Posted on 04/23/2011 10:25:07 AM PDT by patlin
As we come to the final days of Passover when we celebrate the Risen Christ and as I journey into a deeper study of the Christian faith, I find myself learning many eye opening truths that were never taught to me by my church leaders since youth. Truths that I did not teach my children & have not taught grandchildren because I failed to explore Christian doctrine outside of the church teachings.
For the 1st time in my life, I did not decorate for the Christmas season last December & for the 1st time, I am not decorating nor celebrating an Easter,"Estore", season either. Why? Well, let's start with the words of Martin Luther ...
"The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes, arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to concede some things which can be construed according to individual interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted.
"Here is lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such patchwork is not according to God's will, but that doctrine, faith and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom." "Estore" is a sun goddess worshipped by the pagans during the spring equinox. Bunnies & eggs are her signs of the fertility of mother earth. So the questions begged to be answered are, why did the Roman Catholic Papacy use the name of a pagan god to define one of Christianity's most important events? Why are Christians all over the globe today still celebrating this pagan event at home & in the Church when God rebuled these pagan religious traditions?
When Judeo-Christian monks worked mendaciously to gain followers by destroying pagan history and defaming the elder gods as demons, they had no weapons to deface the innocence of Eostre. Instead, they adopted her holiday and attempted to graft their values onto it. As the Judeo-Christians could offer nothing better, they simply claimed what existed as their own, changed the story slightly, and then tried to cover up and break people's connection to the past.
"Ostara, Eostre seems therefore to have been a divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted to the resurrection-day of the christian's God. - Jacob Grimm, "Teutonic Mythology" 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 tells us ...
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people." The resurrection is about baptism, the immersion into the waters, as a sign of renewel & rebirth the life of Christ. The Bible no where speaks of bunnies & eggs. The Lord told us that many will come, but few will enter His gates ...
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" When the Pilgrims first settled in American, these pagan customs were banned. These celebrations were deemed unlawful. The Christian Pligrims had fled Europe for a land in which they could establish Christian communites based on the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. They wished to shred every heresy & pagan doctrine forced upon them by the Roman Catholic Papacy & the English Church who had become nothing more than Religious Political & Military entities that ruled with an iron fist & who kept their people under oppression. In Constantine's plight to rid the world of paganism, instead of banishing these pagan cutoms, he adopted them as Christian theocracy thinking that he could rid the worls of them by giving them a Christian definition that had no roots in Biblical Christianity. In 2 Corinthians 6: 17, we here this command...
" Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord."AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you" Now, what does this say of modern Christianity when these so-called Christians still cling to pagan traitiditions? It says that paganism is alive and well in the churches of all religions across the globe. The message it sends to me is that Christian churches must cling fast to pagan traditions in order to fill the pews so that they can keep their political & religious military alive. So that they can keep their monetary coffers filled to the brim.
If the Christian churches wished to truly celebrate Passover & Eternal Life through the resurrection of Christ, a more befitting celebration would be to usher in a season of global Baptism. A season of renewl & rebirth through cleansing. The washing away of the old so that one may arise with the new.
How glorious a sight would that be, to see thousands Baptized the same way they did during the times of Christ. This is what Passover & Pentecost is about. Isn't it about time Christians start standing for the truth instead of continuing to partake in pagan customs? The Scriptures give us the rule in no uncertain terms in Acts 5: 29 ...
'We must obey God rather than men' So, as you gather tomorrow with family & friends to celebrate, ask yourselves ... what are you celebrating & how are you celebrating it?
My head is begining to hurt from laughter...
It would be refreshing to have an actual pagan post one of these “Easter” threads and yell at Christians because they feel their wonderful ancient pagan goddes or whatever has been eclipsed by Christian tradition. Just for a change.
I wonder what some of these folks think of the word “God”, based on the German “Gott”. I mean, the germanic pagans were saying “gott’ before Christains...
Freegards
I avoid all pagan things. I don’t used the names of the week. For intstance, I know that Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday refer to Norse gods. So I call them “Day after the first day back to work,” “hump day,” “almost Friday” and “not Friday,” respectively. I have made up Christian names for each of them, but the sect across the street diagrees with me.
[end sarcasm at this buzzkill topic, not your post]
your use of a strawman argument that the equinox calendar as a tool to tell & record time is a religious doctrine is laughable. It also shows your insecurities of the Gospel. Well either that, or your ignorance of it because you only believe what has been indoctrinated into you.
Sheesh where does this stuff come from.
You wrote:
“When you can cite Gospel teachings that give authority for the Christian Church to use paganism to promote the Gospel, then you have a case.”
When a poster doesn’t condemn the use of an old pagan name while simultaneously using numerous pagan names for days of the week, months of the year and pagan practices in their marriages, then he won’t be a hypocrite. Until then, if the shoe fits you...
“Until then, you are like I was until I really started studying the Gospel OUTSIDE of what religious theocrats teach.”
I am only like you in that I am a sinner dependent upon God’s grace. I do not rely on illogic, or poor reasoning, or sciolism. I leave that up to you.
“FYI, the Lord told the disciples to go out, teach & baptize new disciples, not build religious theocracies where each one has its own interpretation as to what the Gospel says and its own set of religious laws for their members to follow.”
Christ sent the Church out to baptize and teach. Only Protestants believe in “religious theocracies where each one has its own interpretation”.
“There is only one set of laws and those are of Christ, our Lord, our God. What does it say when the Lord proclaimed that only 1/3 of His Jewish people would even enter the Kingdom? It says that we need to really start questioning these religions & their leaders and just how much of the Gospel they teach is really the true doctrine of the Lord God, Jesus Christ.”
What is clear is that not celebrating your birthday, or not celebrating the Lord’s resurrection on Eastern Sunday, or pretending Thursday is something other than Thursday has nothing at all to do with converting Jews. Not only could you not put forward anything even approaching a logical argument for your views but you even threw in the kitchen sink (conversion of Jews) and only made your attempts look more pathetic.
I hope you really enjoy your next birthday. Remember to ask yourself if you’re a hypocrite when you blow out those candles, okay?
Listen: I pray that you have a lovely and blessed day tomorrow.
Wait, I thought Friday was named after the pagan god of thinly sliced tubers cooked in hot oil...
I worship Thor! From now on all you squares can just call Thursday, our holy day, the day before Friday. Let the Freya worshippers deal with it.
Freegards
I think I will get hammered in his honor...
You wrote:
“your use of a strawman argument that the equinox calendar as a tool to tell & record time is a religious doctrine is laughable.”
I never made such an argument. Ever. Why would you completely make up something like that? Do you believe making dishonest claims are sinful actions?
“It also shows your insecurities of the Gospel.”
Wow, you really must be desperate. You can’t make an argument, I show the easy hypocrisy in what you say, and that makes me insecure about the gospel? It is interesting how some people will go to any length to when they are shown to be lacking in their claims. What will you accuse me of next?
“Well either that, or your ignorance of it because you only believe what has been indoctrinated into you.”
I actually believe all truth. It took years of study and investigation as an adult to lay that groundwork, but it took a profound encounter with Christ for it to truly become a part of my life. Indoctrination had nothing to do with it. Grace had everything to do with it. Perhaps you’ve never had such an encounter with the risen Christ. From your lashing out in ignorance - claiming things about me you do not know and that are not true - that would seem to be the case.
Think of that too when you blow out those candles next time you celebrate your birthday. Christ is the light of the world, but you seem to have removed yourself far from Him. I hope one day you come to know Him, to truly know Him.
I got so hungry reading this I boiled myself a couple of eggs, for which I will give God great thanks before I eat them.
Yet more exploitation of the Thorinite faith by the hollywood liberal media elite!!
My favorite Thor comics was where he fights Dracula. Or Ego the Living Planet. Granted it’s not proper Thorinite theology.
Freegards
Exactly!
Perhaps Shakespeare said it best..
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. (Romeo & Juliet quote Act II, Scene II)
To the Christian, Passover—Easter means the same. Christ is risen! The rest (eggs bunnies) is gingerbread.
****Did the Lord not tell the Christians to “Separate themselves”? Now please explain how separate is equivalent to adaption? ****
There is a month in the Hebrew calender called TAMMUZ. Interesting that it falls on the same month that the Pagan women would “Weep for Tammuz”, another name for Attis-Adonis-Osiris, on the longest day of the year.
BTT
“I’ll be celebrating the resurrection, as I do every first day of the week, by taking communion with my fellow believers.”
Same here, though I think early Christians in celebrating the Lord’s Supper associated it primarily with Christ’s death. Of course, we know the grave couldn’t hold Him and that the Father resurrected Him on the third day. Hallelujah!
“Pasch = Passover”.
I believe the only time the word “Easter” appeared in the King James Version of the Bible was in Acts 12:4. But it shouldn’t be there. The word is translated from the Greek word pascha, which is properly translated as “Passover” 28 other times in the New Testament. I don’t know what the KJV translators were up to in mistranslating it as “Easter” in that place.
In celebrating communtion, let us remember the Lord’s death (Matthew 22:26-28) as He indicated and let us praise God that we serve a risen Savior!
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