Just curious...

Talk about anything under the sun or stars - but keep it civil. This is where we really get to know each other. Everyone is welcome, and invited!
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Just curious...

Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:19 pm

As an outsider, I still cannot understand: why do you (christians) paint eggs and wait for easter bunny and stuff, if the holiday is based around the fact that Jesus was resurrected (correct me if I'm wrong)? What's the connection between the two things?
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Postby eriador » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:56 pm

Candy makes positive associations w/ kids... they get hooked on church when their brains are tender... and BLAM! Instant converts! Passing on the "faith"!

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Postby Luet » Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:50 am

This is just one of the first secular sites that came up from the History Channel regarding the origins of Easter.
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Postby Jayelle » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:06 am

To me, they aren't connected. Just like Santa isn't really what Christmas is about.
The Easter traditions of Eggs and Bunnies are connected with spring - and anyone can celebrate with them, not just Christians, just like how at Christmas, many people celebrate with gift giving, trees and Santa, regardless if they are Christians or not.
I know that people of different religions (Muslims, Jews...) don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, but that doesn't mean that everyone who celebrates Christmas or Easter is a Christian. Alot of it has to do with tradition.

My Easter celebrations have little to do with eggs and bunnies. I go to 7 different church services over Holy Week, I commemorate Jesus' last supper, death and then ring in with much joy the resurrection on Sunday.
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Postby Slim » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:36 am

Just what I was going to say. (Christmas/Easter comparison)

Just some other thoughts:

Is there a better way for me to celebrate the resurrection of my Savior? Hiding eggs seems to have as little to do with the reason for the celebration as anything else I can think of.

Besides, of course, going to church and learning about Jesus, but since I do that every week, is there a way I make it unique?

It seems to me like Christmas has figured out how to focus on Christ, but Easter still needs some work...
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Postby Rei » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:03 pm

Slim, that's why you should be Catholic or Anglican :P We go to WAY more church during Easter than once a week! And that first Sunday after Lent is a spectacular service indeed.
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Postby zeroguy » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:29 am

Just some other thoughts:

Is there a better way for me to celebrate the resurrection of my Savior? Hiding eggs seems to have as little to do with the reason for the celebration as anything else I can think of.
Well, do you really need to do anything different in particular on that day? Thoughts/prayers/church/charitable actions or something more productive are not sufficient? I thought there would be some church sacrament on that day or something that could make it special.
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Postby Jayelle » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:10 am

It's not a matter of having to do something special on a specific day, it's a matter of celebration.
In the mainstream church there are fasts and there are feasts. For 40 days of Lent, it is a time of fasting, a time of not saying "Alleluia", then for Easter, you feast.
Feasting is celebration, it is joy, it is... a party!

If you do the same thing all the time, then that's pretty boring. Making special events special is to get a chance to let go and party.
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Postby zeroguy » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:24 am

For 40 days of Lent, it is a time of fasting
Forgive my ignorance, but Lent is a time of fasting? I'm in a predominantly Catholic area right now, and I haven't noticed anyone doing that.

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Postby Rei » Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:20 am

Fasting, in this case, does not necessarily mean from food. For example, I gave up webcomics for Lent, this past year.
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Postby Bean_wannabe » Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:19 am

Also, why not give eggs and such? It does no harm, and is a nice way to celebrate the most important part of the Christian year. It is certainly more appropriate than giving choclate dead bodies or tombs.

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Postby KennEnder » Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:21 pm

The other interesting (misunderstood) fact about fasting, even when it IS food, is that it doesn't necessarily mean going WITHOUT food at all. Catholics eat fish on Fridays as part of a fast (ie, not being allowed to eat "meat" on Fridays), but they're allowed to eat everything else. Muslims fast during Ramadan by not eating anything during daylight hours - (which must be difficult for muslims visiting extreme southern countries where there is nearly only daylight all day long)!

But generally, Lent is a time of giving up SOMETHING valuable. You've probably heard someone say "I'm giving up such-and-such for Lent." It's supposed to be something that you will miss a great deal.

Did you see the movie "40 days and 40 nights" with Josh Hartnett? THAT was for Lent!
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Postby Eddie Pinz » Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:55 pm

I am a very out of practice Catholic, so forgive me if I am wrong, but I think that you are only supposed to have one full meal during lent as well. Or is that just during fridays of lent? I don't remember. Maybe somone more informed than me can shed some light on this.

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Postby Rei » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:16 pm

You're probably thinking of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
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Postby zeroguy » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:57 am

Fasting, in this case, does not necessarily mean from food.
Ah, thanks. I was not familiar with that usage.
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Re: Just curious...

Postby Darth Petra » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:41 am

As an outsider, I still cannot understand: why do you (christians) paint eggs and wait for easter bunny and stuff, if the holiday is based around the fact that Jesus was resurrected (correct me if I'm wrong)? What's the connection between the two things?
I'm not sure why we do it. I've wondered the same thing myself, but I get free candy, so who am I to argue?

Besides, we can't eat a chocolate Jesus.
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Postby Dr. Mobius » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:30 pm

Why not? You eat bread Jesus every week.
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Postby Bean_wannabe » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:36 pm

Why not? You eat bread Jesus every week.
Actually, exactly what the bread is when you eat it is a matter of debate and depends on what denomination you belong to.

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Postby Darth Petra » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:39 pm

Why not? You eat bread Jesus every week.
Only once a month. And it only represents his body. Otherwise, it'd be canabilism.
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Postby KennEnder » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:38 pm

Only once a month. And it only represents his body. Otherwise, it'd be canabilism.
Actually, exactly what the bread is when you eat it is a matter of debate and depends on what denomination you belong to.
DP... as far as I know Bean had it right: Catholics (for one) celebrate communion almost every time they have mass, and they believe that the bread (and wine) are actually TRANSFORMED (Catholics call it transubstantiation, apparently) into the body (and blood) of Jesus before they consume it. That's one of the major differences between Protestants and Catholics as far as rites go. Cannibalistic?... well, maybe that's why Protestants changed it to be a "representation" only?

I found this online at http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/28688:
Catholics believe that the body of Christ is present in the Eucharist (communion). Protestants rarely have communion services and believe it to be a representation of Christ's body - not his actual body. Only a Catholic or Orthodox priest has the apostolic authority to administer the act of transubstantiation (bread to body)
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Postby Darth Petra » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:52 pm

I'm only saying what I believe, or at least what my church does. We only do the communion thing once a month, and we take it to be a representation of his body and blood, not his actual body and blood. And I'm a Baptist, not a Catholic.
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Postby Dr. Mobius » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:08 am

they believe that the bread (and wine) are actually TRANSFORMED into the body (and blood) of Jesus before they consume it.
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Postby Jayelle » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:18 am

Cannibalistic?... well, maybe that's why Protestants changed it to be a "representation" only?
Back in the pre-Constintine early church, they did actually think that Christians were cannibalistic (also, incestous due to calling each other "brother" and "sister") - it was one of the reasons they were put to death.
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Postby Eddie Pinz » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:33 am

Best religion thread ever???

I mean we have robot Jesus, bread Jesus, blood wine, and incestous, cannibalistic christians.

Yep, best religion thread ever.

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Postby Darth Petra » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:37 am


Robot Jesus?
:lol:
Best religion thread ever???

I mean we have robot Jesus, bread Jesus, blood wine, and incestous, cannibalistic christians.

Yep, best religion thread ever.
Quite. I should hang out in this area of the forum more often.
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Postby starlooker » Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:29 am

That's one of the major differences between Protestants and Catholics as far as rites go. Cannibalistic?... well, maybe that's why Protestants changed it to be a "representation" only?
You know, I honestly don't have strong religious affiliative ties anymore. I don't know exactly how to describe myself in terms of my religious beliefs. But every single time Holy Communion appears in a thread on Pweb, I become very, very, very firmly Lutheran in that I need to point out --

Not All Protestants Believe That Holy Communion Is Merely Symbolic or Representative.

Lutherans, Episcopalians, (USA) Presbyterians for example. Although, I know Lutheran doctrine best so I'm going to base the next couple of paragraphs on that.

I do not know of protestant faiths who believe in transubstantiation, true enough, but there is a HUGE doctrinal difference between, say, the Lutheran faith and the Baptist faith on this subject. To Lutherans, at least, and I believe some other denominations, it is a sacrament, which is to say that the real presence of Christ is believed to be received. There is an objectively real presence "in, with, and under" the communion elements (sacramental union, similar to consubstantiation). The bread and wine are not actually transformed, but are somehow both fully body and blood and fully bread and wine. It is a visible, physical means by which forgiveness and grace is actually distributed to believers (similar to Baptism. Which is to say, that's not symbolic either, and that's why we believe in infant baptism).

Such a belief has implications for how worship is practiced and who may receive communion. This is, for example, why many churches do celebrate communion each Sunday (or at least every other Sunday), and why it is often not received when an ordained pastor is not present to pronounce absolution prior to receiving communion. It is taken very seriously, although different branches of the church (and I assume denomenations) vary with how strict they are in their guidelines of who may receive it. (For example, ELCA churches allow any baptized person to receive; some Missouri Synod churches practice "closed" communion where no person who is not a church member or Missouri Synod member can receive it). I had to have six months of additional classes on the doctrines behind communion prior to receiving my first communion (this is in addition to my two years of confirmation classes.)

While it is not the doctrine of transubstantiation, it is certainly nothing like "representation" or "symbolism."

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Postby Rei » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:51 pm

An example of a protestant church which believes in transubstantiation would be High Anglican churches.
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Postby KennEnder » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:57 pm

Not All Protestants Believe That Holy Communion Is Merely Symbolic or Representative.

Lutherans, Episcopalians, (USA) Presbyterians for example. Although, I know Lutheran doctrine best so I'm going to base the next couple of paragraphs on that.
Sorry... and I actually knew that! My uncle is Episcopalian and I'm Presbyterian. I *meant* to say "most protestants" or some such disclaimer... but OOPS.

Anyway, no insult intended to cannibalistic Protestants! Sorry!
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Postby Slim » Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:32 pm

Slim, that's why you should be Catholic or Anglican :P We go to WAY more church during Easter than once a week! And that first Sunday after Lent is a spectacular service indeed.
lol.
Well, do you really need to do anything different in particular on that day? Thoughts/prayers/church/charitable actions or something more productive are not sufficient? I thought there would be some church sacrament on that day or something that could make it special.
We have sacrament every week also. (if by sacrament, you mean what other churches call communion or the Lord's Supper)
The choir sings on Easter, so that's different...
It's not a matter of having to do something special on a specific day, it's a matter of celebration.
In the mainstream church there are fasts and there are feasts. For 40 days of Lent, it is a time of fasting, a time of not saying "Alleluia", then for Easter, you feast.
Feasting is celebration, it is joy, it is... a party!

If you do the same thing all the time, then that's pretty boring. Making special events special is to get a chance to let go and party.
Yeah, that's what it is. I'm too old to try and have fun hiding eggs, but I'm still single so I sometimes feel kinda lonely on the holidays, so it's nice to do something fun and different for a change. Maybe I should try celebrating Lent next year, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. So it starts 40 days before Easter? That's what, 5 weeks and 5 days? Where does Lent come from anyway?

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Postby Jayelle » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:41 pm

Maybe I should try celebrating Lent next year, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. So it starts 40 days before Easter? That's what, 5 weeks and 5 days? Where does Lent come from anyway?
It's actually 40 days not counting Sundays, just to make it more confusing. Many calendars will have "Ash Wednesday" listed (or you can easily just google "When is Ash Wednesday in 2009?") and that's the day Lent begins.
Lent comes from commemorating the time that Jesus spent 40 days fasting and being tempted in the desert (that's the short answer).
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Postby KennEnder » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:07 am

Or if you happen to know when "Mardi Gras" (Fat Tuesday) is, that's the last day BEFORE Lent!
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Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:25 pm

Still one question is left unanswered...

why paint eggs? I understand the Easter Bunny is related to spring, but the eggs are unrelated to practically anything.
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Postby starlooker » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:30 pm

Symbolic for new life (e.g., chickens hatching from eggs).

No idea of the actual origins, but that was the explanation people always gave to me.
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Postby Azarel » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:57 am

I tend to leave the eggs and the bunnies alone at Easter, even as a Christian. I get the new life sentiment, but if I get involved with anything remotely souvenir-like it would be a little cross made out of a palm leaf or something, to remember the way the crowd greeted Jesus with palm leaves in the street.

To me its always been like Christmas trees, tied in from other practices, kind of a nice thing to do but not much in the way of an actual connection.

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Postby Jayelle » Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:10 pm

Still one question is left unanswered...

why paint eggs? I understand the Easter Bunny is related to spring, but the eggs are unrelated to practically anything.
It may be connected to Passover. There is an Egg on the seder plate.

And, in general, you've never heard of an egg symbolizing new life?
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