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Original poster

to be cross with my elderly fil about the meaning of easter

585 replies

nickschick · 04/04/2010 21:18

Bit tongue in cheek really.

FIL was today bemoaning the fact that he couldnt go to tesco for his cigar supply as they were shut for Easter.

Its only Easter he said they could have had usual Sunday hours ,its not like Christmas or anything.....

ONLY EASTER?????? i SHOUTED - JESUS DIED ON A CROSS FOR US!!!! EASTER IS MORE SPECIAL THAN CHRISTMAS - YES EASTER IS IMPORTANT.

and that sais dh is why you should never discuss religion with a catholic especially not one who sat in a cold church for an hour and a half last night at the easter vigil.

OP posts:
claig · 05/04/2010 13:45

Kaloki, we don't care what you believe, just as we don't care what Hindus, Sikhs etc. believe. It doesn't bother us.

Kaloki · 05/04/2010 13:46

Good to know Shockers That gives me hope.

Is annoying that I have to use annual leave to get the day off, but then get the day off as standard when it means very little to me. I wish the days could be shifted according to your beliefs.

Kaloki · 05/04/2010 13:47

And we dont care what you believe Claig. But it does affect us. Whereas our beliefs dont affect you.

claig · 05/04/2010 13:50

why does it affect your right to observe Samhain?

onagar · 05/04/2010 13:50

gaelicsheep, aside from the considerable doubt that the jesus in question existed, 'christianity' refers to the whole thing. The son of a god who arranged for him to die horribly (apparently to exploit a loophole in his own cruel and senseless rules), the same god from the old testament who committed atrocities and miracles daily. The god whom some christians claim hid fake dinosaur bones to trick us into believing the world was older than 6000 years. The god who cures people at lourdes providing their condition isn't one visible to others. (no limbs replaced)
The god who apparently made all women suffer the agony of childbirth because he was angry that one woman ate a fruit.

(Christians can say "oh well jesus changed all that" but they also claim he IS that god)

THIS is what I mean by fairy tale. It wouldn't surprise me that there was a preacher called jesus around that time. There were almost certainly 1000s of preachers so the odds are good.

Greensleeves · 05/04/2010 13:52

the streets of jerusalem were awash with "prophets" prattling on street corners - they still are

like buskers

Kaloki · 05/04/2010 13:52

Well I don't get the day off as standard claig. Whereas you do get your religious days off, and so I cant do things those days. I'd rather save those days off for something that is important for me.

onagar · 05/04/2010 13:53

Oh and some of the words attributed to jesus were sensible and wise. Some were silly, but credit where credit is due, whoever it was said them.

EggyAllenPoe · 05/04/2010 13:53

there are something like 800 thousand C of E and Catholic churchgoers in the UK.

very far from a majority, certainly nothing like 70%!

wih all the various denominations that might make 1 whole million out of a population of 60 million.

What kind of Christian it is that doesn't bother practicing ...none at all. the kind who is christian if you ask 'are you jewish, Muslim or Christian' will answer Christian, but if asked 'do you confess Jesus Christ as son of God and saviour' would answer no, or 'I don't understand'.

gaelicsheep · 05/04/2010 13:54

Jews also believe in that Old Testament God. As do Muslims. The three religions are very similar in very many respects. Jesus is an Islamic prophet IIRC so he wasn't just any old preacher.

claig · 05/04/2010 13:55

yes but that is because you are in the minority and are living in a country with a Christian heritage stretching back more than 1000 years. You cannot expect to overturn centuries of history unless you become the majority.

shockers · 05/04/2010 13:55

claig... I care.
I like to learn about other faiths... it makes me realise how much I have in common with other folk rather than how different I am.

Kaloki...
When I go out into beautiful, natural surroundings, I am thankful. My Mum doesn't believe in God but she feels the same way. When I first became a Christian, she hated it and felt that it would take me away from her and my family. It hasn't and we celebrate our similarities rather than our differences.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 05/04/2010 13:56

"Christians don't impose their beliefs on anyone. That's why we have religious freedom and allow Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Jews to practise their faiths as they please."

How very gracious of you

gaelicsheep · 05/04/2010 13:59

I think people are confusing religion and culture. Almost all of us have been brought up into a broadly Christian culture and set of traditions. Do people really want to just throw that all away?

claig · 05/04/2010 13:59

PfftTheMagicDragon, I agree that Christians are very gracious. Go to Saudi Arabia and see how very gracious they are there.

claig · 05/04/2010 14:01

gaelicsheep yes from these threads we can see that many people do want to throw that away. It is very interesting to see that.

Kaloki · 05/04/2010 14:01

claig You wanna get technical, Paganism was here way before Chritianity, and my particular brand of Paganism originated in Britain. Why are my beliefs less valid?

I am living in a country which my family have lived in as far back as I can trace, in a country which has a long Pagan religion. Where should I go to be able to practise my beliefs equally as with a religion that originated in Israel?

shockers That's the way it should be, as far as I'm aware, all religions are the same at their very root. And that should be the focus.

Greensleeves · 05/04/2010 14:02

Nothing happens in Saudi Arabia that didn't happen here a few hundred years ago, when we were more fundamentalist in our religion than we are now

it's the progressive secularism in Western society that has led to our not lopping bits off people for thought crimes or whipping adulterers - fundamentalism is fundamentalism, there's really very little difference between the abrahamic faiths in that sense

have you ever been to Saudi Arabia?

EggyAllenPoe · 05/04/2010 14:03

. Almost all of us have been brought up into a broadly Christian culture and set of traditions. Do people really want to just throw that all away

just what is christian about UK culture?

what?

i see a lot Uk-influenced in our branch of the church though.....

PfftTheMagicDragon · 05/04/2010 14:05

I wasn't making any personal insults. Of course, I won't claim that I wasn't being insulting, but sometimes I insult things. I insult crocs regularly, but I don't extend that to the people that wear them and I would think it rather ridiculous if someone were to take personal offense if I was saying rude things about a generic brand of footwear that they choose to wear.

I think that if you get peronally offended by someone saying that something that you believe in is untrue, then I think you are being too sensitive. I do not believe in God. I don't think he exists. To say that I cannot say this as it offends you is ridiculous, it stops debate, and really, it is a little offensive to all Christians. Not all of them are as close minded. I believe in evolution, but it doesn't offend me to hear creationists say that they think it is the work of the devil, because I accept that there are people out there who do not share my thoughts, beliefs, opinions, however you want to say it.

Religion does not deserve special treatment. Not over any other opinion. If you try to seciton it off, to separate it from debate because you are too sensitive about it, you aren't doing anyone any favours. Your faith should be strong enough to withstand debate, that should be how it gets stronger, ho wyou learn more. Religious opinion is no different from any other, so don't pretend it is.

Miggsie · 05/04/2010 14:05

We should all be able to survive shops being closed for a single day.

None of my local little shops open on Sunday or bank holidays. I am capable of planning my pet food buying around these dates.

gaelicsheep · 05/04/2010 14:06

Just to clarify again, I am not a practising Christian. I went to Sunday School as a child and I value what I learned. But now my interest is from a history/culture point of view rather than a religious one. This country has such a rich heritage and it is all tied up in one way or another with Christianity (aside from all the prehistory of course). We are very very lucky that we have hung onto the same culture for 1500 years.

But these days, well how on earth can it compete with the new religion of consumerism?

RealityIsWalking100K · 05/04/2010 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

EggyAllenPoe · 05/04/2010 14:09

But these days, well how on earth can it compete with the new religion of consumerism?

seeing as you studied in sunday school, you'll remember jesus chucking the monychangers out of the Temple?

consumerism a new religion? Pshaw.

onagar · 05/04/2010 14:09

Miggsie, indeed we can. give me one good reason why we should though?

The current reason seems to be "that christians want it that way"