| Author | Message | ||
| Chyna |
On what day do Adventists celebrate Easter? Chyna | ||
| Valm |
They don't. It is considered a pagan holiday and there is no acknowledgement of it. Valerie | ||
| Valm |
A thought for the day a wise priest once told me when I was going through deep grief. "You can not get to Easter Sunday without going through Good Friday. Valerie | ||
| Lydell |
Chyna, isn't it sad that a denomination that calls itself Christian would be willing to allow satan to own a day? If we looked, I'm sure we could find that satan has attempted thru one form of paganism or another to lay claim to every day of the week. Undoubtedly we could look long enough to find that he has tried to lay claim to every holiday, every kind of human celebration. I don't see any reason to give him any of them! | ||
| Sherry2 |
Amen Lydell. I know growing up there was a phase where no one would put a rainbow on their car or have any external rainbows at all (the sda church)because of it's symbolism used for homosexuality. Well hello, who put the rainbow in the sky? He owns it and we should celebrate it! Should be interesting to note that the pentagram, although used mainly for Wicca today, and used in Satanic circles also, but started out as a symbol for the Pentateuch, and for the 5 points of suffering of Christ. It was also a symbolism of Truth - God's Truth. So anything can be used for evil and anything can be used for truth to honor and glorify God I believe. | ||
| Violet |
As I was watching the Discovery Channel last night, they were going over the 7 wonders of the ancient world. One was a satute to a god, I forgot which one, anyway he had several spikes of gold out of his head that were rays to the sun. They looked exactly like the Statue of Liberty's "hat". I wonder if the Adventist new about this they would disown our Lady Liberty? | ||
| Sherry2 |
The god "Helios" was a sun god actually and the artist who made the Statue of Liberty was in fact inspired by the art of the statue according to the site for the 7 wonders. If people started to worship it, would you disown it? The bronze serpent on the stick held its purpose for the children of Israel. But when it became idolized and worshiped rather than God Himself, it needed to be destroyed. If anything is a god in our own life it may need to be eliminated or given away to help us turn our hearts towards home. I know from smoking, which is a destructive little idol, to get near one of my lighters makes me want to light up, to use any other lighter that was not used for the habit does not trigger me at all. It would be best that I threw out the trigger lighters. Does that make sense? So I think it's like Paul talks about, if it is sin for one he shouldn't go there. Though another could use it for good. So I suppose upon saying that, if an ex-gay is triggered when he sees the rainbow on cars and such, I can say I don't fault him/her for not wanting one in his/her home. Maybe I placed a judgment there I shouldn't have by stating that about good vs. evil. | ||
| Violet |
This is true if it is a god for someone they should not have it in thier lives. I just have a problem when someone tells me I should not have it in mine when it is not a problem. This is the first Easter and Lent I have gone through. I have learned more about the cross in the past 3 Sundays than I have in the past 3 years in the Adventist orginization. It is so beautiful, beyond words, in fact each week we go through the last words of Christ. Why can't Adventist see the beauty in something instead of always running from the negative. Are they so weak they are afraid they will fall for anything? | ||
| Darrell |
Chyna, there is actually a variety of practice among SDA's regarding Easter. Many Adventist churches will have a resurrection theme on the Sabbath before Easter. Some Adventists will have Easter celebrations in their homes. Others will completely ignore it. Your question probably has as many answers as the question: "Who is the patron saint of Catholics?" It depends. :-) | ||
| Sherry2 |
I agree with Darrell to some extent. Compared to the Christian churches I have been out of Adventist though, in comparisons SDA's invest little time in lifting up the resurrection of Christ. And too often when it gets talked of, it seems a perfect opportunity to talk about the Sabbath...you see Christ didn't raise on the sabbath, He rested! Ugh! I've heard communion services and Easter both used to promote the agenda of sabbath and it is sickening to me now. | ||
| Chyna |
It occurred to me that Easter is almost one of the best text cases to expose Adventism. The Bible clearly clearly says that Jesus had died on what we would call Friday, and rose on the third day, which is Sunday. The reason I asked was because I couldn't fathom the SDA church wanting to meet on Sunday for any reason being all stigmatized up by EGW. And so, SDAs won't even reclaim the day Sunday for the Lord, even though Christ's resurrection is probably the most important event in the whole history, present, and future of man. They won't celebrate His resurrection on Sunday because they conscientiously miss out on rejoicing of the results of that day. Boy, that is weird that they use Christ's death to uphold the Sabbath. When Christ died and rose again, He ended up fulfilling the law that the SDAs hold so dearly. It really does go back to the "self salvation" concept, doesn't it? Also I was reading how saying that Sun day wasn't any more meaningful than calling Saturday Saturn-day. Saturday is also named after a god. but do the SDA's make a fuss about that? I think it's neat my church is doing a fri-sat-sun thing. friday evening service, then saturday a day of reflection and prayer, and then sunday celebration. hey, what about Palm Sunday? I betcha SDAs don't celebrate that too, huh. I guess SDAs don't make much of Jesus fulfilling a prophecy on the first day of the week? Chyna | ||
| Chyna |
what greater indictment of the SDA faith is there, that they do not shout about the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ? i am starting to see it more clearly now. for SDAs it is probably diminished, after all, Christ (sic) only paid for their past sins, and they have to keep maintaining their salvation, and keeping the sabbath etc. al., and so like everyone has been saying, to rejoice in Easter is to understand the New Covenant faith we share. | ||
| Valm |
It is not that SDAs object to celebrating the resurrection. They take a very firm stance that Easter is a pagan holiday. And that the pagan aspects of the holiday are so dishonorable to God that they do not celebrate Easter. One of the biggest being the date Easter is set. If done in a pure form, which some churches, I think the orthodox ones do, it would coincide with Passover. Most churches set it with the equinox which has something to do with the sun, I think. While I do celebrate Easter, I am more focused on Lent, which many churches completely ignore. I find more benefit in the meditative aspects of Lent than I do on Easter. Why? Most churches I go to are a "circus" on Easter. Everyone decked out in ridiculous looking new clothes and hats. Too many people that only go to church on Easter and Christmas. And kids overly excited about the "egg hunt" after church than the service. Too many people and too much focus on the things that the SDA's object to about Easter. There is a lesson to be learned here from our SDA friends. I have to run. Have two boys to take to the orthodonist by 7:30 this am and both in bed..... Have a great day all. Valerie | ||
| Doug222 |
Chyna, I think that by making an issue of whether SDA's "honor" Easter or Sunday, you are doing the very thing you accuse SDA's of, judging another man in reference to a day. No where in God's word is there an instruction to celebrate Easter, neither is there instruction to worship on the first day of the week. These are traditions of men and should not be contrued as the Commandments of God. We (all Christians)honor Christ's death AND resurrection through the ordinance of communion and baptism. In His Grace | ||
| Shereen |
I have this little book by Ken Gire called, 'Intimate Moments With The Savior" which I have been reading. This morning I was reading and something went "Ahhhhhhhh" I was reading the scripture John 8: 1-11. Jesus was faced with the ten commandments here by the pharisees and....well, you read it and tell me if the pharisees weren't alot like the SDA's in their thinking. A comment on the story is what caught my eye and had me thinking. Here is the comment: Time and again Jesus has shown compassion on sinners. An yet the Law of Moses is uncompromising and impartial in its teatment of them. If the religious leaders can somehow wedge Jesus between his loyalty to the stone tablets of the Law and his steadfast love for sinners, certainly that would squeeze out his true colors for all to see. If he frees her, they reason, as he most certainly will, he forsakes the Law. Then they will have cause to accuse hime before the Sanhedrin. The question they use to spring the trap is not a theoretical one like, "whose wife will she be in the resurrection?" It is a quesion of life and death in whose balance hangs not only the fate of this woman but the fate of Christ as well. Jesus used compassion and wisdom in His dealings. The law is just a guide, just a guide. We have to remember that. | ||
| Chyna |
Dear Doug, I am saying that not honoring Easter is the very picture of Adventism. Showing how they cling to the Old Covenant and Sabbath for their Salvation rather than their Salvation in Christ. I am not critizing them for failing the "law" in anyway. I'm criticizing them for religiously honoring Sabbath, and then minimizing the import of Christ rising from the dead. and you are absolutely correct that there is no instruction because we don't need any :), the fact of what occurred on Sunday morning, Christ's resurrection, is all we need to remember to celebrate, much like remembering the day or year that we accepted Christ in our lives. dear Valerie, I do delight in the new easter dresses, and the children running around to find eggs. not because they focus on Christ, but because it is a special time. similar to the way people will refer to their Saturday baths, and wearing their best Sunday clothes. dressing for many people for church, was a way to present their best selfs to God. not that I'm condoning Easter-Christmas Christians (those that only attend church on those two sundays). Chyna | ||
| Chyna |
Can someone explain to me exactly why SDAs think that Easter is a pagan holiday? | ||
| Chyna |
I understand why they think Sunday is a day that pagans worshipped on, but why would they discredit the day the Lord arose from the dead? | ||
| Violet |
What I was taught growing up was that the eggs and the bunnys represented fertility. But that was about all. My mom was pretty laid back about holidays. (We dressed up and trick or treated ect) My dad never practiced Adventism, he just did not get in the way of my mom taking us to church. We always had new clothes for Easter, big deal at our house, mom sewed most of them. It was not so much that it was discredited as it was just not emphasised. From what I am learning now I regret that it was not. | ||
| Lori |
The reason SDA's call it a pagan holiday is because they teach that the Roman Catholic church tried to force this day of observance on the early church. It's just the same old anti-Sunday thing. | ||
| Valm |
The word Easter is dirived from the godess Esther (SPELLING?) She is a fertility Godess (new life) and hence the bunny that lay eggs rampant. The word Easter in no way related to the resurrection of Christ other than the loose association of fertility to new life to new life through the resurrection. The "secular" aspects of Easter all have a root in paganism. The early church had a way of "baptising" pagan holidays. You see they knew the new converts would wish to someway keep up their holidays, therefore what they did is took pagan type holidays and encorporated spiritual meanings in them. I find the season of Lent and Easter a wonderful celebration. And am comfortable with the pagan aspects to a certain extent. However, we can not in anyway criticize others for regonizing the pagan aspects of the holiday and therefore choosing not to celebrate it. Most churches do little to recognize Lent, which is a wonderful spiritual experience that prepares an individual spiritually for the full celebration of Easter. Also most churches do not consider the Easter season which is the four weeks after Easter. These next four Sundays are dedicated to the study of the resurrection and new life in Christ Jesus. Then on the fifth sunday after Easter the Feast of Pentecost is celebrated. This is a wonderful celebration recognizing the event Pentecost in the Bible and recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Most people where red on this day to church and their are many other wonderful symbolic parts to the service. Adventists who do not celebrate Easter would tell you that they celebrate the resurrection every day when they thank God for sending his son Jesus. I do not think any of us could say that Adventists do not recognize the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus because they do not keep "Easter". While they over emphasize the Sabbath, this has nothing to do with the issue of a Holy Day to them. Easter or the command to celebrate the resurrection is not in the Bible. Easter has pagan components; that is their issue. Their issue is that along with the pagan components this holiday was declared a "HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION" by the early Church. They do not recognize any holy day other that the Sabbath. And to keep Easter would be akin to them keeping the Sabbath due to this declaration. There are alot of things you can say about Adventists. But you have to respect them on their consistency and committment to this matter. I think the criticism has gone a bit over the top. The thing that most astounds me about this conversation is that a few weeks ago I was heavily ridiculed on this forum by two people for celebrating Ash Weds and Lent, both established in the early church right along with Easter. The only person that was kind enough from my recollection of coming forward to my defense was an SDA. But now I see many of you coming forward to claim the wonders of this season. Where were you all when I was rebuked and could have used the support and kindness of friends? Valerie | ||
| Valm |
This is wordy but clarifies the origins of Easter as well as it's dating and deep connection to the Catholic church. This substantiates Adventist concerns with the holiday which have nothing to do with there joy in the resurrection of Christ. Easter, annual festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the principal feast of the Christian year. It is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and April 25 and is therefore called a movable feast. The dates of several other ecclesiastical festivals, extending over a period between Septuagesima Sunday (the ninth Sunday before Easter) and the first Sunday of Advent, are fixed in relation to the date of Easter. Connected with the observance of Easter are the 40-day penitential season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday; Holy Week, commencing on Palm Sunday, including Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion, and terminating with Holy Saturday; and the Octave of Easter, extending from Easter Sunday through the following Sunday. During the Octave of Easter in early Christian times, the newly baptized wore white garments, white being the liturgical color of Easter and signifying light, purity, and joy. Pre-Christian Tradition Easter, a Christian festival, embodies many pre-Christian traditions. The origin of its name is unknown. Scholars, however, accepting the derivation proposed by the 8th-century English scholar St. Bede, believe it probably comes from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. Such festivals, and the stories and legends that explain their origin, were common in ancient religions. A Greek legend tells of the return of Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the earth, from the underworld to the light of day; her return symbolized to the ancient Greeks the resurrection of life in the spring after the desolation of winter. Many ancient peoples shared similar legends. The Phrygians believed that their omnipotent deity went to sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and they performed ceremonies with music and dancing at the spring equinox to awaken him. The Christian festival of Easter probably embodies a number of converging traditions; most scholars emphasize the original relation of Easter to the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived Pasch, another name for Easter. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were brought up in the Hebrew tradition and regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival, a commemoration of the advent of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. The Dating of Easter According to the New Testament, Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover and shortly afterward rose from the dead. In consequence, the Easter festival commemorated Christ's resurrection. In time, a serious difference over the date of the Easter festival arose among Christians. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the resurrection immediately following the Passover festival, which, according to their Babylonian lunar calendar, fell on the evening of the full moon (the 14th day in the month of Nisan, the first month of the year); by their reckoning, Easter, from year to year, fell on different days of the week. Christians of Gentile origin, however, wished to commemorate the resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday; by their method, Easter occurred on the same day of the week, but from year to year it fell on different dates. An important historical result of the difference in reckoning the date of Easter was that the Christian churches in the East, which were closer to the birthplace of the new religion and in which old traditions were strong, observed Easter according to the date of the Passover festival. The churches of the West, descendants of Greco-Roman civilization, celebrated Easter on a Sunday. Rulings of the Council of Nicaea on the Date of Easter Constantine the Great, Roman emperor, convoked the Council of Nicaea in 325. The council unanimously ruled that the Easter festival should be celebrated throughout the Christian world on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox; and that if the full moon should occur on a Sunday and thereby coincide with the Passover festival, Easter should be commemorated on the Sunday following. Coincidence of the feasts of Easter and Passover was thus avoided. The Council of Nicaea also decided that the calendar date of Easter was to be calculated at Alexandria, then the principal astronomical center of the world. The accurate determination of the date, however, proved an impossible task in view of the limited knowledge of the 4th-century world. The principal astronomical problem involved was the discrepancy, called the epact, between the solar year and the lunar year. The chief calendric problem was a gradually increasing discrepancy between the true astronomical year and the Julian calendar then in use. Later Dating Methods Ways of fixing the date of the feast tried by the church proved unsatisfactory, and Easter was celebrated on different dates in different parts of the world. In 387, for example, the dates of Easter in France and Egypt were 35 days apart. About 465, the church adopted a system of calculation proposed by the astronomer Victorinus (flourished 5th century), who had been commissioned by Pope Hilarius to reform the calendar and fix the date of Easter. Elements of his method are still in use, although the Scythian monk Dionysius Exiguus made significant adjustments to the Easter cycle in the 6th century. Refusal of the British and Celtic Christian churches to adopt the proposed changes led to a bitter dispute between them and Rome in the 7th century. Reform of the Julian calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, through adoption of the Gregorian calendar, eliminated much of the difficulty in fixing the date of Easter and in arranging the ecclesiastical year; since 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was also adopted in Great Britain and Ireland, Easter has been celebrated on the same day in the Western part of the Christian world. The Eastern churches, however, which did not adopt the Gregorian calendar, commemorate Easter on a Sunday either preceding or following the date observed in the West. Occasionally the dates coincide; the most recent times were in 1865 and 1963. Because the Easter holiday affects a varied number of secular affairs in many countries, it has long been urged as a matter of convenience that the movable dates of the festival be either narrowed in range or replaced by a fixed date in the manner of Christmas. In 1923 the problem was referred to the Holy See, which has found no canonical objection to the proposed reform. In 1928 the British Parliament enacted a measure allowing the Church of England to commemorate Easter on the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. Despite these steps toward reform, Easter continues to be a movable feast. "Easter," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. | ||
| Valm |
Another cut and paste from Microsoft which connects Easter to Sun worship. Sun Worship, religious devotion paid to the sun either as a deity or as the symbol of a deity. Sun worship was practiced by the Iroquois, Plains, and Tsimshian peoples of North America and reached a high state of development among the Native Americans of Mexico and Peru. The sun was also a Hindu deity, regarded as maleficent by the Dravidians of southern India and as benevolent by the Munda of the central parts. The Babylonians were sun worshipers, and in ancient Persia worship of the sun was an integral part of the elaborate cult of Mithras. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun god Ra. In ancient Greece the deities of the sun were Helios and Apollo. The worship of Helios was widespread; temples were built in Corinth, Argos, Troezen (no longer in existence), and many other cities, but the principal seat was on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, where four white horses were sacrificed annually to the god. A similar sacrifice was offered on the summit of Mount Hagios Elias, in the TaÔyetos Mountains, in Laconia. In time virtually all the functions of Helios were transferred to the god Apollo, in his identity as Phoebus. Sun worship persisted in Europe even after the introduction of Christianity, as is evidenced by its disguised survival in such traditional Christian practices as the Easter bonfire and the Yule log on Christmas. "Sun Worship," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. | ||
| Valm |
So all, I am on a band wagon here. I have a bug in my bonnet to speak. What is my point? My point is to neither defend or criticize Easter. As I said I derive great joy out of the religious aspects of the celebration. My point is that far to often we criticize SDAs without remembering that they have a reasonable and respect worthy point of view on the matter. Not everything they believe is toxic, false, wrong or deserving of criticism. And on this point they have a great deal of respect from me for their integrity and committment to stand up against what they view is paganistic. Not too many of us would put our heads on the chopping block like our friends the SDAs do on matters such as these. | ||
| Chuckiej |
Wonderful posts Val! | ||
| Valm |
A fun site on Easter that links one into all sorts of info. ww.njwebworks.net/easter/index.shtml |
