"Easter", as remembered and celebrated today.

[Checkpoint]

I do not refer to its name but to the events that are believed to have happened 2000 years ago, and their significance.

Where do you stand, and why?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 1 by Checkpoint]

As one of Jehovahs Witnesses I dont celebrate Easter due to its pagan origins.

Cool, but the problem with that rationale is simple; Jehovah's Witnesses don't let pagan "origins" stop them from using other things..(days of the week, months of the year, etc)...all of those things have pagan origins, yet JW's have no problem using those things/concepts.

Jehovah's Witnesses can't function in this world by re-naming the days of the week and the months, etc. Why? Because if we tried to go by our own names no one else could possibly know what we were doing. It would be out of sync with the entire world and it would be way too confusing. Say we re-named June as Jeptha. Our doctor says "I want you to come in again on June 7th," and we say "what?? I don't recognize 'June,' so you'll have to give me an appointment for Jeptha or another month, such as [the renamed months] Amos or Jeremiah."

Can you see the impossibility there?

A totally different problem than not celebrating a pagan holiday.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 23 by Checkpoint]

In stories written by unknown authors a lifetime after the suppose event. People that wrote the gospels were not alive when the execution maybe happen.

Bible scholars mostly are in agreement over who wrote the Gospels, and they all were alive when Jesus was executed.

[For_The_Kingdom]

For_The_Kingdom,
re: "The day should be remembered, honored, and celebrated."

Not that it proves anything, of course, but it might be interesting to note that scripture is silent with regard to anyone observing/celebrating the 1st day of the week in honor of the resurrection.

You are correct; I am not making a doctrine out of the celebration of Easter; I am merely giving my opinion that the most important event in the history of mankind, an event which benefits every single human being should be remembered, honored, and celebrated.

The OP asked where do we stand; and that is where I stand.

[For_The_Kingdom]

But "Easter" has no relation to Christ's resurrection. It is Christ's resurrection that is "the most important day" to Christianity, and not "Easter." Easter is a pagan holiday with a pagan goddess' name, with all her symbols of fertility, which have nothing to do with Jesus.

Right, and when millions of Christians gather together in various Churches throughout the world on that Sunday every year, honoring and celebrating what was done on our behalf; giving praise, honor, and glory to the Lord for his sacrifice; none of that has nothing to do with a pagan goddess or her symbols of fertility.

[brianbbs67]

Duet.12:4 and 12:29-13:1 seem to apply here.

[Checkpoint]

Duet.12:4 and 12:29-13:1 seem to apply here.

It would.

We can ignore pagan trappings and traditions, and honor and remember what God has done for us in His Son, in thanksgiving and worship.

The name "Easter" is an unfortunate legacy of history, that's all it is, a pagan goddess.

Just one of many we are stuck with.

Every day of the week we are stuck with the names of gods or goddesses.

We ignore their origin and get on with our real day-to-day living, don't we?

So, give pagan whatever the brush-off, and give God the glory and praise!

[Sojournerofthearth]

[Replying to post 35 by Checkpoint]

just brush it off... God will understand...

Take heed to yourself, that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. You shall not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which He hates, they have done unto their gods, even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Whatever things I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add to it or diminish from it.

Of course, I realize that's all OT stuff... but Paul told Timothy that the scriptures that he had known from childhood (which could only have been the OT) would make him wise to salvation and were inspired by God and were profitable for doctrine, correction and reproof and instruction in righteousness.

and there's the little thing that none of the disciples observed Easter... they observed Passover.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 35 by Checkpoint]

just brush it off... God will understand...

Take heed to yourself, that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. You shall not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which He hates, they have done unto their gods, even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Whatever things I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add to it or diminish from it.

Of course, I realize that's all OT stuff... but Paul told Timothy that the scriptures that he had known from childhood (which could only have been the OT) would make him wise to salvation and were inspired by God and were profitable for doctrine, correction and reproof and instruction in righteousness.

and there's the little thing that none of the disciples observed Easter... they observed Passover.

Truly, I agree with you wholeheartedly.



When I googled "brush-ff" the first entry was this:

Verb. give someone the brush-off. (intransitive, idiomatic) To rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone

Passover, or something similar, is what it should have been named.

1 Corinthians 5:17

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Peace.

[onewithhim]

But "Easter" has no relation to Christ's resurrection. It is Christ's resurrection that is "the most important day" to Christianity, and not "Easter." Easter is a pagan holiday with a pagan goddess' name, with all her symbols of fertility, which have nothing to do with Jesus.

Right, and when millions of Christians gather together in various Churches throughout the world on that Sunday every year, honoring and celebrating what was done on our behalf; giving praise, honor, and glory to the Lord for his sacrifice; none of that has nothing to do with a pagan goddess or her symbols of fertility.

Then why call it "Easter"??? Why celebrate his resurrection with rabbits and eggs?

[onewithhim]

Duet.12:4 and 12:29-13:1 seem to apply here.

It would.

We can ignore pagan trappings and traditions, and honor and remember what God has done for us in His Son, in thanksgiving and worship.

The name "Easter" is an unfortunate legacy of history, that's all it is, a pagan goddess.

Just one of many we are stuck with.

Every day of the week we are stuck with the names of gods or goddesses.

We ignore their origin and get on with our real day-to-day living, don't we?

So, give pagan whatever the brush-off, and give God the glory and praise!

We can't very well "brush off" the days of the week. Explain to me how we would get along in this world if we decided to change the names. How would we coincide our days with everybody else's days? Tell me that.

But we can refuse to celebrate a holiday named after a pagan goddess, with no repercussions other than people thinking we are taking our respect for Christ too far. What possible reason is there for hanging a goddess' name on to the celebration of Christ's resurrection? Why not celebrate it without the goddess and her symbols?