Any other Christians annoyed at what society has turned Easter into?

[Opol]

I’m resigned that the same has been done to Christmas. But for me that is “only” the birth of Christ.

As a Roman Catholic, Easter is of far more importance to me. For me, God’s love for humanity meant he sacrificed his only son. Jesus’ resurrection is literally the embodiment of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil etc.

I don’t wish to gate keep but seeing it reduced to Easter baskets and chocolate rabbits is unpleasant to witness. I’m more annoyed at society making everything hollow and superficial via consumerism and over consumption.

You’re simply going to have to be offended. The fact is, religious beliefs in this day and age are ridiculous enough to be seen as what that poster described. If you hold beliefs in an imaginary deity or any other belief system that needs absolute faith with no facts or logic to prove its reality, then comments like the one you quoted are as valid a view as yours is that a god does sit in the heavens.

I don’t think this commercialisation is limited to Christian festivals. I saw a news article recently about some massive shopping event (think like the Ideal Home exhibition) that was targeted at the Muslim community seeming to encourage them to buy tremendous amounts of stuff to “celebrate” Eid - not traditional stuff, but things that seemed quite materialistic.

As an atheist I found it very bizarre to be wished a Happy Easter by various people today. I can get behind the idea of a couple having to travel a long distance for a census and not being able to find lodgings, but the idea that a man rose from the dead is just too far-fetched for me, I'm afraid.

That said, I don't like all the mass-produced tat that fills the shops for any of the festivals, be they religious or secular/pagan.

I'm more offended that the church hijacked the pagan festivals and overlaid it's ideas to stamp out pagan ways.
Not bothered about eggs and chocolate.

I'm not Christian but Easter (like so many other celebration/commemoration days) has become so vulgar and removed from the original.

I heard a neighbour's kid this morning on their garden egg hunt ask his mum how come bunnies lay eggs. We never had anything like this as kids and I've refused to engage with mine.

Except that 'a god does sit in the heavens' is a neutral expression of belief and 'imaginary sky man' is a deliberately nasty put-down of other people's beliefs.

The fact is, religious beliefs in this day and age are ridiculous enough to be seen as what that poster described.

That's not a fact. It's an opinion.

It’s a ‘nasty put-down’ to you because you feel it ridicules your belief, but it is just a very literal statement about what Christians believe. They believe a man who cannot be seen or heard lives in the sky/heavens above.

Thats not a fact. It’s an opinion

You’re quite right, it’s my opinion. However, an opinion doesn’t have to be watered down so not to offend someone with a belief, which is also not a fact. If any of the many religions and gods out there are ever proven to be a fact without a shadow of a doubt, then you’d have a bases to be offended when someone suggests it’s ridiculous or ‘invisible sky man’.

I think the post is perfectly clear and is probably the way most people of white British origin feel about it. Not believers but choose to follow cultural aspects which are impossible to separate from our national life. There are even plenty of British Muslims who celebrate cultural aspects of Christianity . It's fun!

Well said!
It’s also the opinion of a growing number of people in the UK and one there is increasing scientific evidence to support.

Non believer but festivals of all types are a high days and holidays here for no reason than we celebrate what we can when we can how we can. Easter for us is Spring and all the hope that brings, Christmas is lights and fun in darkest of nights. You do you ,why does what we do offend you.. how does it lessen your beliefs

What does annoy me increasingly (and I’m an easy going person!) is the free rein society seem to have to take the piss out of, and mock Christian’s and Christianity. I was listening to the Chris Moyles show on radio X and most of the programme was them ripping the piss out of Easter, Jesus, the resurrection. And the constant memes on Facebook etc. I’m pretty thick skinned and a part of me was even feeling a bit upset by it all, so others must have felt worse. And I’m not talking about richly gervais style ‘in the name of comedy’ it’s just ride in every day life. It’s the only religion left that it seems to be socially acceptable to openly mock. Catholicism particularly…

The Chris Moyles that famously played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar…..?

Can you give an example of a “cultural aspect of Christianity”?

Vulgar?

I'm in my late 30s. Everyone painted hardboiled eggs and rolled them down the hill at the park, went on Easter egg hunts, had Easter bonnet parades, and gave their mum daffodils on Easter Sunday. Kids are doing the same things now.

We took our son to the local park where there was a big Easter egg hunt and Easter bonnet competition. The children found clues around the park and filled in a piece of paper with the clues then got a chocolate egg at the end. How is this vulgar?

Children and families have been doing things like this for years. It's lovely.

Eostra, Eastre or Ostara: a goddess revered and celebrated in various forms across Europe before Christians arrived.

A wonderful female deity who could transform into a hare that laid eggs. And while I'm on the subject of women - eggs - estrogen and all that, Easter was all about the glories of fornication and fertility that bring about a plentiful harvest.

Until a man arrived... but they never did explain away the hare.

I mean as a pagan I'm more annoyed that the Christians used the celebration Ostara and turned it into something Christian. Suppose they did the same with Christmas too.

Because I was talking about a "Christian country" and talking about the link between State and Church - and how it would be better if they weren't linked and you said

"I'm not a Christian but would say I'm a Cultural Christian meaning I'm a nonreligious or non-practicing Christian who received Christian values and appreciates Christian culture. My cultural life in the sense of music and art would be very diminished if Christianity were removed."

And I don't understand why you said "If Christianity were removed"

I get being a cultural Christian. I get the art influence.

But I don't know why you would say "removed".

Because no one is going to remove Christianity. It will still have a place for people alongside other religious ideologies such as Islam and Judaism.

Mary gave birth to the Son of God in the Christmas story. That's the whole point. Why can you get behind that but not behind the Son of God dying for humanity's sins?

It's birth, death, and rebirth. As are the seasons. Surely people can understand this and separate the religious celebrations from the cultural which have evolved from these.

We are a historically Christian nation. Christian values underpin everything in our society. I think most adults have enough nuanced understanding to appreciate this whether or not they are religious, and enjoy the egg hunts and fluffy bunnies aspect of Easter too.

So many bitter posts on this thread: don't any of you have fond memories of egg painting competitions? Egg rolling? Easter egg hunts? Home made Easter cards? Making chocolate cornflake nests?

I have wonderful memories of all of these things and am passing them on to my son as part of the traditions of his country, just the same as we celebrate Burns Night and Fireworks Night. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunny picnic in the park today with an Easter egg hunt enjoyed by all the children. He was so pleased to wear his Easter bonnet. It was lovely.

@SpeedyDrama

"You’re simply going to have to be offended. The fact is, religious beliefs in this day and age are ridiculous enough to be seen as what that poster described. If you hold beliefs in an imaginary deity or any other belief system that needs absolute faith with no facts or logic to prove its reality, then comments like the one you quoted are as valid a view as yours is that a god does sit in the heavens"

Now I think you are taking this whole religion thing too literally and not actually seeing the point of religion.

It is completely irrelevant whether God or Jesus actually exists or not. What is relevant is that religion including Christianity provide a structure, guidance on how to live your life in a moral decent way, to take care of those less fortunate, a sense of community etc.

Without religion you are left with "decency" which of course is better than indecency but somehow it's not enough and doesn't cover all the above points.

Now you may counter that you don't need a structure, that you already live your life in a decent moral way, that you already take care of those less fortunate and that you are already an active part of your community. And maybe you are those things but the point is you are self determining whether you are those things and let's be honest we all have a favourable view ourselves. But there are people in society who either do or would benefit from the structure etc that religion provides.

It's not clever or edgy to criticise religion because it's essentially criticising people who want (although may not achieve it) to live their lives in a better way and to improve society. And quite frankly that's just knobby.

Lastly whilst you seem quite open to criticise Christianity, I wonder whether you would be so out spoken about criticising other religions - acknowledging how this might pan out for you.

"Mary gave birth to the Son of God in the Christmas story. That's the whole point. Why can you get behind that but not behind the Son of God dying for humanity's sins?"

That's not what she said.

She said she could get behind someone going to give birth for a census

A bit of a difference.

"Christian values underpin everything in our society."

What Christian values?

Are we talking the Old Testament view?
Or do you think the New Testament outweighs the views of the Old Testament?

Because from a discussion elsewhere, people can't really explain Christian values when asked

Are these Christian values?

Or is that too Christian for some people?

Was it Christian to burn Catholics?
Was it Christian to kill Jews?

Mary gave birth to the Son of God in the Christmas story. That's the whole point. Why can you get behind that but not behind the Son of God dying for humanity's sins?

I can't. I don't believe any of it apart from a few biblical things which may have some historical basis. I think most of it is ridiculous and can't understand how anyone could believe this stuff in the 21st century. Sorry. If someone came up with it now they would be sectioned.

This makes no sense. Christianity came from Judaism. Islam developed from both Judaism and Christianity. Do we say that Muslims have co opted ideas from other religions and should therefore be dismissed?

Humans evolve. Ideas evolve over time. Ideas and beliefs are shared and expressed in different ways. Religion is a human way of expressing ideas, values, morals, philosophies, theories.

People think they are being edgy and cool in dismissing the importance of Christianity on the very fibres of western society. They wouldn't be so dismissive of other beliefs.

Funny - when people say that this country is based on Christian values, they never bother to think about what those values are - and whether that was a good thing?

I don't know what Jesus would have thought of the behaviour of many "Christians" over the 2000 years since his death.