Easter, Pasqua, Passover

[100%atheist]

What does word Easter mean?
Why Pasqua (which has the same meaning as Easter in Christianity) that is derives from Passoever has an absolutely different meaning to Passoever?
What is the relationship of Easter Hare and Easter Eggs to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

My main question is here:
What were the reasons to keep so many inconsistencies about the holiday that could be more effectively called simply [strike]Zombie[/strike] Resurrection Day?

My own layperson interpretation is that in different cultures there were various efforts to domesticate Christianity by using local holidays and traditions in order to better sell Jesus. But I should admit, I have no any academic knowledge of this subject and I would appreciate your valuable input.

Thanks.

[ThatGirlAgain]

What does word Easter mean?
Why Pasqua (which has the same meaning as Easter in Christianity) that is derives from Passoever has an absolutely different meaning to Passoever?
What is the relationship of Easter Hare and Easter Eggs to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

My main question is here:
What were the reasons to keep so many inconsistencies about the holiday that could be more effectively called simply [strike]Zombie[/strike] Resurrection Day?

My own layperson interpretation is that in different cultures there were various efforts to domesticate Christianity by using local holidays and traditions in order to better sell Jesus. But I should admit, I have no any academic knowledge of this subject and I would appreciate your valuable input.

Thanks.

Easter

According to this, by the time the word Easter was in use for a Christian holy day, it was no longer in use in reference to the goddess of that name. It was simply part of the name of the month in which Christian Easter typically fell.

The modern English term Easter developed from the Old English word Ēastre or Ēostre (IPA: [ˈæ�ɑstre, ˈe�ostre]), which itself developed prior to 899. The name refers to Eostur-monath (Old English "Ēostre month"), a month of the Germanic calendar attested by Bede, who writes that the month is named after the goddess Ēostre of Anglo-Saxon paganism. Bede notes that Ēostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April, yet that feasts held in her honor during Ēostur-monath had gone out of use by the time of his writing and had been replaced with the Christian custom of "Paschal season".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#English_and_German

This would appear to make the Christian use of the name Easter no more related to non-Christian practices than ‘Maundy Thursday’ is related to the worship of Thor. The Easter Bunny, egg hunts and so forth are relics of pagan practices but are non-liturgical in character. You will not find Easter baskets in a church.

Passover

The events related in the Gospels on which the liturgical Easter cycle is based took place in the context of Jewish Passover. Christian Easter and Christian worship practices in general still relate to Passover. For example, the ritual use of unleavened bread and wine are straight from Passover customs. Here is an interesting discussion of that topic.

Easter was originally celebrated at the same time as Jewish Passover. Later that was changed but took some time to get standardized. See the “History of Easter and the Easter Controversy� section in this article.

Pasqua

“Pasqua� capitalized means Easter; “pasqua� un-capitalized means Passover.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pasqua

[100%atheist]

This would appear to make the Christian use of the name Easter no more related to non-Christian practices than ‘Maundy Thursday’ is related to the worship of Thor. The Easter Bunny, egg hunts and so forth are relics of pagan practices but are non-liturgical in character. You will not find Easter baskets in a church.

Huh?
Here is a link:
http://gabull.smugmug.com/Events/Images ... f5Bj4-A-LB

Also, the church across the street from my house organizes egg hunts on every Easter. And my neighbors are confident that Easter Bunny is a part of original Christian tradition. When my kid told neighbors that she does not get presents on Easter (which is actually incorrect; we even paint eggs!), she was told that this is because she does not believe in Jesus. This left me with WTF thoughts.

Pasqua

“Pasqua� capitalized means Easter; “pasqua� un-capitalized means Passover.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pasqua

Wow! And none of those means Resurrection of Jesus. By the way, in Russian Orthodox tradition Pasqua is sometimes called Resurrection of Christ. Moreover, in Russian, Sunday translates as Resurrection, and long long time ago Resurrection (aka Easter, aka Pasqua) was celebrated each Sunday.

... I watched an episode of South Park about Easter and it seems like (beyond South Park) there is absolutely no connection between bunnies, eggs, and the Resurrection of Jesus.

[ThatGirlAgain]

This would appear to make the Christian use of the name Easter no more related to non-Christian practices than ‘Maundy Thursday’ is related to the worship of Thor. The Easter Bunny, egg hunts and so forth are relics of pagan practices but are non-liturgical in character. You will not find Easter baskets in a church.

Huh?
Here is a link:
http://gabull.smugmug.com/Events/Images ... f5Bj4-A-LB

Blessing Easter baskets. They never did that in my church. If they had done things like that, I might have stayed around longer. Might have.

Also, the church across the street from my house organizes egg hunts on every Easter. And my neighbors are confident that Easter Bunny is a part of original Christian tradition. When my kid told neighbors that she does not get presents on Easter (which is actually incorrect; we even paint eggs!), she was told that this is because she does not believe in Jesus. This left me with WTF thoughts.

Sounds like a reaction to the commonly heard claim that Easter derived entirely from pagan customs. “Oh no, Jesus is the one and only reason for the season.� Ever notice how things are becoming more and more all-or-nothing?

Pasqua

“Pasqua� capitalized means Easter; “pasqua� un-capitalized means Passover.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pasqua

Wow! And none of those means Resurrection of Jesus. By the way, in Russian Orthodox tradition Pasqua is sometimes called Resurrection of Christ. Moreover, in Russian, Sunday translates as Resurrection, and long long time ago Resurrection (aka Easter, aka Pasqua) was celebrated each Sunday.

The Gospels all present the Last Supper/ Passion/ Resurrection narratives in terms of Passover imagery. John of course does it his own way. Another entry on my ‘threads to start when I win the lottery'’ list. Catholic Sunday Mass still has as its central feature a re-enactment of the Last Supper. But the Passion and Resurrection rituals are saved for Easter week.

... I watched an episode of South Park about Easter and it seems like (beyond South Park) there is absolutely no connection between bunnies, eggs, and the Resurrection of Jesus.

Seasonal rituals are very old in the history of religion. It is not surprising to find various celebrations of the renewal of life taking place in the Spring. It should be no surprise that modern day Easter – secular and religious – takes place around the same time as the old pagan rites of Eostre or Bealtaine or any other celebration of death being conquered once again and the earth renewed.

Christian Easter is when it is because it is related to Passover. According to tradition, Passover is when it is because that is when the Angel of Death visited Egypt. However we may note that when the Temple still stood, Passover involved the sacrifice of Spring Lambs.

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What does word Easter mean?
Why Pasqua (which has the same meaning as Easter in Christianity) that is derives from Passoever has an absolutely different meaning to Passoever?
What is the relationship of Easter Hare and Easter Eggs to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

My main question is here:
What were the reasons to keep so many inconsistencies about the holiday that could be more effectively called simply [strike]Zombie[/strike] Resurrection Day?

My own layperson interpretation is that in different cultures there were various efforts to domesticate Christianity by using local holidays and traditions in order to better sell Jesus. But I should admit, I have no any academic knowledge of this subject and I would appreciate your valuable input.

Thanks.

Easter is a pagan holiday incorporated into the catholic traditions of man. It has nothing to do with Bible Christianity.

Easter is a pagan fertility festival honouring the pagan god Astarte, the Syrian sun goddess, known as the queen of heaven. This pagan fertility festival is mentioned in the bible.

Jeremiah 7:18 "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven....that they may provoke me to anger"

So the hot crossed buns of Easter.

This is just another case of spiritual harlotry of the catholic church who mixed darkness with light.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[ThatGirlAgain]

What does word Easter mean?
Why Pasqua (which has the same meaning as Easter in Christianity) that is derives from Passoever has an absolutely different meaning to Passoever?
What is the relationship of Easter Hare and Easter Eggs to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

My main question is here:
What were the reasons to keep so many inconsistencies about the holiday that could be more effectively called simply [strike]Zombie[/strike] Resurrection Day?

My own layperson interpretation is that in different cultures there were various efforts to domesticate Christianity by using local holidays and traditions in order to better sell Jesus. But I should admit, I have no any academic knowledge of this subject and I would appreciate your valuable input.

Thanks.

Easter is a pagan holiday incorporated into the catholic traditions of man. It has nothing to do with Bible Christianity.

Easter is a pagan fertility festival honouring the pagan god Astarte, the Syrian sun goddess, known as the queen of heaven. This pagan fertility festival is mentioned in the bible.

Jeremiah 7:18 "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven....that they may provoke me to anger"

So the hot crossed buns of Easter.

This is just another case of spiritual harlotry of the catholic church who mixed darkness with light.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Sources please. Not ones that show that the cult of Astarte existed but that this was without a doubt the origin of Christian Easter. Also please explain why the passion and resurrection associated with Christian Easter is so closely linked to Passover themes. Hypothetically linking Astarte to Passover does not count. You claimed that the Catholic church invented Easter based on Astarte.

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What does word Easter mean?
Why Pasqua (which has the same meaning as Easter in Christianity) that is derives from Passoever has an absolutely different meaning to Passoever?
What is the relationship of Easter Hare and Easter Eggs to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

My main question is here:
What were the reasons to keep so many inconsistencies about the holiday that could be more effectively called simply [strike]Zombie[/strike] Resurrection Day?

My own layperson interpretation is that in different cultures there were various efforts to domesticate Christianity by using local holidays and traditions in order to better sell Jesus. But I should admit, I have no any academic knowledge of this subject and I would appreciate your valuable input.

Thanks.

Easter is a pagan holiday incorporated into the catholic traditions of man. It has nothing to do with Bible Christianity.

Easter is a pagan fertility festival honouring the pagan god Astarte, the Syrian sun goddess, known as the queen of heaven. This pagan fertility festival is mentioned in the bible.

Jeremiah 7:18 "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven....that they may provoke me to anger"

So the hot crossed buns of Easter.

This is just another case of spiritual harlotry of the catholic church who mixed darkness with light.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Sources please. Not ones that show that the cult of Astarte existed but that this was without a doubt the origin of Christian Easter. Also please explain why the passion and resurrection associated with Christian Easter is so closely linked to Passover themes. Hypothetically linking Astarte to Passover does not count. You claimed that the Catholic church invented Easter based on Astarte.

I am saying that the catholic church incorporated the pagan festival because it fell near to Passover. It was the closest non-Jewish festival. For them it served two purposes.

1) To distance themselves from the Jewish religion in the eyes of the Roman authorities

2) To attempt to promote it's religion amongst the pagans by incorporating their festival into catholicism. They where making it easier for the pagans to become nominal catholics by incorporating their pagan festival and giving it a catholic interpretation.


And of course Easter is about fertility. Bunnies and eggs, the timing of easter is at the spring equinox. It is clear as day to anyone who is not in denial.

If Christians want to commemorate the last supper and execution of Jesus they should do it on Passover when these things happened.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[ThatGirlAgain]

Easter is a pagan holiday incorporated into the catholic traditions of man. It has nothing to do with Bible Christianity.

Easter is a pagan fertility festival honouring the pagan god Astarte, the Syrian sun goddess, known as the queen of heaven. This pagan fertility festival is mentioned in the bible.

Jeremiah 7:18 "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven....that they may provoke me to anger"

So the hot crossed buns of Easter.

This is just another case of spiritual harlotry of the catholic church who mixed darkness with light.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Sources please. Not ones that show that the cult of Astarte existed but that this was without a doubt the origin of Christian Easter. Also please explain why the passion and resurrection associated with Christian Easter is so closely linked to Passover themes. Hypothetically linking Astarte to Passover does not count. You claimed that the Catholic church invented Easter based on Astarte.

I am saying that the catholic church incorporated the pagan festival because it fell near to Passover. It was the closest non-Jewish festival. For them it served two purposes.

1) To distance themselves from the Jewish religion in the eyes of the Roman authorities

2) To attempt to promote it's religion amongst the pagans by incorporating their festival into catholicism. They where making it easier for the pagans to become nominal catholics by incorporating their pagan festival and giving it a catholic interpretation.


And of course Easter is about fertility. Bunnies and eggs, the timing of easter is at the spring equinox. It is clear as day to anyone who is not in denial.

If Christians want to commemorate the last supper and execution of Jesus they should do it on Passover when these things happened.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Fertility holidays are very common in the mythologies of the world. Why do you claim specifically that the Catholic church used Astarte as the basis of Easter even though the thematic links to Passover are so strong?

And Easter was originally celebrated in conjunction with Passover. Here is a good discussion of how and why the transition from Passover to Easter took place.

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From your Link

Although most who profess Christianity now celebrate it, Easter-Sunday was not observed by the second century Christians in Asia Minor. They observed Passover.

Note before the harlotry with constantine.

Although the Bible does mention that Jesus was resurrected, it never once suggests that it be observed as some type of holiday. Jesus specifically mentioned that Christians were to observe the Passover as He did (Luke 22:14-20). Since few who profess Christianity observe the Passover, what happened?

Thank you

A Roman Change

Beginning with possibly Telesphorus or possibly Hyginus or maybe Sixtus (there are no contemporaneous records, only an unclear report 5-6 decades later written by Irenaeus), what is now called Easter began to be observed in Rome. First, it was apparently a change in date of Passover from the 14th of Nisan to a Sunday. This is believed to have happened because there was a rebellion by Jews and that any distancing between Jews and Christians seemed physically advantageous (at least to some in Rome and the Greeks in Jerusalem). I suspect they made this change because their fear of death was greater than their fear to violate God's word.

There you have it. They loved there lives in this world more that they loved their Messiah Jesus. So they made a harlot of themselves by adopting a pagan holiday so save their own physical lives.

John 12
25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[ThatGirlAgain]

From your Link

Although most who profess Christianity now celebrate it, Easter-Sunday was not observed by the second century Christians in Asia Minor. They observed Passover.

Note before the harlotry with constantine.

Although the Bible does mention that Jesus was resurrected, it never once suggests that it be observed as some type of holiday. Jesus specifically mentioned that Christians were to observe the Passover as He did (Luke 22:14-20). Since few who profess Christianity observe the Passover, what happened?

Thank you

A Roman Change

Beginning with possibly Telesphorus or possibly Hyginus or maybe Sixtus (there are no contemporaneous records, only an unclear report 5-6 decades later written by Irenaeus), what is now called Easter began to be observed in Rome. First, it was apparently a change in date of Passover from the 14th of Nisan to a Sunday. This is believed to have happened because there was a rebellion by Jews and that any distancing between Jews and Christians seemed physically advantageous (at least to some in Rome and the Greeks in Jerusalem). I suspect they made this change because their fear of death was greater than their fear to violate God's word.

There you have it. They loved there lives in this world more that they loved their Messiah Jesus. So they made a harlot of themselves by adopting a pagan holiday so save their own physical lives.

The "harlotry with Constantine" you refer to is presumably the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. The Jewish rebellion referred to in the article is presumably Second Revolt (132-136) But two of the three individuals named as the possible originator (Sixtus, Hyginus) were bishops or Rome before that revolt and only one (Telesphorus) during it. See also the section I quote below detailing the role of Sixtus in the affair, the earliest of the candidates. The idea of where Easter should fall was already an issue before the revolt and for very different reasons.

While the article I cited does contain considerable good information it is not immune to opinionizing.

I suspect they made this change because their fear of death was greater than their fear to violate God's word.

“I suspect� is a bit different from “definite fact�. Willing martyrdom was in fact quite common in the 2nd century, enough to cause other kinds of problems for a growing church. The charisma associated with those facing martyrdom was threatening centralization. Distinction from Judaism to reduce persecution was not so much a matter of personal survival as an organizational challenge.

The Spirit of Martyrdom

From the time when "godly men buried Stephen" after he was executed by the Jews, martyrs were treated with great respect. Martyrs, or "confessors," were believed to have a greater degree of grace from God. There were reports (although some might be considered questionable) that miracles were performed through martyrs: bones (relics) could be used for healing, confessors sitting in prison were reported to have heavenly visions and personal audience with the risen Lord - these could offer prayers of special power, and could even grant confirmation of God's forgiveness.

By the middle of the second century pockets of the Church had followers desiring martyrdom to the point of throwing themselves in the way of Roman officials, hoping to be selected for the "perfecting" of their faith, execution. This careless attitude had become commonplace enough that Clement of Alexandria urges believers not to offer themselves to their persecutors, but to flee.

Bishops of the second century found their authority being challenged by imprisoned confessors. People were flocking to imprisoned saints seeking empowered prayer and forgiveness for sins. During times of intense persecution many believers "lapsed" into various levels of their former sinful lives, then wanted to come back to the church. Each region had its own method of repentance, which typically depending on the local bishop. When lapsed believers started approaching, and gaining forgiveness through imprisoned confessors the authority of the bishop suffered.

http://www.churchhistory101.com/century2-p3.php

In any case, I am having trouble understanding what you are saying. On the one hand, you want it to be all about avoiding Roman persecution. On the other hand, you want it to be a Roman Emperor doing it. And the associated events are hundreds of years apart. Plus you have yet to offer any actual evidence connecting the Christian Easter with paganism, whereas an earlier post of mine argued, with documentation, that the connection did not exist. I am sorry to say it, but your story strikes me as rather less than coherent.

Here is more on the history of the separation of Passover and Easter, putting forth yet more ideas on why and how the separation took place.

The feast of Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, as Christians believe that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus occurred at the time of those observances.

As early as Pope Sixtus I[early 2nd century], some Christians had set Easter to a Sunday in the lunar month of Nisan. To determine which lunar month was to be designated as Nisan, Christians relied on the Jewish community. By the later 3rd century some Christians began to express dissatisfaction with what they took to be the disorderly state of the Jewish calendar. They argued that contemporary Jews were identifying the wrong lunar month as the month of Nisan, choosing a month whose 14th day fell before the spring equinox. Christians, these thinkers argued, should abandon the custom of relying on Jewish informants and instead do their own computations to determine which month should be styled Nisan, setting Easter within this independently computed, Christian Nisan, which would always locate the festival after the equinox. They justified this break with tradition by arguing that it was in fact the contemporary Jewish calendar that had broken with tradition by ignoring the equinox, and that in former times the 14th of Nisan had never preceded the equinox. Others felt that the customary practice of reliance on the Jewish calendar should continue, even if the Jewish computations were in error from a Christian point of view.

The controversy between those who argued for independent computations and those who argued for continued reliance on the Jewish calendar was formally resolved by the Council, which endorsed the independent procedure that had been in use for some time at Rome and Alexandria. Easter was henceforward to be a Sunday in a lunar month chosen according to Christian criteria—in effect, a Christian Nisan—not in the month of Nisan as defined by Jews. Those who argued for continued reliance on the Jewish calendar (called "protopaschites" by later historians) were urged to come around to the majority position. That they did not all immediately do so is revealed by the existence of sermons, canons, and tracts written against the protopaschite practice in the later 4th century.

These two rules, independence of the Jewish calendar and worldwide uniformity, were the only rules for Easter explicitly laid down by the Council. No details for the computation were specified; these were worked out in practice, a process that took centuries and generated a number of controversies. (See also Computus and Reform of the date of Easter.) In particular, the Council did not decree that Easter must fall on Sunday. This was already the practice almost everywhere. Nor did the Council decree that Easter must never coincide with Nisan 15 (the first Day of Unleavened Bread, now commonly called "Passover") in the Hebrew calendar. By endorsing the move to independent computations, the Council had separated the Easter computation from all dependence, positive or negative, on the Jewish calendar. The "Zonaras proviso", the claim that Easter must always follow Nisan 15 in the Hebrew calendar, was not formulated until after some centuries. By that time, the accumulation of errors in the Julian solar and lunar calendars had made it the de-facto state of affairs that Julian Easter always followed Hebrew Nisan 15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Coun ... h_calendar