[jocon307]

Happy Easter BUMP!

[Servant of the 9]

What a pathetic attempt.

So9

[JimKalb]

It's not just English speakers who call it Easter instead of Pascha. The Germans call it Ostern. (All this stuff about how it's all really pagan etc. is of course unbelievably stupid.)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Dear Lord,
Lent is nearly over.
Be with us as we celebrate
the anniversary
of what you were willing to do
for love of us,
how large a price
you were willing to pay,
how heavy the cost
you chose to give
so that we might live.

Beloved Master,
kindle in us
the reality of your love,
and from it,
help us to respond in love as well.

May we find the glory
of your resurrection
a time of joy,
as we celebrate your breaking death's shackles,
so that we might come home with you at last.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Origin of Easter
Easter and the early Christian Church
There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic fathers. However, an Easter Homily does survive from the 2nd century which indicates that the practice arose quite early in the history of the Church.

In the mid second century (c. A.D. 155) Anicetus became bishop of the Roman Christians. Shortly thereafter, Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, traveled to Rome to discuss with Anicetus various practices in the Roman congregation; among these was the discussion of observing the resurrection of Christ in deference to his sacrifice and death.

Polycarp cited the teachings of the Apostles, while Anicetus cited the traditions of the earlier bishops of the Roman church. The historian Eusebius reports that Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon (c. 176)(in a letter to Victor, bishop of Rome A.D. 189 - 198 -- see Pope Victor I), listed bishops of Rome back to Sixtus (or Xysyus -- c. 116 - c. 125) who celebrated the resurrection, but tolerated those who continued to observe the Passover; thus the practice can be traced to very early in the second century, but had not yet displaced the observance of Passover by Christians. Polycarp and Anicetus parted without coming to any agreement on this issue. (Samuele Bacchiocchi (2003). From Sabbath to Sunday. Retrieved 21 June 2005)
Establishment of Easter
After Anicetus, Soter became bishop of Rome. Under him Easter was established as an annual festival. The celebration was to be "the Sunday following the 14th of the Jewish month Nisan (the day of the Passover)." (J.N.D. Kelly (1986). The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. p. 11).

This ruling by the bishop of Rome was widely, but not universally, accepted. A rift developed, primarily between the eastern (Asian) and western churches. It became known as the Quartodeciman Controversy (see Quartodecimanism).

The observance of any special holiday throughout the Christian year is an innovation postdating the early church. The ecclesiastical historian Socrates Scholasticus attributes the observance of Easter by the church to the perpetuation of local custom, "just as many other customs have been established", stating that neither Jesus nor his apostles enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival (of course, the Bible states that Jesus and the Apostles did indeed observe Festivals). Nowhere in his history did Socrates Scholasticus state that the observance of Easter was due to pagan influences, however. In addition, if one wishes to take this specific sentence prima faciae, one could just as easily invent a justification for rejecting weekly worship services on Sunday, Saturday, or any other day, rejecting the ownership of church buildings by religious organizations, and rejecting the participation of Christians in any sort of political process, as none of these activities were specifically enjoined by Jesus or the Apostles, either. Furthermore, the entirety of the chapter renders the statement in the context of defending diversity of dates for the holiday, without rejecting or denigrating the celebration.

Many commentators, however, have interpreted the last supper as a Passover seder at which Jesus presided. In addition, Jesus and the Apostles were observing Sukkot (the "Feast of Booths") when the Transfiguration occurred, indicating that he was not immediately opposed to the observance of annual holidays. As the far more common worldwide name of the holiday, "Pascha" (or variations thereof), indicates, the holiday arose from the Passover celebrations, but with emphasis upon the Resurrection of Jesus.


Reference.com
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Easter

[Oztrich Boy]

The Christ-haters teach that Easter is a pagan festival, really. But men such of these speak the words of Satan, who desires to weaken our faith, confuse us and divide us. How wretched it is that slanderers and thieves who, for their lust of money and power, call themselves Christian while they slander the saints and martyrs who celebrated the resurrection of Christ!

Now. is that a nice thing to say about The Venerable Bede?

[dangus]

Ping the Catholic list?

[Conservative til I die]

Good post. Of course the silly Judaizers and other fringers (not even sure what their grave errors should be called) will ignore it, since they have to push their special gimmick so that we know they're "the real truth".

[escapefromboston]

William Townly creator of Paas egg dye was a satan worshipping pagan/ 33 degree freemason. Its all true!! its in the Bible.

[AnalogReigns]

Good stuff! (even if from a Papist... ;) )

Finally a good refute to the cultists!

[Utah Girl]

Thanks for posting this article. I've always wondered where the Easter Bunny came from.