [u]very[/u] upset by some ejjiot you have never met on a forum mocking a religion you believe in, in the name of (attempted) humour? I only ask this because as someone who has never had a religious belief I'm struggling to comprehend being upset by something like that. Are you easily upset otherwise, or is it just faith based stuff? Would it have made you very upset if he had mocked another faith you don't believe in?

What I don't understand is why if easter is to celebrate a specific event that must have happened on a specific day why does easter move so much in the calendar?

For the same reason that the Passover varies according to the lunar cycle.

Argh! which biscuits for [s]easter[/s] pagan Monday faith mocking?

Argh! which biscuits for easter pagan Monday faith mocking?

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

No need jay, worshipping at the altar du chocolat is quite sufficient

Easter is when it is because of the Passover and nothing else.

They are totally different festivals and events that occurred a thousand years apart and celebrate/remember completely different things. The only thing they share is the date they celebrate NOT The reasons nor causes.

No easter is where it is because this is the time that [christians believe] the Romans killed jesus.

...which was at the end of the Passover Celebration...

I was very upset by Woppit's thread title

Eh?

I am going to go for the celebration/remembrance of the Exodus [ of the Jews ]from Egypt [ and slavery] led by Moses to the promised land*

For which, just like the story of the alleged Nazarene, there is no evidence, despite years of attempts to find it.

@convert

To answer your first question, no I don't really need STW to fill in the gaps in my religious knowledge. There are plenty of other ways I could find out. Just interested that it came up on here.

As I may have said earlier, it's the message and the redemption that matters to me. The date of Easter is determined by the state of the moon, I think, so how much more pagan could that be? Obviously it's not on the anniversary of the Crucifiction - not sure the date is even known - but it doesn't matter. Christmas too is just a date - I have heard that Christ is more likely to have been born in September (can't remember where I heard that) - but again, it's a date on which we focus our thoughts. Suspiciously close to the equinox though... Another pagan festival subsumed. Again, I don't care - it's a focus.

To answer the second (set of) question(s). Yes I was upset about that thread title, yes I would have been unhappy about such a title about any other faith, no I'm not generally that easy to offend.

Woppit pisses me of a lot with his anti Christian stuff. Be an atheist if you wish, but don't be unpleasant to those who don't share your views. I don't castigate atheists, so why should they castigate those who have a faith?

I also don't agree with standing on a street corner or knocking on doors promoting religion. Some of the best Christians I know simply set a great example and will answer questions about their faith if asked.

And you did ask!

Whether 'Easter' as the Christian tradition is based on Passover or not isn't the point I made, the religious festival brought by the Romans/early Christian missionaries was overlayed onto the existing festival of the Goddess of the Spring & we still use her name for this today. The Christian festival may have its roots in Passover (which in itself may well be based on earlier rites of Spring) but in Northern European culture it became inextricably blended with the festival of Eostre, and English and other Germanic speaking peoples took that out into the wider world til it became the name of the prime Christian festival in the calendar.

I dont see many eggs and hares/bunnies used as Passover imagery.

Julian - your faith is yours and yours alone. I'm happy to respect your belief and will stand by your absolute right to worship freely within the law.
What I object to is Evangelical Christians 'witnessing' their faith and demanding special exemptions from the law .
The only way to freedom of and from religion is a truly secular state Imo.

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the zombie reference. Want to take the piss out of atheism? Go ahead, brother. Give it your best shot.

Religion is risible. I'm entitled to express my thoughts on the subject.

Go ahead and be offended, if that's what you want although it seems to me that if your beliefs, founded on thousands of years of the same in all sorts of variations from magical thunderbolt-hurlers to the undead self-harmer and a prophet wizzing around on a flying horse can't stand the occasional ribbing, it doesn't indicate very robust constitution.

In any event, why don't you just forgive me? 😉

Ignore is easier (at least on this topic) - but you might want to read the legal stance in case you say the same things at work - esp re "be offended."

They might be less "forgiving" than STW which takes the ultimate risk here 😉