# Biblical Warrant for Celebrating Easter?



## Zenas (Dec 20, 2010)

I was just thinking to myself that no one really gets riled up about Christmas or any holiday until just before that holiday. Concern only really seems to grow in late November and the days of December leading up to "the day." Arguing about Christmas and other holidays has really just become a seasonal thing. While most of us have traditions like trees, presents, etc. that we engage in, the anti-holiday crowd has their own tradition: engaging in Grinchery. Their tradition, while pleasant, really detracts from the larger goal of fully debating the topic, as we lose so much time to the shortened time period we have wherein debate is rigorously pursued. As a remedy, I propose the following:

We open debate on Easter 4 months ahead of schedule. Rather than waiting around to have the same protracted debate that we've had every year in years past (or at least since I've been here), let's just get this show on the road now. We could easily drawf the size of Easter threads past and once we've finished with that, we can begin debating Christmas for next year. 

What say ye?


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## au5t1n (Dec 20, 2010)

Sounds like fun to me. I guess I'll give some rambling preliminary thoughts on Easter.

If by "Easter" you mean celebrating Christ's resurrection, that's what every Lord's day is supposed to be. Since Easter always falls on a Lord's day, it follows that celebrating the resurrection is certainly in order. While I am against unbiblical holy days, one advantage Easter has over Christmas is that we actually know what time of year Christ was resurrected -- the Sunday after a Thursday passover. So at least the dating is better than Christmas.


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## Zenas (Dec 20, 2010)

That's a good idea, we could compare the validity of Easter and Christmas.


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## au5t1n (Dec 20, 2010)

Zenas said:


> That's a good idea, we could compare the validity of Easter and Christmas.


 
The only differences I can see are that with Easter the dating is more accurate and that Easter was celebrated earlier in Church history. Other than that, Easter is also an annual holy day celebrating a particular aspect of Christ's life. It is easier to argue pagan origins for Christmas, but not impossible for Easter, especially given the name. However, I understand that in many languages, it does not have a pagan name. For instance, in Spanish, Easter is called "pascua," which is from Pascha meaning "passover."


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

I propose we begin a thread debating the validity of threads which debate the validity of threads debating the validity of threads debating the validity of Christmas and Easter. Perhaps we can then debate the validity of this.


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## Zenas (Dec 20, 2010)

Now you're talking.


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## au5t1n (Dec 20, 2010)

Zenas said:


> engaging in Grinchery



How come there's no Grinch-equivalent for Easter? Nobody ever tried to steal Easter?


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

austinww said:


> How come there's no Grinch-equivalent for Easter? Nobody ever tried to steal Easter?



Not with Hanukkah Harry on the scene.


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## EverReforming (Dec 20, 2010)

My biggest question about Easter is why an anthropomorphic rabbit decided to hide painted hard-boiled eggs in people's yards. That just doesn't make any sense.


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## Tripel (Dec 20, 2010)

We celebrate Easter, but it's not nearly as cool as Christmas. Easter is pretty far down on my list of favorite holidays.


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## Augusta (Dec 20, 2010)

No, mixing Christ's resurrection with the worship of Ishtar is not recommended. See the same examples of syncretism in the Christmas thread.


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## Whitefield (Dec 20, 2010)

What? No discussion on celebrating Pentecost?


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## Moireach (Dec 20, 2010)

Still no Biblical reasons for celebrating it after 12 comments?


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## Tripel (Dec 20, 2010)

Moireach said:


> Still no Biblical reasons for celebrating it after 12 comments?


 
David,
While the Bible gives us all we need to know about God, man, salvation, and Christian living, it doesn't tell us everything we can and cannot do. The Bible doesn't command us to celebrate birthdays, but that doesn't mean such celebrations are forbidden.


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## nasa30 (Dec 20, 2010)

austinww said:


> Zenas said:
> 
> 
> > engaging in Grinchery
> ...


 
Not unless you count Iron Tail..


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

Whitefield said:


> What? No discussion on celebrating Pentecost?



Sounds like another job for Hanukkah Harry!


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

Tripel said:


> Moireach said:
> 
> 
> > Still no Biblical reasons for celebrating it after 12 comments?
> ...



Actually, Daniel, this is a confessional board, and the WCF 21:1 does state:



> The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. *But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.*



I point this out, btw, since the language of your post reflects a statement of chapter 1 in WCF.

Birthday parties are not usually viewed as the worship of God (except for the silly "birthday party for Jesus" variety). Easter is, unless you are making a distinction between religious observance and cultural festivals disassociated from the church.


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## Tripel (Dec 20, 2010)

Marrow Man said:


> Actually, Daniel, this is a confessional board, and the WCF 21:1 does state...



Right, and I fully agree with that statement from the WCF, as does just about everybody here. The reason there is such disagreement on this issue is not over what is written in the WCF. Rather, it's whether or not having poinsettias and other such things constitutes an element of worship and thus affects how we worship the Lord.



> unless you are making a distinction between religious observance and cultural festivals disassociated from the church.


 
Actually, yes, I was speaking more about cultural celebrations. The last couple threads on this issue have not distinguished between celebrations within or outside of the church. When a thread simply mentions the celebration of a certain holiday, I take that to mean exactly that--a celebration. If the purpose is to debate such celebrations within the walls of the church, the OP need to be clarified.


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## JonathanHunt (Dec 20, 2010)

Hey, this thread is getting far too serious for the 'entertainment and humour' section!


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## Rich Koster (Dec 20, 2010)

Bah, humbug....I'm waiting faw wabbit season ....huhuhuhuhuh.


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## Moireach (Dec 20, 2010)

I was going to say something similar to Tim.
A birthday celebrating has nothing to do with the church or Christ.
Easter is celebrated in churches as a Christian festival to celebrate the resurrection. 
In what way may I ask do you celebrate it?


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## Zenas (Dec 20, 2010)

Hay doods. 70 Holy Pally LFG.


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

Tripel said:


> Marrow Man said:
> 
> 
> > Actually, Daniel, this is a confessional board, and the WCF 21:1 does state...
> ...




Well, certainly poinsettias are NOT an element of worship (which I'm assuming we agree on). And the confession is fairly clear on circumstances: "there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and the government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed." Nevertheless, thanks for your clarification and I see now that I overlooked the word "everything" in your original comment.


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## MarieP (Dec 20, 2010)

austinww said:


> Zenas said:
> 
> 
> > engaging in Grinchery
> ...


 
The Jesus Seminar?


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## Herald (Dec 20, 2010)

Marrow Man said:


> I propose we begin a thread debating the validity of threads which debate the validity of threads debating the validity of threads debating the validity of Christmas and Easter. Perhaps we can then debate the validity of this.


 
Tim, there you go again. Why must you be so vague? Can't you be a bit more specific on what it is that you want?


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## Marrow Man (Dec 20, 2010)

MarieP said:


> The Jesus Seminar?



Nice! That reminds me: doesn't the Main Stream Media try to steal Easter every year around April?


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## au5t1n (Dec 20, 2010)

MarieP said:


> austinww said:
> 
> 
> > Zenas said:
> ...


 
 Marie!


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## Zenas (Dec 21, 2010)

Lame.


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