Christians are being persecuted in the UK!

[The Emperor of Mankind]

if Christians could manage to drop 4/5 celebratory practices and change the name to "Resurrection Day" or something

What about

Spoiler: Heehee

"Implausible Resurrection Festival"

?

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Easter is a Pagan holiday. Let the pagan celebrate.

Easter is a Christian holiday adapted heavily from Pagan fertility & new growth festivals.

Adult Christians should celebrate Passover etc.

That makes literally no sense if you're not a Jew. Passover is a Jewish holiday and the vast, vast majority of Christians are Gentile

No what is so pathetic is the ignorance and callousness shown by some of our members.

I agree - we Pagans in particular are becoming used to it but we appreciate that you recognise it's there (not from you specifically, from monotheists in general).

Anyway, most of the time persecution of any group does not begin WFO,

Could you explain what this acronym means, please?

rather its a well thought out campaign that often begins with desensitization of the target population introduced in stages, a tiny bit at a time. Germany's campaign that led to the final solution began in 1930's with tiny steps.

The Nazis' campaign against the Jews didn't begin with the goal of exterminating them - that actually came on pretty late after the Nazis realised shunting Jews out of Germany wasn't really an option any more. The fact that you're trying to compare this fictional instance of Christian persecution or perhaps even the wider phenomenon of removing Christian privilege in Western societies to the Holocaust is, frankly, disgusting, and I expected better of you.

And that is why we should not allow even small transgressions go without comment or revision.

But if Easter is a Pagan holiday (and according to you it is) then there was never any transgression, was there?

 

[HonestJoe]

And that is why we should not allow even small transgressions go without comment or revision.

That’s perfectly within your rights but in the context of the story this thread is based on, I think your position also gives you a responsibility to be open and honest when accusations of persecution are entirely false. If anything, this has been Cadbury and the National Trust who have been persecuted by senior and high-profile Christians.

 

[ClearPath]

The Church of England was outraged by the lack of the use of Easter, however all the places and companies not using 'Easter' enough have modified their webpages.

 

[Altfish]

Perhaps they should organise a "Great British Easter Church Goer Hunt" now that would be harder; eggs are everywhere at Easter but church goers are thin on the ground.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

No, Easter is a Christian holiday, thieved in large though it is. At it's core, it celebrates the resurrection of your man-god, and we'd rather have nothing to do with it. It'd be better for all - to this end - if Christians could manage to drop 4/5 celebratory practices and change the name to "Resurrection Day" or something.

Ostara (Ēostre) is a Pagan holiday.

Sorry for the C&P I was getting ready to go search and destroy stink bugs when I saw your reply.....man I detest those things....

Easter is a pagan holiday that has morphed its way into Christianity. It was originally a holiday to the pagan goddess Aestarte, or Diana of Ephesus in the book of Acts. Rabbits are notorious for breeding hence the Easter Bunnies.
Easter is Pagan - First Century Christianity

firstcenturychristianity.net/pagan-holidays/easter-is-pagan/

Was Easter Borrowed from a Pagan Holiday?

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Easter is a pagan holiday that has morphed its way into Christianity.

You got more wrong than you did right.

As I stated, the original holiday is that of the Germanic festival Ostara, which honors the Goddess of the Spring and Dawn; Ostara (also named Ēostre. The rabbits are a modern addition, but represent - you guessed it - fertility. Same thing with the eggs.

It did not "morph it's way" into Christianity, Christians stole it. In an effort to convert the pagan peoples they were trying to subjugate, their festivals, holy days, and even their gods were taken by Christian thieves and made into Christian figures and days (e.g. Brighid, Yule, Samhain, etc). You have no one to blame for Christians celebrating a Pagan holiday than Christians themselves.

So by all means, don't celebrate it; you'd be doing us both some good. And if you truly must celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, make you own holiday for it.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

You got more wrong than you did right.

As I stated, the original holiday is that of the Germanic festival Ostara, which honors the Goddess of the Spring and Dawn; Ostara (also named Ēostre. The rabbits are a modern addition, but represent - you guessed it - fertility. Same thing with the eggs.

It did not "morph it's way" into Christianity, Christians stole it. In an effort to convert the pagan peoples they were trying to subjugate, their festivals, holy days, and even their gods were taken by Christian thieves and made into Christian figures and days (e.g. Brighid, Yule, Samhain, etc). You have no one to blame for Christians celebrating a Pagan holiday than Christians themselves.

So by all means, don't celebrate it; you'd be doing us both some good. And if you truly must celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, make you own holiday for it.

First you would do well not to attempt to tell me to do anything. Second if you would wipe whatever is in your eyes away maybe you would of noticed that I said my reply was a cut and paste, but upon rereading it I do agree with it, it is factual and accurate. Third your religion is a no power nearly extinct poser, Christianity will be here when the 'pagans' are a mythology. Now you see how primitive Christianity differs from red letter Christianity ? If not look up Archangel Michael or the angel of the Passover and you might an idea of who we are and what our doctrine is.

(Below) Legion, a good movie!

: { >

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Yes, "factual." Because a Christian website knows more about Pagan holidays than Pagans. Lol. I bet you believe the whole Ishtar memes that floated around Facebook several years ago too, right?

Also spare me your flaccid ideological threats, Christian. They just make you look childish, though it certainly does show how "primitive" your Christianity is.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

I agree with my sources and learning far more than an unsubstantiated claim by you that seems to be mostly wishful thinking. Pagan mythology is just that and I give no more thought to the pagan religion than a grim brothers fairy tale. Compare Paganism with Islam 1.5 billion and Christianity 2.5 billion or either one alone and you see paganism isn't much more than a silly, (but sometimes interesting) image on a ibox game compared to real religions. Lastly have you dyed your Easter eggs yet?

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

You're really comparing numbers now? We're done here, Christian--you're missing the entire point of religion and faith.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If not look up Archangel Michael or the angel of the Passover and you might an idea of who we are and what our doctrine is.

So, some murderous warrior angel cult? You kill firstborn children or something? Might have to call the police about you.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

You're really comparing numbers now? We're done here, Christian--you're missing the entire point of religion and faith.

No, we are comparing POWER, and RELEVANCE. The amount of faith one has can only be measured/known by the person holding it.

; { >

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It did not "morph it's way" into Christianity, Christians stole it. In an effort to convert the pagan peoples they were trying to subjugate, their festivals, holy days, and even their gods were taken by Christian thieves and made into Christian figures and days (e.g. Brighid, Yule, Samhain, etc).

Honestly, I think it was more organic than that, rather than a planned conspiracy. It's like with Buddhism, when it spread, it became syncretized with local customs and religions. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are pretty easy to adopt to local customs, as opposed to Protestantism. They tend to absorb cultures into them, rather eradicating them.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

And now you think it's all a power game. Classic.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Honestly, I think it was more organic than that rather than a planned conspiracy.

Oh, of course; I'm not suggesting it was some clandestine meeting with hooded figures, plotting on the downfall of pagan Europe. It was more Roman nature, as they did with Greek culture before they were Christian. Rome had quite the tendency to absorb and adapt cultures under their expanse; what began as inclusion slowly became adoption and revision. Under the church, this became a method of comfortable accommodation to allow for cultural conversion. If a person can see parallels between their faith and yours, they're more likely to be open to conversion.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

So, some murderous warrior angel cult? You kill firstborn children or something? Might have to call the police about you.

Read a bit about ancient warfare and you may learn that your atheistic euphemism against Judaism is used out of ignorance. Also its impossible to use today's standards to judge events that may or may not be parable etc etc of events that happened thousands of years ago. Lastly I make no excuses for Gods commands, Christianity God is vengeful and to criticize God for anything is the high of stupidity. That said one can criticize his concept of God, but to say that god is evil etc automatically disqualifies the authors because they are ignorant of the religion they criticize. They are simply using insult in an attempt to harm their debate partner.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

I thought you were leaving Odin~

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

I never said that. I said that we were done here, meaning that who you are is very clear to me now.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Oh, of course; I'm not suggesting it was some clandestine meeting with hooded figures, plotting on the downfall of pagan Europe. It was more Roman nature, as they did with Greek culture before they were Christian. Rome had quite the tendency to absorb and adapt cultures under their expanse; what began as inclusion slowly became adoption and revision. Under the church, this became a method of comfortable accommodation to allow for cultural conversion. If a person can see parallels between their faith and yours, they're more likely to be open to conversion.

Pretty much.

Honestly, that's one of the things that make me proud to be Catholic and why I can't seem to leave it behind when I want to be a Pagan. I already have many of the features of Paganism in Catholicism that people find appealing in the first place - ancestor veneration (the Communion of Saints and praying to/for the dead along with shrines), liturgical worship and sacrifice (the Mass), animism (Saints like St. Francis were obviously animists), a "divine mother" figure (Mary), viewing nature as Divine (panentheism and theosis), etc.