Easter, ABC-Style: Cluster Bombs, 'Pagan' Easter Bunny

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

You might think that Easter would be an occasion for an MSM outlet like ABC to invite in a serious Christian theologian or minister to discuss issues of death and resurrection. Please. I did say "an MSM outlet." ABC's Good Morning America decided the best way to celebrate Easter today was to devote one segment to an anti-war activist who had organized a "cluster bomb hunt" to parallel the White House's Easter egg hunt, and another segment to a mocking examination of the Easter bunny.

In the first segment, GMA's Kate Snow interviewed Brian Hennessey, organizer of the "cluster bomb hunt" outside the White House to protest the use of the weapons. Small children were shown constructing the mock bombs, and later would be sent out to search for them. Claimed Hennessey "we're not trying to politicize kids in any way." Right. When he later mentioned that the kids' parents would be "looking for weapons of mass destruction which of course aren't there," Snow didn't bother to suppress a laugh. Not surprising. This is the same Snow who a couple weeks ago who was moved to laughter by a painting that depicted Christ and his disciples as dogs.

Next, it was time for ABC's Marisol Castro to explore the origins of the Easter bunny. "Why is one of [Easter's] most popular symbols a bunny rabbit? We went far and wide posing that question to the masses." The masses? Ah yes, let's explore how the little people celebrate their quaint religious customs. "Do they really know anything about him?" wondered Castro. And sure enough, there she was, putting kids, adults and even a shopping mall Easter bunny on the spot: "do you know where the Easter bunny comes from?" Subtext: don't you rubes know you're propagating a pagan custom?

To clear things up, Castro brought in someone from Beliefnet to explain: "The holiday started off as a fertility festival celebrating the goddess of Oestera, whose sacred animal was a bunny rabbit. Eggs have been a symbol of fertility for even longer than that."

CASTRO: The holiest date on the Christian calendar, Easter got its name around 325 A.D. Over the centuries, these pagan symbols have become synonymous with the Christian holiday.

BELIEFNET SPOKESMAN: The existence of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs has actually been a very powerful and effective way of drawing children into the Easter celebration. After all, the story of the crucifiction and resurrection is a tough story.

Too tough for ABC, at least, to treat respectfully.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

PLEASE NOTE: it was ABC that ‘celebrated’ Easter with the cluster bomb segment and the questioning of the Easter bunny. Finkelstein, who is also your fellow FReeper governsleast, wrote the NewsBusters article criticizing ABC. Kindly address your outrage accordingly.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Easter-MSM-style-at-ABC ping to Today show list.

[Condor 63]

After all, the story of the crucifiction and resurrection is a tough story.

Indeed. This fact also is the source of it's life changing power.

[johnny7]

The DBM will ultimately side with Islamism over paganism in its war against Christianity. Paganism is definitely cooler... but Islam really gets out there and fills the body-bags.

[KC-10A BOOMER]

These people are truly deranged lemmings looking for a cliff to dive over. I just hope they don’t take the rest of us with them. Celebrate that he has risen and through “him” all things are possible. Have a Happy Easter freepers.

[theBuckwheat]

>>
After all, the story of the crucifiction and resurrection is a tough story.
<<

And especially so for people who deny that there is a God who sets for an absolute moral law (Rev 22:14) who promises to reward every person according to their works (Rev 22:12), and who assures that people who are liars, murderers and are sexually immoral shall not partake of eternal life (Rev 22:15).

[don-o]

Thanks for reminding me why my TeeVee remains OFF almost all the time.

Exception today: Final round of the Masters.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

This could be shaping up to be the most amazing finish to a major since Jean Van de Velde’s meltdown at the British Open a few years ago.

[gawatchman]

She is spot on about Easter, and the Easter bunny. For this I applaud her. After all, what do bunny rabbits, and eggs have to do with the crucifixion of Christ? Answer: Nothing.

[metmom]

How many kids showed up for the cluster bomb hunt, I wonder? It’d be interesting to know how many sick and deranged parents are out there.

[Inspectorette]

Mark, continued thanks for your journeyman’s work in keeping us abreast of the MSM’s anti-Christian and increasingly anti-Jewish bias. I haven’t seen one thing in The Oregonian (no surprise there), nor on any news network about Passover this year.

[Doctor Raoul]

It's OK, as a counter protest to the cluster bomb event, the Osama United soccer team with show up to kick around a severed head in a Ramadan Tournement.

Think "Dancing Itos Do Jihad".

[Doctor Raoul]

That little cluster buck is set for Monday.

[Wilhelm Tell]

This really got me, "This is the same Snow who a couple weeks ago who was moved to laughter by a painting that depicted Christ and his disciples as dogs." The MSM would never treat Islam that way (not that I think they should). They would never even treat some goofy New Age cult with any level of disrespect. They would mock Judaism if they had the courage.

If someone (they would not be in the MSM) mocked Islam that way, we know what would happen. The Islamists would riot all over the world and they would try to kill anyone who mocked their religion. The MSM would be cowering just reporting what happened and they would promise that there would be more Islamic representation on their programs.

I am tired of people who mock my faith and my culture and then they self-righteously put on a mask of tolerance and impartiality. Enough of them! Where are Christians in all of this? The church needs to become militant. Our enemies use every scheme against us, and they are counting on Christians turning the other cheek every time. They are bullies and they think they can safely pick on Christians. There are some protests and that is a good thing. But there needs to be more. What if for every major insult, there was a massive demonstration? Every time. Such demonstrations should be organized, well-targeted and kept just within what is legal and just below being violent or destructive. Disruptive, very disruptive but not destructive. Civilized but very un-civil. How's that? That is all these bullies understand and it is time to fight back.

[CBart95]

Thank you for helping us all rejoice in the victorious spirit of overcoming that moves in and through our thoughts,our words, and our actions!

[vladimir998]

Quote from the story: “CASTRO: The holiest date on the Christian calendar, Easter got its name around 325 A.D. Over the centuries, these pagan symbols have become synonymous with the Christian holiday.”

This person is a moron. Easter is a Germanic word. At that time there were few Germanic Christians. Everyone in the Roman Empire, east and west, called Easter the Pascha (which is from the word for Passover). The Easter would not develop for several centuries yet.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

My pleasure, I. By the way, as an Oregonian, are you a Lars Larson fan?

[vladimir998]

Actually, that’s not true.

Rabbits and eggs were signs of new life. Eggs especially were signs of the Resurrection because of the idea of life coming out of a shell (like Jesus out of a tomb). These things were associated with Easter for a reason. We’re just too stupid today to know these things because our understanding of symbols related to Christianity has broken down.

[DouglasKC]

Next, it was time for ABC's Marisol Castro to explore the origins of the Easter bunny. "Why is one of [Easter's] most popular symbols a bunny rabbit? We went far and wide posing that question to the masses." The masses? Ah yes, let's explore how the little people celebrate their quaint religious customs. "Do they really know anything about him?" wondered Castro. And sure enough, there she was, putting kids, adults and even a shopping mall Easter bunny on the spot: "do you know where the Easter bunny comes from?" Subtext: don't you rubes know you're propagating a pagan custom?
To clear things up, Castro brought in someone from Beliefnet to explain: "The holiday started off as a fertility festival celebrating the goddess of Oestera, whose sacred animal was a bunny rabbit. Eggs have been a symbol of fertility for even longer than that."
CASTRO: The holiest date on the Christian calendar, Easter got its name around 325 A.D. Over the centuries, these pagan symbols have become synonymous with the Christian holiday.

This is the most factual reporting I've ever seen from ABC.