Curious of those here?

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

Answers

Very good Jason!! I commend you!!

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

I have posted this here before (last year), but I don't remember which thread it is on. (One of Benjamin Rees').

This author is from the Netherlands and is a Hebrew and Greek expert. His expressions are different than ours.

One of your 'evangelists' (Jack Prentice) has a chart on the day of the Lord's Supper and His death and resurrection.

The following author is Jan Kapteyn:

What is wrong with celebrating Easter instead of Pesach? I heave read many times through my Bible, from Genesis through to Revelations and searched the Scriptures, using an "On-line Bible" in the English, Hebrew and Greek language. In all this, I have never found a statement anywhere, which is saying that Yahuweh our Creator, through His Prophets or Apostles, has changed the date nor the original meaning of the Pesach, also called Passover.

On the contrary Ezekiel 45:21 establishes this institution even past our time, in the still to come future. How did we get our Easter?

In the middle East, planting, sowing and harvest are in Winter time, the Summer is dry and hot, and nothing grows.

That is why the pagan Gods where thought to die at the end of Winter and were re-born again at the beginning of Winter.

Such a God was "Tammuz" whose magic sign the "T" is still with us in the form of the cross. When these Gods supposedly died, there was much wailing, which was an abomination to Yahuweh. Ezek.8:14-15.

Mithraism, which flourished during the late Roman empire was a similar religion. The magic cross was also an important ingredient of this religion.

Christianity, to make itself accepted, was blended in with this religion during the third and fourth century. Therefore much of their practices are still in Christianity to day.

Western paganism was different. Spring was celebrated with new-life rituals. The influence of both Eastern and Western paganism penetrated the early Church.

The Church in the second and third century, influenced by Satan's hate for everything related to Yahuweh, wanted out of animosity and political reasons, to do away with Jewish customs.

They did abandon the by-Yahuweh-instituted Jewish feasts in favor of the pagan feasts. The feasts of the dying Gods in Spring and the re birth of Gods in Winter. There was much debate and bickering about the celebration of the "Pesach" among the early Churches. In the year 325 Emperor Constantine convened the council of Nicaea, to put a halt to the bickering among the Church leaders. Pesach was one of the issues and a resolution was arrived at and signed by the emperor Constantine. An excerpt of this follows:

Constantine, august, to the Churches.

Having experienced, in the flourishing state of public affairs, the greatness of the divine goodness I though it especially incumbent on me to endeavor that the happy multitudes of the Catholic [i.e. the universal] Church should preserve one faith, be united in unfeigned love, and harmoniously join their devotions to the Almighty God.

When the question arose concerning the most holy day of Easter, it was decreed by common consent to be expedient, that this festival should be celebrated on the same day by all, in every place. For what can be more beautiful, what more venerable and becoming, than that this festival, from which we receive hope of immortality, should be suitably observed by all in one and the same order. it seemed to every one a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches! Having stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds.

It is fit, therefore, that, rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future ages the celebration of this rite, in a more legitimate order. Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews. We have received another method from the Savior. A more lawful and proper course is open to our most holy religion.

As it is necessary that this fault should be so amended that we may have nothing in common with the usage of these parricides and murderers of our Lord; and as that order is most convenient which is observed by all the churches of the West, as well as those of the southern and northern parts of the world, and also by some in the East, it was judged therefore to be most equitable and proper, and I pledge myself that this arrangement should meet your approbation, viz. That the custom which prevails with one consent in the city of Rome, and throughout all [list of countries] .., and to have no fellowship with the perjury of the Jews.

And, to sum up the whole in a few words, it was agreeable to the common judgment of all, that the most holy feast of Easter should be celebrated on one and the same day. . it is your duty to receive and establish the arguments already stated, and the observance of the most holy day; ---- end of Constantine's letter ----

He writes:

" We have received another method from the Savior."

If any one can show this from the Bible, he must be a wizard. In this letter, Constantine officially establishes an anti-Judaic foundation for the doctrine and practice of the Church, and declares that contempt for the Jews, and separation from them, is the only proper Christian attitude.

They decided therefore that it should be celebrated with the pagan Easter (beginnings) feasts. They made an elaborate date scheme so that Easter never would coincide with Pesach.

Does their Easter, which is not commanded by God, fits the literal Scripture?

In no way. First let us consider times.

According to Yeshua in John 11:9 there are twelve hours in a day. The Hebrew Yom and Greek humera usually mean day as opposite to night. Unless they are preceded by an ordinal number, then they depict a 24- hour period.

The Jewish way of determining a day, is taken from the Tanakh, it is from sunset till sunset. The creation started with the night (darkness) after this came the light. Genesis 1 puts it " evening was morning was one day."

Therefore the Shabbat, starts at sunset of Yomshishi (Friday) and ends at sunset of YomShabbat.

Let us first put all known facts together. Nisan 14 called the "preparation day," the day on which the Pesach lamb was killed, was the day of execution.

According to the Jewish calendar this day can never be on a Tuesday, Thursday or a Sunday. The next day, Nisan 15, the first day of Unleavened bread, is a special or high Shabbat. Between this Shabbat and Shavuot or Pentecost, are seven weekly Shabbats. The weekly Shabbat after the High Shabbat is called the First Shabbat (of the seven). The Greek culture had no Shabbat so there was no word for it in their language.

The New Testament Greek uses an Hebrew idiom, Sabbatou for Shabbat and Sabbaton for Shabbats.

Now let us have a look at some facts from scripture. In Matthew 12:40 Yeshua literally says:

"Three days and three nights," in the grave.

Scripture in Matt.16:21, eop, clearly shows that the Messiah shall rise on the "Third day," meaning in the third 24-hour period. To find out when this "third day" was, we have to continue looking at the Scriptures.

Unfortunately some mass-deception has been done in our translations. Sabbaton has been translated as "first day of the week". This was done to make the decision from the Nicene council acceptable to the common people and also to make the shift from Shabbat to pagan Sunday acceptable. I shall show the Greek and the proper translation.

Matt. 28:1 "Opse de sabbaton tee epiphoskousee eis mian sabbaton elthen Mariam . . ."

Translated:

"Later after the Shabbats at the dawn of the first one of the Shabbats came Mary . . ."

This was the first of the seven Shabbats till Pentecost.

Mark 16:1

" Kai dialenomenou sabbatou he Maria . . ."

"And when the Shabbat was past Mary the Magdalene . . ."

This verse showed that after the Shabbat, this must have been the First day of Unleavened bread, they went to buy spices.

The next day they went to the grave as shown in:

Mark 16:2; " kai lian proi tee mia ton sabbaton . . ."

Translated as: "and very early on the first of the Shabbats "

Luke 24:1 "tee de mia ton sabbaton orthrou batheos . . ." "and on the first of the Shabbats while still very early"

John 20:1 "Tee de mia ton sabbaton . . ." " Now on the first of the Shabbats . . ." Now these Scriptures spell it out very clearly ~ Yeshua arose in the night of the first, of the seven Shabbats till Pentecost. Before the day time.

Yes, according to several Jewish sources, people were allowed to tend to a deceased person on a Shabbat. Having determined the day of resurrection, we can easily find the day of execution by going back three nights and days. This is on a Wednesday.

The time frame looks like this:

Date Day happening Period Pagan day

Nisan 14 Preparation day Tried, Executed, buried day 1 ... Wednesday Nisan 15 High Shabbat in the grave night 1 1st 24 hrs Wed/Thu Nisan 15 High Shabbat in the grave day 2 ... Thursday Nisan 16 Normal day in the grave night 2 2nd 24 hrs Thur/Fri Nisan 16 Normal day in the grave day 3 ... Friday Nisan 17 7th day Shabbat in the grave and arisen night 3 3d 24 hrs Fri/Sat Nisan 17 Shabbat Women to the grave Early ... Saturday Nisan 18 1st day of week Not the day of resurrection day . . Sunday This is what happened. Yeshua died on Nisan 14, "preparation-day", the day the Pesach lamb had to be slaughtered

He was buried in the day time, just before sunset, when the Shabbat started. ( day one in the grave) Then came the night, which was the beginning of Nisan 15, the High Shabbat, the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. (first night time period in the grave) 1st 24 hour period.

Then the day part of the Shabbat, on Nisan 15. ( day two in the grave) The Night time of Nisan 16. second 24 hr period(two night periods in the grave).

The Day time of Nisan 16. (Three day periods in the grave) .

The night time of Nisan 17 third 24 hr period(Three night periods in the grave)Resurrected during the night. This to literally fulfill the 3 days and 3 nights in the grave and the resurrection on the 3d day (24 Hr period).

Yeshua rose on the Saturday before daytime and not on the Sunday.

According to Lev.23:10-11 First fruits should be on the day after the shabbat that comes after the High shabbat on nisan 15. This would have been the first day of the week (Pagan sunday).

However, there are and were some arguments about this among the Jewish leaders.

From various sources, like Josephus, it becomes apparent that in the days of Yeshua, First fruits was on nisan 16, the day after the high shabbat.

The New Testament writers therefore took this in account, by starting the count down to Pentecost.

The Shabbat after the high shabbat on nisan 15 was therefore called the first shabbat.

According to Scripture, they found the empty grave on the first of the Shabbats.

That is at the first light of the day.

After the Shabbat of the first day of unleavened bread, there was an other Shabbat. This only could have been the seventh day Shabbat and the first of seven Shabbats till Shuavot (Pentecost).

The women had to wait till the Shabbat of Unleavened-bread was finished, to be able to buy spices and make preparations. That is why they went to the grave the next day, the second day after the High Shabbat, which happened to be the seventh day Shabbat.

To put this synopsis in our pagan way of naming the week days:

Nisan 14 , execution day, must have been on Wednesday. Nisan 15, Passover High Shabbat, on Thursday. Nisan 16, on Friday. Nisan 17, Seventh day Shabbat, on Saturday.

This schedule is possible within the Jewish calendar. However, this schedule does not fit the picture the Church gives us.

They already have a hard time explaining a Friday execution and a Sunday morning resurrection, taken in account three days and three nights.

However, the foregoing is plain, straight forward from the Bible. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Bible nowhere suggests that the meaning of Pesach has changed to a remembrance of the dead and resurrection of the Messiah. Nor does it suggest the Apostles and their followers celebrated it in this way. We should remember on Pesach the significance of this remembrance, on the day's Yahuweh set apart for it.

It is to remind us that Yahuweh uses the Blood of an innocent unblemished lamb to set His possession free. We might also commemorate on that day that Yeshua the Messiah was our Pesach lamb.1Cor. 5:7.

We should also on Pesach have our Seder. Whereby we should incorporate the new sacrificial rite instituted by the Messiah.

The remembrance of His broken body with the bread and His shed blood with the cup of thanksgiving. Matt.26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25.

The foregoing is also discussed in my book: A personal God or religious traditions

Have a Good morning

Use button to select article. Only 'on line'. Use them 'off line', when you have copied all articles to the same directory on your system, including the script file: buttons.js.

Last updated 01/02/2001 14:38:06

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Respectfully submitted,

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001

Connie,

Where did you get that quote? Are there any sources to support the assertion that the Passover could not fall on those certain days of the week? From what I've read, the rabbis in Jesus' days conveniently interpretted the 'between the evenings' instructions from the OT to allow for two days on which they celebrated Passover. This made it convenient because of all the tourists in town for the feast. Jesus may have celebrated the Lord's Supper on the firstof these two nights, and then been crucified right around the time that the Passover sacrifice was to be crucified.

I think the article largely misses the point. The OT didn't even command all the Gentiles in the nations of the world to celebrate the passover in the first place. Paul wrote about one man regarding one day above another. That's okay. Where in the Bible do we get the idea that the believing Gentiles are supposed to all hold a literal Exodus style passover feast? We Christians are to celebrate Christ our Passover in the Lord's Supper.

The traditional churches have a liturgical calendar to remember aspects of Jesus' life every year. I'ts not just Easter. Some feasts and even dates like Christmas may ahve been influenced by politics, pagan holidays, and Constantine's desires. that is unfortunate.

If the Roman Christains were used to a solar calendar, and wanted a holiday to celebrate the resurrection, what's the problem with that. According to i Corinthians 5, we are to 'keep the feast.' But Christ is our Passover. We don't just celebrate Christ in this way once a year, either, but 'as often as ye' eat the bread and drink the cup.

Some think the Jewish Passover sedar was adapted from Christian Jews. After the temple was destroyed, the unbelieving Jews stopped celebrating the Passover, but of course the Christians continued celebrating the Lord's Supper. At that time the Lord's Supper was still a meal. perhaps for Passover, they included a rememberance of Passover in the meal. Later, the theory goes, that the unbelieving Jews, wanting to do something for Passover, adopted some ways of doing things from the Christiann Jews. There was a period of time there where Christian Jews were still considered to be Jews. The Jewish sedar now includes taking three matza's (unleavened crackers), breaking the middle one, and haiding it and letting a child find it.

Here in Indonesia, Easter is called 'Pascha.' So is Passover. There is almost no Jewish community here. I was talking to a Catholic guy the other day asking how they would identify the actual Passover day, which corresponded to the first Lord's Supper, with an Indonesian word. It doesn't make much sense, because both Passover and Easter are both 'Pascha' which comes from the Hebrew for Pascha, maybe.

The 't' or cross being a pagan sign? Did they even have small t's in the Roman alphabet in the first century? Greeks were using all caps from what I've read. They might not have even had the small 't.' _Evangelism in teh Early Church_ puts forth a case for a cross hanging on a wall of a first century Christian apartment in Pompie. It might have been a place hwer e ashelf came off the wall, but if I remember right, there seemed to be good evidence that that was a Christian home. The cross is a very old symbol. It sounds liike trying to tie it in with a pagan symbol might be a bit of paranoia.

Some Easter customs like painting eggs, might have pagan roots. I wonder where the Easter Bunny idea comes from. Why confuse the kids with stories of Bunnies bringing candy when they are supposed to remember Jesus.

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001

I had thought I read somewhere (always a bad sign when trying to remember something, that you will remember wrong) that "Easter", the Easter bunny, the eggs, etc etc were left over pagan concepts. "Easter" came from the name "Astarte", which was a godess of fertility. Make sense? Every spring the goddess was 'reborn' in a giant egg. Rabbits were fertility symbols too. Easter isn't Christian. Its the pagan spring equinox festival renamed.

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001

I am doing my part in my little corner of the world. I make sure that everything I can I put my hands onto, deletes "Easter" and replaces it with "Resurrection Sunday". That way I can attempt to make a clear stand on the meaning of this time of the year. God's been able to strike up some good witnessing opportunities by people asking me what I said or meant to say.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Hi, Link and All.

http://home-3.worldonline.nl/~jckapten/

Here is Jan Kapteyn's site. He is on a vacation in Australia for three months, so hasn't been answering e-mails. Normally he answers questions anyone has about the Hebrew or Greek. Yes, 'Pascha' is Hebrew for 'passover'.

Here is another article which talks about the cross. It is sad that the RCC combined pagan symbols and ideas into Christianity:

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By Jan Kapteyn [Remember, he is from the Netherlands so doesn't use English the way we do].

When we look at History, the picture we are getting depends on the viewpoint of the one who wrote about it.

We could take Emperor Constantine as an example. One source of information is through the Church. Mostly the information given by Constantine himself, was used by Church leaders to write a biography.

This was handed down, and modified occasionally when the purpose did justify it.

The main picture we get from this is:

A 'Christian' Emperor fighting to establish Christianity.

And the Church is happy to relate to us about his famous dream about the cross.

If indeed he had this dream, it would have possible been more about the "Mithras" cross and not the cross of "Tammuz," which was later adopted by the Church. The origin of the Mithras cross comes from the Astrological beliefs held over the centuries. We have observed that the earth has a wobble in its rotations. The ancients who believed that the sun and stars moved around the Earth, had noticed this also over the ages and believed that the Gods moved the sun and described the Sun's movement as to tracks crossing each other like an X.

We see this in the illustration of a Lion-god, standing on the earth globe with the track's of the sun marked on it.

This is the Mithras cross and this might have been the sign Constantine saw in his dream, since it was a well known symbol in his days and He used it himself as we shall see.

The remarkable thing about the other cross, the Tammuz cross T, is that there is no archaeological or pictorial evidence about this cross, which could indicate to us that it was used by the Christians before the 4th century.

It was known to have been used by various forms of Pagan worship since Nimrod's Babel.

In Constantine's time it was still known as a magic symbol.

The Greek manuscripts of the New Testament do not use the word cross but mention Stake and Tree. An other source of information from history about Constantine is from his contemporaries.

They give us a total different picture.

First of all they describe him as being an ardent follower of the "Deus Sol Invictus" (The unbeatable Sun god) cult, up till the time of his death.

This is also evident from coins and artifacts, carrying his image and dating from the time around his death, which show symbols of this cult.

This cult allowed him to pay homage to other Gods as well.

He was also described as a cunning smart fellow who tried to iron out the difficulties, that existed between various religions. He did this, by making them all to celebrate each their religious feasts, at the same time.

One of the things we learn from his contemporaries is that his soldiers, were composed of a mixture of Christians, and Pagans steeped in Mithraism. As a matter of fact, history teaches us that Mithraism was the main religion of the Roman armies and especially so of the leaders.

To make them fight together as a unit, he designed a very clever emblem for his troops.

Something that both parties could relate to. He combined the Greek Chi "X" with Rho "P".

For the Christians these were the first letters of Christ.

However this also looked like a cross with a sword in it. This was a symbol of the Mithra. As we have seen above. We also know this from, among others, the "Mizd" a sun shaped bun with the cross of Mithra on it, which was eaten ceremonially.

In Australia, and I presume other places as well, it is still known as the "Hot cross bun", eaten at Easter.

There is plenty of evidence that this cross was used as a magic sign all through pagan history. There have been found cross formed basins which were filled with water for their ceremonies, erroneously attributed to early Christians. Constantine had, in the year 315, a picture made of himself, wearing a helmet with this symbol, know to day as the "Pax Christi" symbol.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- This is a picture from Constantinople, depicting Constantine's guard. They have the symbol on their Shield. Notice the Sun symbol in the middle.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Link,

This picture did not come through, but you can see it at his site. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Sometime in 1997 fragments of a Roman soldiers helmet were discovered in the Southern Netherlands. It was estimated that it originated from the time of Constantine.

The helmet was restored using a polyester base. A picture of this is shown at the top.

Here we have the proof that Romans fought under this symbol However, some more amazing stuff came to light.

We know that this emblem, also had something to do with the Sun god. However, the connection could never directly be made.

Now note this!

The emblem itself, was made from silver chloride, a very light sensitive material and silver amalgamate. Very hard materials to work with.

There is still more, the helmet and the crest, to which the emblem was fixed, was gold clad with silver studs.

According to the restoration experts this helmet must have been a radiant beacon of light as soon as it was struck by the sun.

It must have been glowing like it was a part of the Sun itself. Can you imagine an Roman officer on his horse amidst his troops? He carrying their sacred emblem and being radiant as the Sun himself.

If that would not have inspired them, what else would? For sure this proves that Constantine was indeed a very crafty fellow

The Helmet is kept at the: Bonnefanten Museum Maastricht The Netherlands

Have a Good night

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

I re-post from above to correct my statement:

Yes, 'Pascha' is Hebrew for 'passover'.

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'Pascha' is GREEK for 'passover'. PI-ALPHA-SIGMA-CHI-ALPHA

'Pesach' is HEBREW for 'passover'.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Connie,

I would need to study more from Christian archeology before believing Christians didnt' use the cross symbol before the fourth century. Michael Green's_Evangelism in the Early Church_ prsents a case for some early evidence. In addition to the mark on the wall in Pompeii that looked like it wass the mark left from where a cross was hanging in an apartment which, according to the legal records, could well have been a Christian dwelling, he also argues for little crosses drawn in streets perhaps to signify where Christian meetings were held or where Christians lived. The book is a really interesting read. it's scholarly, but it's written really well, and I found it hard to put down.

It includes some bits about the way the early church met, the use of supernatural gifts in the first few centuries of Christianity in their relation to evangelism, how Jews were evangelized, how Gentiles were evangelized, and a load of information about the various aspects of the empire in those days. Aside from the conclusions he draws about infant baptism, he has a good section on baptism as well. It's an old book.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Hi, Link.

I posted this because this man is knowledgeable about how we got our ceremonies and symbols.

Unfortunately, Constantine was probably not truly a Christian.

The Council he called at Nicea settled these things in ways not consistent with what God had ordained.

If you find additional information which shows him to be in error, I would like to see it posted.

Thank you,

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Also, I think the 'Tammuz' T was like a capital T. 'Tau' in Greek has the crossbar on top in both the capital and the lower case.

Respectfully,

Connie

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

A lot of this stuff about Jesus being crucified on a stake instead of a cross, and the cross really being a pagan symbol, "Tammuz", is pure hogwash gleaned from the writings of Charles Taze Russell and the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is patently false, revisionist history. Besides, the Bible has a secret weapon against those who claim Jesus was crucified on a stake (both hands impaled over his head with one nail) versus a cross (hands outstretched, a nail in each palm); a trump card that catches the JWs and other revisionists offguard.

"The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails [plural], and put my finger into the print of the nails [plural], and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." - John 20:25 (RSV)

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Hello, John,

Just because others are in error does not mean the translation of these words is wrong.

I have read in other works I trust that the word used was 'stake'.

It does not negate that he died, crucified, in our places.

I do not even know of that person to whom you refer (Russell?) and I certainly do not accept anything which is not directly from Scripture.

Respectfully,

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2001

Hello, again, John,

I re-post from above: (Jan Kapteyn's words)

If indeed he had this dream, it would have possible been more about the "Mithras" cross and not the cross of "Tammuz," which was later adopted by the Church. The origin of the Mithras cross comes from the Astrological beliefs held over the centuries. We have observed that the earth has a wobble in its rotations. The ancients who believed that the sun and stars moved around the Earth, had noticed this also over the ages and believed that the Gods moved the sun and described the Sun's movement as to tracks crossing each other like an X.

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From Connie:

The 'Mithras' cross was the pagan one and the 'Tammuz' cross, as Jan says here, was later adopted by the 'church' ~ presumably the RCC ~ and is from the Jewish month of the same name (sometimes spelled 'Thammuz'. I think it has to do with the location of the cross-bar.

Much of what we have adopted in the Body of Christ is, unfortunately, from pagan rites and symbols, via the RCC.

I am not praising anyone's error; just trying to find out what really happened and what is true. The truth never hurt anyone, but falsehood and error does.

Respectfully,

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

John,

A JW might answer with the idea of crucifiction on a take, hands over head, with two nails, one through each hand. But that would be innefficient, since the Romans would saste a nail for each person crucified. (stakified?) Another verse that may hint at the method of crucifiction is Jesus prediction of the way Peter would die, that he would 'stretch forth his hands.

Btw, I think trying to trace the name 'Easter' back to Astarte or Ishtar may be a mistake. It seems like I recall hearing that it came from some Germanic word that referred to life or resurrection. It would be best to look it up in an etymological dictionary.

'Astarte' was worshipped as a deity by what culture?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

Link, i re-post from above:

(stakified?)

The Greek word, I believe, is 'stauros'. It's been awhile since I read it.

Respectfully,

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

Link,

My 'World Book' Encyclopedia says of ASTARTE:

She was the most important goddess of the pagan Semites. She was the goddess of love, fertility, and maternity for the Phoenicians, Canaanites, Aramaeans, South Arabs, and even the Egyptians. Her name was ISHTAR in Babylonia and Assyria, where she was also the goddess of war.

Some Old Testament srories call her ASHTORETH, and describe the construction of her altar by King Solomon and its destruction by King Josiah. ASTARTE was identified with the planet venus. The Greeks called her APHRODITE, and the Romans knew her as VENUS.

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Respectfully,

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

I re-post from above:

They decided therefore that it should be celebrated with the pagan Easter (beginnings) feasts. They made an elaborate date scheme so that Easter never would coincide with Pesach.

Does their Easter, which is not commanded by God, fits the literal Scripture?

In no way. First let us consider times.

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The KJV erroneously calls the day 'Easter'. (I actually learned that on this forum).

It was poorly translated.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

Interesting posts all. I am very aware of the JW re-interpretations, too. That kind of stuff is what muddies the view in the water of history.

The information I have comes from several sources. Noteably though, it comes directly from the Roman Catholic Church. I was taught by them that Constantine and the establish church instituted these 'holidays' as compromises with tyhe pagan peoples in the conquered territories. Since there were no 'national holidays' like we enjoy today, the average peasant type had nothing to look forward to except 7 days of labor. As pagans, what they could look forward to, however, were their festival holiday times. As 'christians' now, they did not have that to look forward too. So the early church established a) Sunday as a day of rest and b) feast days/holy days so the poor folk would still be able to enjoy their festivals. Ever been curious why both Christmas and Easter are celebrated on equinox's? Because they are based on ancient pagan celebrations.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Ok, so you don't have to take my word for it, and more fuel for the fire ::laffs::

From "The Hutchinson Encyclopedia 2000":

"Easter

Spring feast of the Christian church, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus. It is a moveable feast, falling on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21); that is, between March 22 and April 25.

The English name derives from Eostre, Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, who was honored in April."

Note: falls on an equinox, and goddess of spring, showing the pagan origins.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Hi, Dr. Jon,

Your posts are interesting, also.

Nice to see your name.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Hi Dr. Dewey. It is nice to see you (or your name) again. You've been a great help to me. I've ventured out from the Gwen Shamblin discussion trying to see what more I can learn.

What Christ's resurrection has to do with eating chocolate bunnies, I'll never know, and really don't care. I only know that my family's celebration of Easter has always revolved around the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior!

Sincerely,

Tess

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001