“He that knows nothing will believe anything.”
–Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661
The Pagan Easter | A repost from a friend.
Original Post Here
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2012
The Pagan Easter.
Alright, Christ-followers, you may not like this post. It might make you feel very uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable.
This week I’ve been studying the origins of Easter. And, friends – I’m disturbed when I realize how many of our present-day holidays and celebrations have roots in Paganism. It’s confusing and upsetting, to say the least. And it occured to me – as UNCOMFORTABLE as it is, I have to seek wisdom about the things I do in my life, including traditions like Easter.
If I am so inherantly against Halloween because of its blatant Pagan and Occult connections, wouldn’t I be a hyppocrate if I weren’t willing to take a critical look at other culturally accepted ‘holidays’?
Happy Easter?
I am not claiming all of this as truth, I am simply saying, this is what I’ve found in my research.
The roots of Easter are actually found LONG before Christ was on this earth. The name “Easter” is not biblical in the slightest and many scholars agree it is directly attributed to Pagan gods and godesses, most notably, “Eostre” (also known as Ishtar) the goddess of Spring and/or fertility who is said to have originated in Babylon. Her occult simbols included the bunny or rabbit.
One legend goes like this:
The grandson of the biblical Noah was called Nimrod. (You can find that part in Genesis). He ruled a massive post-flood kingdom as a tyrranical and corrupt king who lead people away from God. He ruled several major cities including Babel, Asshur, Nineveh, and Calah.
When he died, his wife (Samiramis, who was also his Mother) deified him and called him a sun-god. He is known throughout history in the pagan religion as Baal, Baalim, Bel, and Molech. Samiramis had another son later who she claimed was Nirmod reborn, or, reincarnated. It gets weirder – she also said this son, Tammus/Mithras, was a supernatural conception- the promised savior sent by her god. Nimrod was later known as the god of the sun, ‘father of creation’. Semiramis became the goddess of the moon and fertility, most known as . Tammuz became a pagan-worshiped “savior” who was worshipped specifically in the Spring. Legend says after Tammuz was killed, he went down to the underworld but his mother’s relentless weaping (she wept for 40 days, same as Lent) he was ‘resurrected’. In Spring, Pagans celebrated this said resurrection.
With Babel destroyed, the people moved to various areas, bringing their Pagan beliefs with them – including the worship of various false gods and human sacrifices – much of which was founded on the worship of the original Baal and Semiramis (later known as ISHTAR or Eostre – where we get EASTER).
Some of the readings I found merged Semiramis (sometimes spelled Samiramis) and Eostre as one, some sources spoke of two seperate godesses. Either way, they were false gods.
There are many stories about “Easter”, all very intertwined and connected to Pagan beliefs and ancient gods. Other stories suggests that Oestre (Easter) the goddess of fertility had many, many lovers. The spawn of these lovers include the likes of Thor, Satyr, and Parcae. This legend also points to Oestre as the godess of the Universe, with eggs and rabbits as her symbols of power.
Easter (Ishtar/Oestre) Eggs and the Bunny?
There are few legends I found over and over which were prominent in Pagan belief systems:
1. An enormous egg fell from the sky and ‘hatched’ the goddess Astarte (also known as Ishtar/Easter).
2. The world itself was actually hatched from an egg.
The idea of a mystic egg spread and the egg still remains a prominent symbol for Pagans and also members of the Occult. The egg usually represents fertility and/or rebirth. In many Pagan cultures, eggs are used to ‘predict’ the sex of unborn children and bring good luck. They were and are still used in many Pagan rituals.
The idea of rabits and bunnies at Easter is also (surprise, surprise) rooted deep in Paganism.
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| A painting of Ostara/Oestre, goddess of fertility. |
The goddess of fertility used the bunny as her earthly Pagan symbol. How this grew into a legend about a big bunny delivering eggs to children is uncertain. There is no debating that the symbol of the “Easter Bunny” is complete unbiblical and entirely Pagan. One very common legend speaks of the goddess Eostre magically turning one of her sacred birds into a bunny. Many scholars say this in how we ended up with the bizarre blend of a BUNNY delivering EGGS. (Newsflash, rabits don’t lay eggs).
The “Eostre” Egg remained tradition for countless cultures, especially in African and European countries where eggs were often painted and given as gifts at in Spring as symbols of good luck, prosperity, and fertility.
Almost all of the “Easter” traditions we have today were birthed out of Paganism and later merged into Christianity.
So, what we’re left with today is an incredibly confusing mixture of evil symbolism and false god worship and the proclaimed “most important day for the Christian faith”. The majority of the world celebrates “Easter” with the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs, not with the Cross. Modern Easter has become a multi-billion dollar industry that celebrates consumerism more than anything else.
So where does this leave the Christ-follower?
I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t celebrate the death and ressuresction of Jesus Christ – I’m asking myself, how? And maybe even, when? How do we exercise wisdom and discernment and still embrace those around us and show love to our children and friends? How do we actually honor God in all this mess?
As for our family, much like we don’t do Santa, we don’t do the Easter Bunny. (PS. Many Christmas customs are rooted in Paganism too).
We actually don’t even speak about the idea of an Easter Bunny. We do paint eggs, but now my mind is reeling about that. And what about Easter Egg hunts and chocolate and all these earthly ‘celebrations’? As I sit and close my eyes, I am thankful for a God of GRACE. That dispite me and all this world and all these roots… God’s grace covers all my “I don’t knows”.
But His grace is not an excuse for complacency. I want to continue to dig deeper, pray, and search my heart for the traditions that are not pleasing to God. Instead of what the world calls “Easter”, we will choose to celebrate Resurrection. Maybe we will even choose to go so far as to completely reject what the world calls “Easter” … we’re still figuring out.
Sisters and brothers – what are your thoughts? Please, share them below.
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| “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (Proverbs) |
A video worth watching, “Easter Exposed”
More Readings:
(Please realize these are only links to sites I found. Please use your own convictions to decipher them!)
Hippity Hoppity: Rabits for Easter
Easter and Spring Equinox
Interesting reads from a Pagan site
Another interesting article for consideration
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"
12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
which was brought upon me,
which the LORD inflicted
on the day of his fierce anger.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Lamentations 1:12.