Re: origins of Easter

B.G. Kent wrote:
The Origins Of Easter
By Don Wildgrube

Why are you posting the opinions of some nobody here? Why not just
write your own?

The word Easter is from the Anglo-Saxon word, Oestre or Eastre, which
is the ancient name of the Goddess of Spring.

Note that this is more than a little doubtful. The only connection is
recorded by Bede in a work on Time. Yet Mr. Wildgrube tells us this as
a fact, and expects us to take his word for it. There is no reference
give. But if his post had given a reference, and quoted Bede, and
indicated that this was the sole basis, then it would have had
educational content.

As it stands, we merely have one poster repeating the opinion of
another who is clearly merely repeating hearsay.

Untold centuries before the Christian era, the country folk would
gather on the eve of this day that they called Ostara, to feast until
sunrise. Some people met in caves, the womb of the Earth Mother, to
wait for the sunrise. During this evening, stories would be told of
the death of the vegetation at the Spring Equinox and of the cycle of
fertility.

In which ancient text precisely is this to be found?

Resurrection stories are not new with the stories of Jesus. These
stories are universal. The birth-death-resurrection cycles are in fact
quite common. They are found in the stories of Osirus, Tammuz, Lugh,
Apollo, Mithra or any number of ancient gods.

From the dawn of time every man alive has known that the crops spring
up each year, die, and then spring anew. Primitive men personified
this process, like Tammuz who would go around this cycle each year, and
so only reflect the crop season. But the story of Jesus did not arise
in this manner: it is the record of events that occurred at a specific
time in a monotheistic culture. Even at the crassest level, there is a
problem: where in the New Testament is it, that Jesus dies and is
resurrected every year? So we have a fraud being perpetrated by means
of carefully vague assertions.

I also notice that even the mythology is wrong: Mithras was not
resurrected.

Again we have hearsay being repeated as fact, without evidence and
contrary to reason.

The customs of Easter were adopted into early Christianity in Northern
Europe due to the work of St. Augustine, by order of Pope Gregory I.
The Pope figured that by adopting Pagan holidays and customs, and
making some of the Pagan Gods into Saints, they could bring many
Pagans into the new faith of Christianity.

Here again we see Mr. Wildgrube resorting to hearsay, and Mr. Kent
repeating it uncritically. This story is all based on Gregory's
instructions to St. Augustine of Canterbury, to be found in Bede.
(Note how Mr. Wildgrube gives no reference!) But if we look at Bede,
we find very fast that Gregory certainly did not advocate or order the
above!

It seems the early church had much trouble in setting the date of
Easter.

That is because they used a solar calendar to mark an event which
coincided with a feast celebrated on a luna calendar.

Only after Constantine convened the Council of Nicea in 325,
was the date set.

The various reckonings could only be harmonised by the first universal
council; and that could only be held once Christianity was legal.

Easter is a happy celebration. Bright colors, spring breezes and good fool
make our spirits light. Enjoy this season, and look forward to summer.

A curious end to a collection of spiteful nonsense, intended to
proselytise for a religious position -- conformity to societal values
-- which Mr. Wildgrube cannot even state, never mind offer reasons for!

All the best,

Roger Pearse


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